Just saw a code violation on Holmes on Homes

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Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
That depends

That depends

I was watching Holmes on Homes. When they showed the outside condensing unit the disco was behind the unit. Haha.:lol::lol::lol:

As a recent thread indicates. This is a matter of interpretation. If it is a fused disconnect then I think most posters here agree that clearance is required. When it is a non fused disconnect different opinions have been expressed. I come down on the no clearance requirement. IMO checking not enough criteria to require clearance. If it was, then you could not put use a receptacle under a sink as a disconnect either, since you may need to check voltage in it as well.
 

busman

Senior Member
Location
Northern Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
Impossible Code Section

Impossible Code Section

I never gave 110.26(a) that much thought and just used common sense. However, if you read the actual wording, it seems clear that this requirement cannot be met in the real world. I say this because of the words "equipment", "examination" and "energized".

As has been pointed out, equipment includes devices (and just about everything else to do with electrical installations except wires and cables). I would say that testing for voltage comes under the heading of examination while energized. By this logic, all devices and fixtures would require the clear working space. Kinda dumb.

Mark
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Apparently they're also permitted to mount their breaker panels sideways in Canada. BTW, did you also happen to notice that there is a severe shortage of capable contractors and home inspectors in Canada (at least it appears that way on his show). Holmes seems to be the only contractor "doing the job right" up there.:p
 

stevenje

Senior Member
Location
Yachats Oregon
BTW, did you also happen to notice that there is a severe shortage of capable contractors and home inspectors in Canada (at least it appears that way on his show). Holmes seems to be the only contractor "doing the job right" up there.:p

On the flip side, it wouldn't be much of a show to see him walking through the project constantly saying." That's acceptable" over and over as he inspects high quality materials and workmanship. :D
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
On the flip side, it wouldn't be much of a show to see him walking through the project constantly saying." That's acceptable" over and over as he inspects high quality materials and workmanship. :D
Apparently they have enough material to keep the show going.
 

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
Let me make sure I'm understanding your point ...

Here's a guy preaching 'do it right,' extolling the virtues of people hiring licensed contractors and getting permits .... and you are critical of him?

Shall we strive for excellence - or race to the bottom?
 

jamieb

Member
by the way Goldstar, we have more than enough capable contractors and home inspectors " up here " thank-you very much:happyyes:
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
by the way Goldstar, we have more than enough capable contractors and home inspectors " up here " thank-you very much:happyyes:
I'm sure you do but you wouldn't know it by watching that show. BTW, I happen to like the show very much. I just find it peculiar that every job he does seems to give the appearance that the HO was worked over by every trade (not just the carpenter)
 

svh19044

Senior Member
Location
Philly Suburbs
I'm sure you do but you wouldn't know it by watching that show. BTW, I happen to like the show very much. I just find it peculiar that every job he does seems to give the appearance that the HO was worked over by every trade (not just the carpenter)

The show is about fixing contractor screw-ups, most likely "one stop shop" contractors that "know it all". As stated previously, it wouldn't be much of a show if the guy went to homes with different trades that performed the required work.

I've seen enough "one stop shop" screw ups here in PA to fully understand (PA, no statewide licensing, and most townships/municipalities don't require a licensed contractor, which usually...and unfortunately means a contractor that doesn't pull a permit and skips out on the inspection).
 

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
I wouldn't dwell on how 'everything' seems screwed up ... remember, the jobs are selected precisely because of the problems they present. They are never presented as either random or typical of the jobs performed across the industry.

FWIW, there have been a number of jobs examined where it was clear that one trade was comptent, while another was not. I'm happy to observe that many times the electrician was the only guy who didn't hack it up. Where the electrical is a mess, it almost always turns out that there was no proper electrician involved.

So, why watch? Well, where else will you learn to identify the hackwork that affects other trades? The show regularly shows major structural, plumbing, and HVAC errors. I can't speak for others, but my electrical training didn't explain much about the other trades.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Apparently they're also permitted to mount their breaker panels sideways in Canada. BTW, did you also happen to notice that there is a severe shortage of capable contractors and home inspectors in Canada (at least it appears that way on his show). Holmes seems to be the only contractor "doing the job right" up there.:p

He could always come here to do his show. Even a lot of brand new installations are substandard as far as the building and mechanical stuff as there is no enforcement of any codes in most places. Some cities have codes and enforcement, but get outside of the few that do - watch out. The State does inspect electrical - but for dwellings it is only when a new service is installed - lots of remodels do not require new service and therefore no inspection.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
I've always liked the show, even though you know he could never make a living doing things the way he does on it (leveling every stud, using screws instead of nail guns, etc).

I did watch it one day and he was woking on a sound/fire rated wall in a condo and telling how the other contractor had messed it up and just before he got ready to close it up, I noticed that he only had rings (no boxes) for the LV wiring and no sound pads on the electrical boxes.
 

mtfallsmikey

Senior Member
I've always liked the show, even though you know he could never make a living doing things the way he does on it (leveling every stud, using screws instead of nail guns, etc).

I did watch it one day and he was woking on a sound/fire rated wall in a condo and telling how the other contractor had messed it up and just before he got ready to close it up, I noticed that he only had rings (no boxes) for the LV wiring and no sound pads on the electrical boxes.

I used to do work for a builder with OCD. He built with 2" x 6" walls before it became popular, would take plumb bob, strike a vertical line on every stud to find a bow, or cup, then take a hand power planer and dress them down so there would be no bulges in the drywall. Every joist was spaced 16" o.c. thru the whole length, I could cut a pile of 14 1/2" long 2 x 4 pieces for pipe/duct supports to go between the joists, fit perfectly every where I placed them. He put down sand/plastic vapor barrier in the crawl spaces, usually had 3' height, was almost comfortable to work in.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
I used to do work for a builder with OCD. He built with 2" x 6" walls before it became popular, would take plumb bob, strike a vertical line on every stud to find a bow, or cup, then take a hand power planer and dress them down so there would be no bulges in the drywall. Every joist was spaced 16" o.c. thru the whole length, I could cut a pile of 14 1/2" long 2 x 4 pieces for pipe/duct supports to go between the joists, fit perfectly every where I placed them. He put down sand/plastic vapor barrier in the crawl spaces, usually had 3' height, was almost comfortable to work in.

Would be nice if everyone built that way. When I bought this house I was gonna make everything perfect, after awhile I realized that prefection was in the eye's of the beholder.:happyyes:

And true perfection cost a lot.:roll:
 
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