Here is an example:
I did an inspection on a house in a high priced area. The house was built, originally, in 1923 and completely gut-rehabbed in 2004. All the work was pretty well done and there were only a few, minor, issues that could easily be fixed.
The entire electrical service was redone. New wire, devices and panels with upgrade to 200 amps.
There was a service equipment panel and a small distribution panel to the side (to allow for enough breakers).
The ground to neutral bonding was done in the neutral buss bar and the neutral feeder to the distribution panel was done there as well.
The problem. These two conductors were large gauged and braded. Instead of having them installed in the proper sized lugs, both had their braiding split and inserted into the small buss holes. Get the picture.
I thought thiw was wrong, but wanted to be sure. I called Paul A and he verified the mistake. Told me that there was a listed lug that could easily be installed for bothe these conductors. Heck, the whole job should have taken about half an hour to fix and should have been done during the rehab and caught by the local codies.
I called it out. The seller (who is sonewhat of an a**) had the original sparky come in and say it was OK. I talked to him and asked for him to put it in writing. He told me to F**k off and who the heck did I think I was, criticising his work. The Realtor started calling me an ‘alarmist’ and the client didn’t have anything done and the whole thing went away.
Until about 8 months later.
Big problems with the electrical system and it needs a new panel (I don’t know why, they won’t let me look at it) but I have been dragged in.
My lawyer says I am completely OK (my report listed the problem) but the damage is done and I loose a high priced client (who, at the time, told me I was being an alarmist). Did they go after the sparky? No. Did they goafter the local AHJ? No (besides, locak AHJs are immune from liability, in Illinois.
In other words, the electrician did a bad job, refused to admit it and fix it (even when the repair would have been easy and inexpensive) and damage was done, as a result.
Who do they come after? Me. All I did was point out the problem (and take the S**T for saying so). I am so glad (legally) that I did not back down, but I still have legal fees to pay.
So, yeah. At least around here, I don’t really like electricians who do the lowest, cheapest work they can get away with.
And I appoligize to you for putting you in that catagory.
My point is that if the NEC says it is wrong and the panel manufacturer says it is wrong, why should the HI have a higher standard of liability for saying so than the electrician who was paid to do the work in the first place and the AHJ, who want all the authority but will never accept any liability for their mistakes.
To the thread’s point. If the disconnect was designed for fuses, they should have fuses, not copper tubing. Case closed.
