Code Violation

[Racinbob 12,973]

I'm getting set to install a whole house generator and was checking things out yesterday. Even though I replaced the panel shortly after we moved in I never had a reason to check into how the feeder from the meter base made the trip. Now I needed to know. Looking at the 2" PVC feeding the panel something looked a bit odd because I assumed it went outside. Nope. It went up the wall and into the back of the meter base. Can't do that in a 3.5" wall cavity. I started thinking that there might be a LB in the wall. The meter base was mounted right at the end on one of the master bedroom closets so I decided I needed an access panel. I had to know. A few measurements and some drywall saw work and there it was. Oddly the wall stud measures 6.75" so they must have ripped down a 2x8 just for that small section of wall at the end of the closet. Clearly some thought was put into a code violation. 

 

 

I have an 8" x 12" access panel on the way to cover the hole. Now that I'm making this code compliant it will soon no longer be needed. 

[ri702bill 12,140]

Bob - good thing you did not nick the unsecured Romex on the right while cutting to find the Pulling Elbow...

 

[squonk 46,607]

We have a bunch of houses in the village that were built in the 50's for the local soldiers. Sampson Naval Base, Air Base and the Seneca Army Depot just a few miles away. They were designed as "Temporary" homes. A single little furnace in a closet, fiberboard sewer lines, all kinds of goodies. Well they are still there. My brother in law bought 2 of them. One to rent and 1 for his stepdaughter. I put electrical services in both of them. I could write a book about what I found. All of the original outlets fell apart when you removed the wall plate!!! 

 

His son in law goes nuts with Christmas lights. They called me Christmas Eve one year as half of the House went dark. My brother in law had half of the outlets out of the walls when I got there.  Couldn't find a tripped breaker.  It had rained hard and I noticed an extension cord on the roof half plugged in. Water got on it and shorted out the cord. I followed it to a sub panel in the garage and found the tripped breaker. I remind them every year to go easy on the spaghetti mess but to no avail! 

Edited 1 hour ago by squonk

[oldlineman 1,717]

I too have seen many questionable wiring  jobs. I guess it goes under the saying,everything is good till it ain't, and when it ain't thing can go very bad in a hurry.

[ri702bill 12,140]

3 hours ago, Racinbob said:

Clearly some thought was put into a code violation. 

Mayhaps it was code compliant back then!

Remember - it's not a violation until it is found....

[Racinbob 12,973]

2 hours ago, ri702bill said:

Bob - good thing you did not nick the unsecured Romex on the right while cutting to find the Pulling Elbow...

 

Not a problem. I started with a small hand size hole to verify I was in the right spot and what could be in the way then I was holding those wires aside as I cut the access panel size. Not my first rodeo. 

 

1 hour ago, oldlineman said:

I too have seen many questionable wiring  jobs. I guess it goes under the saying,everything is good till it ain't, and when it ain't thing can go very bad in a hurry.

 

I was concerned about the possible safety issue when I didn't know what was in the wall. Turns out it wasn't an issue but still a code violation. I'm sure the next stud void to the right has ALL the house wires. The guy ran all the branch circuits from the basement panel to the attic. Then he set a box over each room and ran separate wires to each device in that room. Virtually all the shallow blue plastic 4x4's were overfilled and the plastic covers were bulging. I basically lived in the attic as I changed everything to deep 4-11/16" boxes and redid every joint. Opened up and checked every switch and recep in the house too. 

[Racinbob 12,973]

3 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Mayhaps it was code compliant back then!

Remember - it's not a violation until it is found....

 

 Nah. I've been in the trade since the 70's and it's never been legal. The house was built in the late 90's. 

The problem here in Starke county is they either don't know or don't care. Does it work? Yes. OK, it's passed.

[JoeM 9,954]

I suppose if it were left open and the run was under the max length required it would be okay.  Here we have to be under three feet max to the breaker when it enters the house.

Maybe that got inspected before the wall covering was installed?

At least your going to be okay, sounds like a redo for the generator switch anyway, and a new inspection.

 

 

[squonk 46,607]

I put a service in another rental house for my B-i L. I installed Arc-fault breakers for his down stairs outlets. (My wife had been in a rocking chair once and the rocker hit a lamp cord and it about blew a hole in the wall so I put those in all wall outlets now unless it needs to be GFI) Anyway I'm in the basement doing other stuff and his wife rented an old floor sander. That thing kept tripping that arc fault so I knew it was working

[Racinbob 12,973]

30 minutes ago, JoeM said:

I suppose if it were left open and the run was under the max length required it would be okay.  Here we have to be under three feet max to the breaker when it enters the house.

Maybe that got inspected before the wall covering was installed?

At least your going to be okay, sounds like a redo for the generator switch anyway, and a new inspection.

 

The distance is generally up to the local codes. Most places I'm seen have been 10'-15' max. Yours being 3' means you pretty much need to enter the house right at the panel. I seriously doubt this was inspected. If the rough it was inspected I would think it would be obvious that was being covered. It's possible that they had planned on an access panel and forgot. 

I'm betting REMC (power company) will be the only inspection. They are only going to make sure I don't run the panel feed from the transfer switch back into the meter base. The LB and 2" pvc will have to be abandoned. I'll just make sure it closed off good. 

 

12 minutes ago, squonk said:

I put a service in another rental house for my B-i L. I installed Arc-fault breakers for his down stairs outlets. (My wife had been in a rocking chair once and the rocker hit a lamp cord and it about blew a hole in the wall so I put those in all wall outlets now unless it needs to be GFI) Anyway I'm in the basement doing other stuff and his wife rented an old floor sander. That thing kept tripping that arc fault so I knew it was working

 

Which is a good argument for why I always use 15 amp breakers on all branch circuits that don't need 20 even though it wired with 12 ga. How big is that cord on the lamp, TV, etc.?