Think You Find That Other Guys Do

curranelectric

I was called out to quote an attic fan. When I went up into the attic to check it out I found this mess. The funny thing when I took the picture and showed the customer he said that he had a new service panel installed 6 months ago. I went out around the side of house and there it was a new 200 amp panel. I can tell that mess was installed when they did the panel. The owner told me the guy said he was an electrical contractor but told him to pull the permit because it would save him some money. I told him if he would like me to I would repair the mess that was up there and any other thing I see that is wrong. He said he was going to find the number for the guy and ask him why that was done that way and to fix it. I wished him luck and if he needed my help to just give me a call.

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Tinstaafl

Nice clean work. I don't see any dirt anywhere.

Chris Johnson

At least he tried, they're in boxes at least, not electrical tape over wire nuts just laying around.

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Chris

DuMass

I see stuff like that all the time.
This is what happens when guys that should know better either don't or just don't care.
It definitely looks like serious conductor fill violations in at least two of those boxes as well as the obvious support issues. Those look like only 18 Cu. In. T&B boxes.
What’s really sad is that all the original installer needed to do was use a couple of 4 SQ X 2-1/8" boxes and everything would have been fine.

480sparky

Looks like the HO could use a wee bit more insulation as well.

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Site : the area or exact plot of ground on which anything is, has been, or is to be located.
Sight : The power or faculty of seeing; perception of objects by use of the eyes; vision.
Cite : To mention in support, proof, or confirmation; refer to as an example.

Magnettica

Damn, I thought no one would ever notice. I ran out of blank plates that day. Good thing I changed my number so the guy can't find me.

Hahaha sucker!!!

slowforthecones

wtf is that crap? he could have use the 4 x 4 boxes instead and atleast have the decency to nail them into the studs and put a coverplate over that ****.

InPhase277

I've always wondered why people even bother to put the wires in a box if they aren't going to use a cover plate. I've seen it hundreds if not thousands of times. From plastic nail on device boxes, to fiber nail on device boxes, to octagons, to 1900's and every other kind of box that you can name. Every attic I go in has two or three junction boxes with no cover. A box with no cover is the same as no box at all.

InPhase277

That usually means that he either did it himself, or he thinks you are just blowing smoke trying to scare him into giving you the job.

Tinstaafl

Okay, you got me. I'll confess. I've had the odd time where in the course of doing 8 gazillion things on a job, I needed to put in a jbox but didn't happen to have a cover plate with me--and in the flurry of other stuff, it just plain got forgotten.

But to reclaim a little credit, more than once I've sat bolt upright in the middle of the night suddenly remembering that I missed putting one on, and went and did it the next day.

Magnettica

It's important to put the blank plate on in case there's an arc blast caused by a short circuit or ground fault. The arc delivers some serious heat that could start a fire, especially if those wooden rafters or floor joists are really dry.

220/221

At least he used jboxes.

I stumbled over this this week.



And fixed it for an extra $90.

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Just because it's within code doesn't make it safe.

Just because it's against code doesn't make it unsafe.

Hidyusbeast

For $90 he doesn't even get a 2 gang box.

480sparky

Does it need a 2-g?

__________________
Site : the area or exact plot of ground on which anything is, has been, or is to be located.
Sight : The power or faculty of seeing; perception of objects by use of the eyes; vision.
Cite : To mention in support, proof, or confirmation; refer to as an example.

Aframe

220/221
The last bunch of wires I came across that looked like your first pic, still had the squirrel attached

BDB

I would think so, andI do not think I would have used that cover

480sparky

I see 5 NMs, and I'll assume they're 14s. That requires a 22 in³ box. A Carlon B122A is 22.5 in³ and would suffice.

However, without knowing the actual capacity of the box that was installed, and whether or not those are 14s or 12s, yes, you may be needing a 2g box.

But it's still a 100000 times better than what was ther to begin with.

__________________
Site : the area or exact plot of ground on which anything is, has been, or is to be located.
Sight : The power or faculty of seeing; perception of objects by use of the eyes; vision.
Cite : To mention in support, proof, or confirmation; refer to as an example.

BDB

This is true, but if you are going to fix something, shouldn't you fix it the correct way? But as pointed out, we do not know the wire size, so it may be done correctly.

220/221

See the pink fiberglass? Add my age (57) to the itch factor (28) plus (5) bucks in material and you get 90.

It was 5, 14/2's and a deep plastic carlon box and a nylon cover.


There was plenty of room in there. Hell, I could have squeezed in a few more

Kind of like this guy?




He looks alive but was very much dead.

__________________
Just because it's within code doesn't make it safe.

Just because it's against code doesn't make it unsafe.

Hidyusbeast

That's cool, I wasn't questioning the price or the quality of the work. I'm just a lil ocd, but its definitely 1000 times safer and code compliant. I'm glad the owner was willing to pay to get it fixed right & you got paid decently to do it.