Please confirm my suspicion, the inspector should not have passed this.

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Mgarf33

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Virginia Beach, Va
So, I just looked at a neighbors hvac installation. I believe they had failed the electrical twice for other reasons before the inspector passed it.
First failure was due to NMB routed in plastic conduit down the exterior of the home. So, they spiced it with THWN at the 90° junction as it penetrates the attic. Apparently, they used all black conductors because they used tape to relabel.
The second was to remove the bonding jumper.

Here's a picture of the sub panel they installed as a disconnect. The wires relabeled with white and green tape are feeding a 1ph branch circuit to the 15A/ 120v gas furnace. They are routed up the side of the house in plastic electrical conduit 20', and 90° into the attic. The 2 pole breaker is a 1ph branch circuit to the 25A/ 240v AC unit.

IMG_4039.JPG
 
They ran out of red wire??

is that black wire marked as single strand or did they pull it from a jacketed cable assembly?
the tape marking is crap, btw..
 
I suspect the tape marking was added once The Inspector got a look inside the box... it's just folded around the conductors, not spiral wrapped.
 
Multiple issues:

1. The source has no neutral, so the EGC has to carry neutral current.
2. There should be a separate EGC accessory bus screwed to the box.
3. The afore-mentioned re-identified conductor is too small for this.

Fail!(n)
 
LarryFine said:
Multiple issues:

1. The source has no neutral, so the EGC has to carry neutral current.
2. There should be a separate EGC accessory bus screwed to the box.
3. The afore-mentioned re-identified conductor is too small for this.

Fail!(n)
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Thank you! That's exactly what I told him. How the hell is this inspector allowing the EGC to serve as a current carrying conductor (neutral)? The metal box is not grounded.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Your eyes are better than these old ones
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Same here, I do not see a connector. With that said, the whole installation is ridiculous and the inspector should be forced to use the picture for his personal Hall of Shame approvals.
 
The panel neutral or ground bar appears to not be bonded,
I think you don't need a neutral but you need ground. IT would be no different than a fused disco.
 
Sloppy job, but would meet code if the 15 A breaker was eliminated. What does it feed, it and no neutral from supply is the violation.

per post #4 item list:
1. HVAC is likely an inverter type unit, there is NO neutral current or connection in the HVAC, typical of mini-splits, thus 25 A circuit OK assuming the 25 A is for disconnect use only.
2. The bus shown IS the box grounding bus, assuming the torx screw connects to the box, no neutral bus needed IF ya ditch the 15A breaker.
3. 15A breaker too big? However, if it is there, then 1 and 2 DO apply.
 
roger said:
Same here, I do not see a connector. With that said, the whole installation is ridiculous and the inspector should be forced to use the picture for his personal Hall of Shame approvals.
Click to expand...

LOL, I agree it looks like some of the DIY work you see on YouTube.
 
You took the picture AFTER the $20 bill was removed.
Inspectors have to eat too :D
 
junkhound said:
Sloppy job, but would meet code if the 15 A breaker was eliminated. What does it feed, it and no neutral from supply is the violation.
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A lot of non-compliant work would meet code if the violations were eliminated. :unsure:

per post #4 item list:
1. HVAC is likely an inverter type unit, there is NO neutral current or connection in the HVAC, typical of mini-splits, thus 25 A circuit OK assuming the 25 A is for disconnect use only.
Click to expand...
No ;problem there.

2. The bus shown IS the box grounding bus, assuming the torx screw connects to the box, no neutral bus needed IF ya ditch the 15A breaker.
Click to expand...
No, that's the neutral bus for use other than as main disco; a separate accessory grounding bus is available. See what Sierra just posted above.

3. 15A breaker too big? However, if it is there, then 1 and 2 DO apply.
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Too big for . . . ?
 
Sad. Just sad. Incompetent contractor and inspector. I would recommend you tell your neighbor that he should not accept this as it is unsafe.
And I wonder about that splice you mention where it goes into the attic. Lord knows how that was done.
 
In addition to all the issues already mentioned, Siemens breakers in a SQ D Homeline panel is not good either.
 
LarryFine said:
Multiple issues:

1. The source has no neutral, so the EGC has to carry neutral current.
2. There should be a separate EGC accessory bus screwed to the box.
3. The afore-mentioned re-identified conductor is too small for this.

Fail!(n)
Click to expand...

Your right that's all screwed up. I can't believe an electrician ( I mean an EC) would do this type of work so I'm thinking that it's a homeowner install.
 
Hv&Lv said:
They ran out of red wire??

is that black wire marked as single strand or did they pull it from a jacketed cable assembly?
the tape marking is crap, btw..
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Tape marking doesn't matter how crappy it is - not allowed at all on the 20 amp single pole circuit in this case as it is individual conductors in raceway and they can only be "re-identified" if larger than 6 AWG in such application. The incoming feeder appears to be NM cable and would be allowed there, but unless it is service conductor (which can't be NM cable anyway) it needs an additional grounded conductor in the cable in which case there would likely be no need to mark any of the feeder conductors.
 
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