My neighbors just had a new AC handler and outside unit installed. We live in Florida. These pictures are how they left it. This can’t be an acceptable installation for how much they spent. Ducted taped wiring, exposed wires not covered. What looks like a grounding wiring maybe. Just looks like dookie, to me. Anybody have any thoughts.
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I agree with you.
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Do you know what that wiring is for and the consequence of what you just described?
Did you see one of these?
How about this connected to a duct?
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I believe the wiring is to/from the thermostat inside. I’m not saying it isn’t hooked up right. Just that it is exposed and duct tape for cable routing seems incorrect.
The one wire, that I think is a ground goes inside the handler and then into the foam insulation of the piping.
I don’t see either of the other you asked things you asked about connected to the ducts.
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Low voltage wiring. So, your complaint is the appearance?
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I am not seeing anything wrong. Low voltage wiring is nearly always “exposed” as are the connections. The tape secures the wiring.
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Class 2 wiring which is the control wiring shown is permitted to be run exposed and splices are not required to be enclosed in a junction box. However that is ugly, hack work.
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Robert, on a related note, and I think this has been discussed before but I can’t find it; should all low voltage thermostat wiring that is ran through the AC disconnect box and through the conduit with the higher voltage AC feeders be called out for repair?
Is there a situation where the low voltage thermostat wires can be routed through the disconnect and through the conduit with the feeders?
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Low voltage wiring of this type is almost always Class 2 which is not permitted in the same raceway or junction box as power conductors. It can be within the same enclosure or wiring compartment of the equipment itself but it requires a separation of 1/4" from any power conductors. The basic rule is that if it’s not connected to the equipment then it cannot occupy the same box, disconnect, raceway, etc. as the power conductors.
Some guys think that if you replace the 18/2 thermostat cable with a 600 volt conductor like #18 TFFN that you can run it together with the power conductors but you cannot. Class 2 wiring is power limited and therefore needs to be keep separate from power conductors. Here’s a few code sections to take a look at:
725.136 Separation from Electric Light, Power, Class 1, Non–Power-Limited Fire Alarm Circuit Conductors, and Medium-Power Network-Powered Broadband Communications Cables.
725.136(A) General.
Cables and conductors of Class 2 and Class 3 circuits shall not be placed in any cable, cable tray, compartment, enclosure, manhole, outlet box, device box, raceway, or similar fitting with conductors of electric light, power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm circuits, and medium-power network-powered broadband communications circuits unless permitted by 725.136(B) through (I).Within the same wiring compartment of equipment:
725.136(D) Associated Systems Within Enclosures.
Class 2 and Class 3 circuit conductors in compartments, enclosures, device boxes, outlet boxes, or similar fittings shall be permitted to be installed with electric light, power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm, and medium-power network-powered broadband communications circuits where they are introduced solely to connect the equipment connected to Class 2 and Class 3 circuits, and where (1) or (2) applies:
(1) The electric light, power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm, and medium-power network-powered broadband communications circuit conductors are routed to maintain a minimum of 6 mm (0.25 in.) separation from the conductors and cables of Class 2 and Class 3 circuits.
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Could you elaborate on this? The thermostat wires are connected to the AC, just like the power conductors. Do you mean at a more finite level, like not connected to the same components inside the AC?
Yes if both the power conductors and the LV Class 2 conductors are connected to an AC unit then they can both terminate within that equipment. That’s where you may see a barrier within the equipment to keep them separate.
But they still can’t travel together through the disconnect and conduit on their way to said equipment, correct?
Correct. The Class 2 would need to be routed separately.
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Thanks Robert. I have seen it now probably a dozen times or so in my 4+ years on inspecting. I have always called it out. Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything I was overlooking.
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Yes, it is Dookie, but Dookie is not addressed in HI SOP’s.
[quote=“Timothy Crabtree, post:1, topic:244787, username:tcrabtree2”]
Ducted taped wiring, exposed wires not covered. What looks like a grounding wiring maybe.
That is a capillary tube from a control that maintains refrigerant temperature 10 degrees above the saturated refrigerant of the refrigerant suction line.
[/quote]
Control wiring must be protected from damage, but only as “good installation practices”. Not Code.
No.
Bare/damaged wiring (T-Stat wire can be stripped with your fingernail), could arc from high to low conductors.
Other stuff:
I see no trap on the condensate line.
The condensate line at the unit should be insulated (especially in Fla), as the water in the pipe is 40 degrees and is below the dew point there whenever the A/C is run. Water damage.
Also, like in a transformer, wires not touching each other can pass voltage from high to low (EMF). This affects the equipment operation and can cause damage to circuit boards etc.
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What did you do before you started
just curious.
I was a mechanical designer at a local high-tech company for 18 years. I designed high volume manufacturing equipment and tooling for producing precision computer parts and other high-precision electronic parts. The company was sold to TDK (I don’t remember when) and TDK basically started winding us down in a very slow, methodical way (they also owned our main competitor). Once they had harvested all of our technology and trade secrets, the layoffs started.
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Interesting, thanks for replying.
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Regardless of it looking sloppy…I love that they put on 2 strain relief fittings in image 2, but did not bother to put tension on the screws to clamp the wire jacket(s).
It might look dookie, but it looks like they used Gorilla Tape, so it should hold for at least a couple of years. 
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