There was snow in the areas where I showed the gaps
This is helpful, thank you Brian
It would appear to have been sealed properly like an outdoor panel should be so it was confusing why there was so much moisture on the inside. -21° is not common for my area although it does get pretty cold. Maybe this arctic cold front that we got. I have a rapid change in temperatures cause the moisture? Unless not sure how the snow got in there unless someone was working on the panel during the snow storm.
Snow and bulk water.
Report what you saw and move on.
White powder on breakers.
This is the idea with a representative photo
Yes, it can - Can moisture in electrical panel cause arcing - Google Search
Regardless, the moisture in the panel is in and of itself a defect, a potential shock hazard, and will eventually cause corrosion.
If someone left the door open it does not mean an incorrect type of panel was installed. Looks like windblown snow to me.
Someone forgot to close the panel properly prior to the storm. Frozen condensation would be in form of frozen ice or what you sometimes see on single pane windows in the winter. Your pic does not depict this, rather snow.
I’m gonna go with Roy on this one, I agree with everyone!
Brent,
Moisture and electricity do not go together (PERIOD). H2O is an electrical conductor in all its forms, fluid, liquid, ice solid, vapor gas moisture and so on and so forth.
That panel appears to be exterior and should close hermetically. The front cover and its cutoff openings should be in all cases flush with the beakers.
Cosmetic water splash, moisture or ice/snow in the outside do not affect the functionality of the electrical panel nor circuits, but if that humidity penetrates the interior of the panel (and it looks from the pictures that there are cracks that will allow that intrusion) then there is a potential problem. You can speculate what could happen in there, but whatever is no good.
FYI ~ The reason you have drip loops on the head of the down drop wires is fundamentally to avoid the element of water to enter into the electrical system, thereof water, humidity, moisture, is not welcome in any interior part or totality of an electrical system.
It appears that the front (dead) cover was not properly installed (tightly) and if the door was left open during the storm, these points as shown in this picture could have allowed moisture intrusion and the damage is already done. Oxidation & Corrosion could develop (future to come) in any metallic part of the interior of the panel creating possible hot points of contact that could lead to arcing and a fire hazard.
These panel have a NEMA 3R rating which means that they’re outdoor rated and that they’re suitable and listed for locations where they may encounter Rain, Snow, and Sleet. Those ratings however are only relevant when the panel cover is properly closed.
Pardon me for butting in and side-tracking; but,
the thread appears to have been adequately answered. Pedro Marin - I love the photo! What software or program do you use for those photo enhancements?
Looks like humidity from inside the home is coming through the wiring entrance and forming frost where it leaves the relative warmth of the inside of the panel box and hits the subzero air between the cover and face of the deadfront cover. I’ve opened a fair number of panels in subzero temperatures and never seen that. My first suspicion is a poor job with vapor barrier installation on the wall. I’ve never seen water from leaks into a panel freeze like that.
If there is a raceway between the interior and exterior then according to the NEC it is required to be sealed. Since we have no photo’s of the panel with the cover removed we don’t know whether or not this condition exists.
Great question!
I use Horizon Software. It has the capability to capture & place pictures from you mobile device as well as the iPad directly into the Section or System (Exteriors/Plumbing/Electric/Foundation/Roof and so on. It is ‘Cloud Base’ and the pictures and notes can be transferred to my Laptop directly to empower me to edit the final version of the Report.
However, Nor Horizon or any other software has the photo editing capabilities of a regular iPhone 12 - 13 - 14. That is what I use to enhance my photos before I upload them to the report. Yes! It takes a few minutes to do it, but is well worth it.
It took me short while to master the iPhone photo editing to it’s fullest extend. Again, it is worth it!
After my first 100 reports I found that my clients were not investing the time to read all my boring comments on my reports. I go out of me way to provide some in-depth analysis in my reports, but nobody is reading them.
But my picture and illustrations, oh yeah! They see and engage those 100%.
Most software applications out there enable you to add an arrow even a circle , but that is it!
Take look at these…
Thank you, Pedro. This is very helpful. You have good communication skills. I apologize for the delay in responding - I was taking a break from everything to spend quality time with my family during Christmas.