I am not even sure what the plastic behind the CB’s and bus bars is called. I did observe it to be damaged with some possible warping or over heating. Also, at one point while in the home the lights dropped or dimmed. I was not operating anything large such as stove, AC etc. Any feedback appreciated.
Not good, I’d be writing that up hard.
Internal damage viewed to the panel. Lights dimmed Intermittently indicating a possible short.
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Lights dimming would be indicative of voltage swings, not a short.
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As an aside, did you notice the sticker from Jeff Pope’s Inspection?
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Yes, I did and it appears it is from 2000 or 2008 to me.
Close, it was 2003. Home built 1985.
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I also observed this in the attic. Taped or possibly spliced service wire. It is very close to the wood burning fireplace chimney.
It is combustible…
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Good eye @jyoung32 I agree. In fact, there is no paste on this one and the plastic appears to have been overheated or melted. The sheathing is stripped back further as well. Someone has been in this panel monkeying with it.
I’m thinking it’s not the same Jeff Pope that many of us know from NACHI. The Jeff Pope we know from NACHI is in California, the Jeff Pope Sticker in that panel is from Georgia, which really is quite a coincidence.
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Right, I do not think The “GA Jeff” even mentions Nachi on his website. And it appears he may be focusing on flooring.
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The Jeff Pope I know would not have put his hand in there to place a company sticker, me think 
.
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Lack of Paste, Corrosion, Melting melted plastic close to bus lug, Cabled Jacket cut back to far.
Talk soft, Write Hard!
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That lug is most likely a loose connection to the busbar.
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Brian - looking at the service lugs and how the cables connect, the right leg looks pretty rusted - maybe not getting a good connection there. Could account for the lights dimming intermittently. Left leg may not be fully in the lug either.
Did you look at it with IR? I would bet $ you would see a connection differential here if you did.
I would recommend having an electrician disconnect the service cables and reset them in the lugs properly. The melted plastic isolator is broken where it attaches at that top left screw. May be an issue, depends on how many other screws hold it on. Let the electrician decide that one.
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I did not. I’m fact, when I was first evaluating the panel, I was not sure how big the issue was. So I snapped a bunch of photos and buttoned it up.
The lights dimmed much later in the inspection and I had yet to connect the dots.
This is why I still don’t do reports in the field after all these years. For me, that time in front of the computer with high resolution photos (and this forum) is valuable to me. Thanks for the input.
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Same here.
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Unless the manufacturers instructions call for oxide inhibitor, it is NOT required, that being said I do use it, but the lack of it is not a defect.
As to the damage to the panel interior, it’s toast & needs to be replaced, Siemens has redesigned their panels over the years so it’s doubtful a simple swap of the guts would work.
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Eaton makes retrofit panel guts.
However at least where I am a panel swap like that brings in AFCI requirements, and AFCI breakers are effectively fatter, so less fit in a panel.
I suspect the OP’s panel the service entrance wires are not screwed down properly, and are loose, leading to the heating observed. Either way an electrician must be called.
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