Violation or just sloppy?

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These coming from AFCI breakers?


To be honest unless you are counting neat and workman like in the NEC I cant think of any violation off hand. But, in any case I agree, sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.
 
While I do not see anything I would loose sleep over it does bring me back to something my instructor said back years ago.....here was his rationale...

Pseudo quote since I don't remember his exact words " if the grounded conductors are terminated too long and the tips barely touch a parallel termination bar and hypothetically speaking, the original termination was not torqued properly or loose....potentially an arc could develop on the adjoining connection causing overheating over time, dependent on the load being drawn." now that was his way of saying "Stay NEAT" and avoid the potential of future problems.....in reality not sure it would cause a big issue since we all know everyone follows codes properly anyway.

The reality that current takes all available paths to the source proportionally to the resistance (impedance) of that path. The chances of enough draw to cause an issue is slim to none but it was always his way of thinking....he would say why risk it....snip them off neat and true.

He died a few years ago...but man I miss that guy.
 
If it is a sub panel

If it is a sub panel

If it is a sub panel the bond from netural to ground should only be in first panel, that is a netural to ground connection there.
 
just the cowboy said:
If it is a sub panel the bond from netural to ground should only be in first panel, that is a netural to ground connection there.
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I guess we are both assuming its the main panel....but I guess assuming is not good...but it's a high probability..;) (but is always why it sucks to comment on images with less than complete details provided...lol)
 
I have heard the phrase you can have pretty or you can have cheap but you can have both. I dont like messy work, and my ability/skill will show when its sloppy looking.
There are those who like the work and do things a certain way for that reason and some who do it for the money and do things a certain way for that reason.
Unless those bars are supposed to be isolated then its probably compliant.
Are you going to re do it?
 
kelkmac said:
conductors are not trimmed and making contact with second bar -- reason for concern? or just sloppy? Thx

View attachment 12117
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The top of the photo cuts off the details of the buss bar / terminal bar electrical connections, but, with what is there, it appears that the top of both terminal bars are BOLTED to the same buss bar.

This means that the two terminal bars, electrically, are a "single bar".

Multiple connections to a "single bar", as long as at least one of the connections is solid and good, is electrically equivalent to a single connection.

If the reason for concern is safety, I'd say there is zero safety concern.

Consider: there is no barrier to prevent incidental contact of the exposed stranded bare aluminum at the top of the terminal bar with the terminal bar that is laying over it.
 
My only reason for concern is that if it's sloppy in the panel, what else is sloppy? That kind of work might not be a big deal on a grounding bar, but on the back of a receptacle? Maybe they just sort of wrapped stranded wire around the screw and tightened. Makes me suspicious.
 
zbang said:
My only reason for concern is that if it's sloppy in the panel, what else is sloppy? That kind of work might not be a big deal on a grounding bar, but on the back of a receptacle? Maybe they just sort of wrapped stranded wire around the screw and tightened. Makes me suspicious.
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AHHH...well in that logic I don't think it is THAT sloppy in order to assume the same as you have. Again one mans SLOP is another mans GLORY!
 
FionaZuppa said:
so this is not a sub-panel ??
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it is assumed that it is not....but the image is cut off at the top so it does appear that the bars are connected at the top.....but again eyes fail me.....So the assumption (unless the original OP says otherwise) that they are connected together in service equipment.

Details only the OP can otherwise provide and since the question was only about the "sloppy" nature of the install....we have to assume the OP was not asking about any possible contact which created an issue with improper case to neutral contact downstream of the service equipment.
 
John120/240 said:
... PetrosA, I prefer SQ D QO or Cutler Hammer tan handle. The panel that I hate is GE with skinny breakers.
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I agree that the Sq D QO provides great protection, but my experience with Sq D gear in general has not been positive, mostly due to either the tiered bus bars they still use 30 years after everybody else stopped using them or their less than stellar engineering of neutral lug attachments in some of their larger stuff (like 200A disconnects) which are not strong enough to handle the strain put on them by the conductors they're intended to accommodate.

It's kind of like what you see sometimes in German engineered products - overall the planning is great but then there's this one detail that causes it all to unravel. Compare the beautiful way the QO series handles the option to either be main lug or main breaker where either kit can be bolted to the bus bars to that unfortunate neutral lug design they use for their 200A disconnect where an aluminum alloy lug rated for up to 250 MCM (from memory?) is attached to an aluminum alloy stud using one countersunk 10-32 screw. Every other manufacturer I've seen uses the same size screw as what's used for bus terminals (1/4-28, 1/4-30?) That single, undersized 10-32 screw allows the lug to flex and loosen and the female threads in the stud deform to the point where the neutral connection is basically compromised as soon as the conductor is installed. Hence my use of the adjective "goofy."
 
The only thing I see is on the right the fourth wire from the bottom appears to be pushed in to far. You can see the insulation sticking all the way through.
 
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