Why am I at a sandwich shop at 2:00 AM?

[iwire]

I was already at home relaxing when my buddy called, he had gone on a service call for some plugs in a sandwich shop not working.

I said no problem just double some circuits up and we will schedule for a new panel later.

He laughs and says, 'You don't understand'.

He continues, 'Can you start heading this way, I will get the new parts'.

Many doubled circuits, no connectors, wrong size breakers, SER feeder but bonding screw in place along with all neutrals and grounds jammed onto the neutral bar.

So I had back out to meet him at the job. He gets the new panel, a bit of a size difference.

What the above photo does not show is that the new panel is a full 1" wider then the old and the wall was framed around it.

Had to trim out an entire stud and also use the waste as a spacer on the right side to get the panel out of the corner so we would get the cover on without trimming it smaller.

So we get the new one in place

Not a terrible job for 2 AM, and the wall was a mess to start with. Might be a couple of violations in there for the sharp eyed. Have at it, I can take it.

Done and on the way out at 3 AM.

 

[electricmanscott]

Free sandwiches for life?

Why, why, why are the egcs twisted together in the bottom of the panel?

 

[iwire]

Free sandwiches for life?

They left at 10 PM, said 'shut the door on the way out'.

Still we had no sandwiches.

Why, why, why are the egcs twisted together in the bottom of the panel?

Your's truly was getting to sleepy to extend each one separately so I spun them up and ran one EGC to the grounding bar.

 

[electricman2]

Nice work Bob. If I am up at 2AM, the house better be on fire.

 

[Duke E]

I like the second picture. It?s a nice depiction of randomly selected breakers, the ?use what I have? approach to wire selection and its noodle style installation. Good stuff!
It?s an old art form that is becoming lost.

 

[SEO]

Looks like a couple open ko's in upper right hand side of panel.:smile:

 

[aftershock]

NM on a comercial job?

 

[220/221]

He called at 2AM and you were done by 3AM?


I hope it wasn't T&M :wink:

Might be a couple of violations in there for the sharp eyed.

There will always be technical issues in cases like this. I often find myself in the same situation but I get paid the big bucks to make those decisions. The lack of 2 pole breakers on MWBC's or black tape isn't going to hurt anything.

PS. I never go past midnight anymore if I have to actually work the next day. In the olden days a cash incentive was enough to pull an all nighter.

 

[aftershock]

Did you pull a permit?

 

[raider1]

NM on a comercial job?

NM is quite common in small commerial.

Chris

 

[iwire]

Looks like a couple open ko's in upper right hand side of panel.:smile:

I do believe you are correct.

NM on a commercial job?

What code sections prohibits the use of NM in non-dwelling units?

That said, this place is old, been remodeled a bunch of times and the wiring is poor at best.

He called at 2AM and you were done by 3AM?

He called at 5, I was there by 6 but we could not kill the panel until about 11:00.

I hope it wasn't T&M :wink:

I don't know, likely yes.

PS. I never go past midnight anymore if I have to actually work the next day.

It was good to work with my buddy, but I am tired today.

Did you pull a permit?

That is something the shop I work for deals with, we have 5 days after work starts to get the permit. Most likely they will talk with that cities inspector and see how he wants to deal with it. He may just be happy that qualified people were updating a bad situation.

NM is quite common in small commercial.

Or even 80,000 to 100,000 sq ft stores around this area.

 

[iaov]

Not bad looking for 3 in the freaking morning. Doesn't seem real greasy for a sandwich shop though.:grin:

 

[raider1]

Or even 80,000 to 100,000 sq ft stores around this area.

Yeah same here, I probably should have just said that NM is quite common in commercial buildings.

Chris

 

[Karl H]

I see a few violations but none really worth mentioning due to the fact it
was a emergency call. Compared to the original panel, IMO Iwire"s
emergency install is complete perfection.

 

[B4T]

Only thing I would of liked to see is a main breaker unless THAT is the only panel available.. being its 2am. :wink:

 

[brian john]

WHY? Assuming it is a subpanel?

 

[tom baker]

Thanks for the illustrated story!

 

[PCN]

NM on a comercial job?

I've seen 60k sq ft supermarkets done in mostly NM.

(and it ain't pretty)

 

[JohnE]

Well, what did you get? Italian, meatball, cheeseburger sub? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[B4T]

WHY? Assuming it is a subpanel?

It would be much faster if there was an emergency to shut the main than 25 circuit breakers. That panel will be there for another 30 years and a main adds only a small amount to the cost of the job.