Is this a Code violation ?

[goldstar]

I love to take photos of electrical installations while I'm away on vacation, especially in foreign countries. I know this one wouldn't pass inspection here in the US. While taking a walk in the Palm Beach area of Aruba I came across a new building under construction, looked up and saw this :

This is the utility pole where the power for the building originates

And this is where it enters the building

The sad part of this is I've come across installations here in the US similar to this after the stucco or siding guys have done their work.

I'll have to look through my photos of trips to Mexico many years ago. I found some real electrical atrocities there. If I find them I'll post them

 

[retirede]

I was recently in the Lake of the Ozarks at a place with swim up bar - surrounded on 3 sides by a pool. Everything in the bar was powered with a clump if exposed NM hanging from the ceiling. Maybe 15-20 cables. I didn't have my phone at the time to get a pic.

 

[goldstar]

I didn't have my phone at the time to get a pic.

Understandable

 

[retirede]

Understandable

Yeah...for the record, I was not in the pool. A swim up bar is another name for a swim up toilet

 

[RumRunner]

NEC is for the most part a US consumption unless smaller countries adopt it . I was in Australia a while back when I was on extended vacation in Melbourne. My brother- in- law (married to my sister) was in the process of building an addition ( he was a contractor) and I helped him do his electrical wiring.

I observed closely how they do things there and surprisingly their “accepted” practices would make electricians cringed here in the US.

Inside their CB panel they have breakers on both legs (they have 220 volts). Since most residential houses are constructed of red bricks, running plumbing and electrical would be a challenge for electricians here in US. So they install 3x3 furring strips between brick and plaster and they drop wires inside the cavity for devices. . . and get this: no device box. Only plaster ring to hold the devices. And they do this also where fixtures are hanging from the ceiling with toggle bolts. And this is not a makeshift home with four bedrooms.

All work were approved by AHJ.

Since they have 220 volts, their wires are smaller than #14 for lighting. Most protective devices are 15 Amps and 10Amps, very seldom rated at 20A.

I was also on vacation in Bulgaria, and I happened to run into some local construction workers working on retrofitting an old mansion in Nessebur, a seaside city. Since running concealed wires in foot-thick sandstone walls, they use something that looks NMC and they gouged the mortar between the huge sandstone brick and cover it with matching plaster.


Yes, if these practices pose hazardous living conditions, there would have thousands of deaths and property damages in the absence of NEC.