Hi everyone, I’m finishing up the Electrical course and adding a picture of a distribution panel on a recent inspection.
Hi everyone, taking electrical course. Pic of my distribution panel. Damaged 15Amp on left. Needs replaced.
Here is a grounding bar with numerous double lugging of nuetral wires and ground wires where also double lugged behind that. In this service box, the bars are to short for the amount of grounding needed
Hello just getting started on electrical section
Ready to start course. Looking forward to it.
I just completed an electrical inspection of a newly constructed 4400 square foot new home in West Los Angeles. There was only temporary power connected to the home.
The following issues were noted, following the InterNACHI standards.
- Only temporary power was attached to the home, the meter had not been set. The temporary power meter was at a power pole only. The meter base was taped over with duct tape and not accessible. The service conductor was not visible or accessible as it was concealed behind a panel below the meter base.
- Defects were noted in the service panel, such as a 100 amp breaker for the remote load center breaker was installed in a location different from that required by the listing on the panel. At least one conduit lacked a ground conductor. Grounding and bonding was incomplete. We described in detail what was missing.
- The remote load center, in the second floor laundry room, was not accessible, due to restrictions placed on access by cabinetry at the sides and below the panel box.
The load center was also recessed more than 1/4" into the wall and gaps were noted around the panel box exceeding 1/8" wide. Repairs were needed. Combination AFCI breakers were tested/tripped and functioned properly. - The testing of a representative number of switches and outlets showed inactive switches (named by location) and some receptacles (also named in the report) with defects such as no power, open ground and GFCI protection that did not test/trip.
- Smoke detectors were present. CO detectors were absent.
- Type NM conductors were in use as well as some flexible conduit and THHN conductors.
At least one flexible conduit at the service entrance panel lacked a ground conductor. We were unable to determine whether the conduit in question was such that required a ground wire and recommended further evaluation by a licensed and bonded electrical contractor.
With deficiencies noted we deferred the system to a licensed and bonded electrical contractor for evaluation and repairs as needed.
Overall, the system was not ready for an inspection and needed repairs.
P. J. Severtson
Loving the courses thus far. Now beginning Electrical. Shocking.
I am starting my residential electrical inspection course.
The picture shown had three different types of panels on the back porch of the house. The left and top panels were both fuse type panels, and the midde was the had your knife switch to shut the main power off.
Hello to all! Back again. It seems that my photos are uploading properly now (why i don’t know because i diddn’t fix anything on the mac but oh well) so i have shared two photos with you.
First, the panel in my apartment:
- Must be referred to as a sub panel. Pretty sure my disconnect is in the electrical room under my meter, although i personally have not verified this.
- Notice the knock out for a main disconnect is still in place, another reason to believe this is a sub panel.
- The second photo shows a proper legend. All breakers are numbered.
- Notice 13, 15, and 17. These are for the three bedrooms and all are afci.
One concern, the blue buttons on the afci breakers (also the one installed on the board from hell in the video was blue). It is my understanding from the course that the afci breakers with blue buttons for reset were defective. Or was that square d only?
The picture is of a meter enclosure that was removed for installation of siding and not properly reattached
I found some single strand aluminum in a home built in the 70’s. This house also had an FPE panel.
Always have to take a few extra minutes to look at wiring and panel conditions. So many little things to look for in a small area. Electrical is such an important part of the puzzle I wouldn’t want to overlook a deficiency.
Notice this photo has aluminum branch wiring.
While inspecting this panel I have discovered several defects. First I recommend that it be upgraded by a licensed electrician to a 200 amp service panel as it appears to be at or over capacity. The defects in this panel include the following items:
- missing bushings at the top of box where conductors are entering
- dissimilar metals under one lug in multiple locations
- double tapped breakers
- mismatched breakers in panel
- stripped portion of conductor showing leading from breaker screws
- neutral/ground buss bars not bonded to panel
- abandoned wiring left disconnected inside the panel
I would recommend that these items be addresses by a licensed electrician and repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
After closer inspection of the electrical service components in my own home, I am hiring a contractor to come out and correct some of the defects that I noticed that clearly have been done by an unlicensed person just to make a little extra money on the side. I knew there had to be a reason for the lights to dim occasionally. There will be a time in the future to sell my home, so these corrections might as well be made now.
Looking forward to this section.