panel pictures desired

[jimmy_mcquade]

hi everyone.

i just saw a posting in regards to wiring a panel and i was wondering.
just exactly what does a good panel wiring job look like?
i have seen ratnests, and several other panel jobs, but what
is considered a neat wiring job inside a panel?

thanks for your help,
jimmy mcquade - apprentice

 

[mdshunk]

...but what
is considered a neat wiring job inside a panel?

There's neat, as in "good enough" and there's neat as in "anal". There's a time and place for each. Good work is often a tradeoff someplace between neat and quick.

 

[480sparky]

Lika dis?

Edit to add the same panel before the service conductors installed:

 

[peter d]

This is what you'll see in a tract home (note- not my work):

 

[480sparky]

Here's part of a 3ph panel:

 

[electricalperson]

hi everyone.

i just saw a posting in regards to wiring a panel and i was wondering.
just exactly what does a good panel wiring job look like?
i have seen ratnests, and several other panel jobs, but what
is considered a neat wiring job inside a panel?

thanks for your help,
jimmy mcquade - apprentice

too me? a neat panel has all straight conductors in it. no spaghetti. just like the picture 480sparky posted. im pretty anal about how my panels look. now i use tie raps to keep the EGC, ungrounded and grounded conductors all in one bunch. looks pretty good when im finished. a panel is a work of art and should be a signature thing an electrician does. if i open a panel up and see sloppy work i start to wonder how the wiring in the house is.

 

[ultramegabob]

This is what you'll see in a tract home (note- not my work):

its fairly neat, but bundling cables with a empty romex jacket would get ya gigged here, along with strapping wires together in the panel with cut pieces of solid wire.....

 

[480sparky]

.....along with strapping wires together in the panel with cut pieces of solid wire.....

I do the same, but I remove them at trim.... they're there just to 'train' the wires.

I am interested, however, as to why all the grounds are landed on the right side of the panel and there's an extra ground bar (that's empty) over on the left...:-?

Edit to add: I'm sure someone's going to scream "BUNDLED!" when they look above the panel.

 

[peter d]

its fairly neat, but bundling cables with a empty romex jacket would get ya gigged here, along with strapping wires together in the panel with cut pieces of solid wire.....

I would not use either of those methods myself, but they aren't code violations either.

 

[peter d]

I am interested, however, as to why all the grounds are landed on the right side of the panel and there's an extra ground bar (that's empty) over on the left...:-?

I'm not sure why the did that, but I can tell you this was taken at some $1mil tract homes in coastal SoCal. I was doing some "detective work."

I know that from what I saw those homes are done two ways - fast and cheap. Labor is from "south of the border." Work is very sloppy all around. I have more pictures if any one wants to see them.

 

[480sparky]

.... but I can tell you this was taken at some $1mil tract homes in coastal SoCal.....

$1mil home, and all they get is a lousy 16-space 100a panel? Unless that's a subpanel from the 400a main, I'd be gettin' another 'lektershun!

 

[peter d]

$1mil home, and they get a 16-space 100a panel? Unless that's a subpanel from the 400a main, I'd be gettin' another 'lektershun!

Out there you wouldn't find many "lektrishuns", mostly "electricistas."

That's the subpanel for the kitchen. The main panel and meter are 200 amps and located on the garage wall facing the outside.

 

[ultramegabob]

I would not use either of those methods myself, but they aren't code violations either.

I dont do alot of romex jobs these days, but when I did, you were required to have a means of fastening the romex with apporved staples or trees withen 12" of the panel, and cables are supposed to be spaced so that there can be air flow between them, bundleing the cables holds in the heat....

 

[mdshunk]

I dont do alot of romex jobs these days, but when I did, you were required to have a means of fastening the romex with apporved staples or trees withen 12" of the panel,

Who approves staples and "trees"? I approve lots of things I use on my job if they aren't required to be listed. Scraps of romex jacket are sometimes approved by me.

 

[electricmanscott]

I'd like to shoot the guys that make those ridiculous "loops" in that panel Peter posted. I'm not kidding, I want them dead.

 

[iwire]

I'd like to shoot the guys that make those ridiculous "loops" in that panel Peter posted. I'm not kidding, I want them dead.

If it really bothers you that much you may want to consider professional help.

 

[ultramegabob]

I'd like to shoot the guys that make those ridiculous "loops" in that panel Peter posted. I'm not kidding, I want them dead.

thats a factory electricians method of wiring a panel, it allows you to move circuits around to balance an imbalanced panel, not typically done on the neutrals or grounds though.... and you dont typically have too much problem with imbalanced loads in a residence anyway....

 

[ultramegabob]

Who approves staples and "trees"? I approve lots of things I use on my job if they aren't required to be listed. Scraps of romex jacket are sometimes approved by me.

all I know is dangleing romex from the top plate wrapped in empty romex jacket wouldnt fly here, im assuming that staples are listed, I could be wrong... and they would probley bring up installing in a workman like manner also....

 

[stickboy1375]

its fairly neat, but bundling cables with a empty romex jacket would get ya gigged here,

Possible, but not with that picture, just cant tell how long they bundled the wires for.

along with strapping wires together in the panel with cut pieces of solid wire.....

What code section?

 

[BackInTheHabit]

If it really bothers you that much you may want to consider professional help.