This is a first for me. 1955 home. The service panel and meter are at a small detached building (just a laundry room), and then all the distribution wiring goes to the home from there.
I did not see any grounding rod at the home, but then again, what would it even attach to if the home has no sub panel?
Wondering if there are other issues this may cause besides having EGC at the home.
The general rule is that a structure cannot be supplied by more than one multi-wire branch circuit or feeder. In you installation you have multiple branch circuits supplying the dwelling which is not permitted. The house should have a feeder and a panel to supply the branch circuits within the house. Nothing in (A) through (E) would apply here.
Part II. Buildings or Other Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or Branch Circuit(s)
225.30 Number of Supplies. A building or other structure that is served by a branch circuit or feeder on the load side of a service disconnecting means shall be supplied by only one feeder or branch circuit unless permitted in 225.30(A) through (E).
For the purpose of this section, a multiwire
branch circuit shall be considered a single circuit. Where a branch circuit or feeder originates in these additional buildings or other structures, only one feeder or branch circuit shall be permitted to supply power back to the original building or structure, unless permitted in 225.30(A) through (E).
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Was the “double negative” intended??
Also… most HI’s don’t carry around Code books, especially newer inspectors.
Please post…
Thanks.
Yes it was a typing error. I’ll correct it.
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Yeah, thats what I thought, as it relates to a detached structure. Anything with more than one branch circuit must have its own GEC. But in this case, there would be no panel to even install one.
This is obviously the original install, though, which is odd. Home built in 1955, but you can see the old original knife switch next to the panel. Ane these structures were never connected
How much would you elevate this issue, as far as safety goes? Obviously correcting would be a major undertaking, they would have to run new feeders, and splice into all the branch wiring for a new distribution panel. House has no attic (flat roof), and that area of the crawl space is inaccessible, so not even sure where they enter.
The panel appears to be newer than the old knife switch so my guess is that someone changed it at some point in time. The conductors running into the bottom left of the panel without a raceway is a hazard in itself that requires repair. As far as the lack of a grounding electrode system at the house that is also an issue because there is no panel in the house. I would write it up for everything mentioned above.
No feeder to the house
No panel in the house
No GES at the house
Conductors run outside of a raceway into the panel.
There are probably ten other things wrong with this installation that aren’t visible. I would hate to see a buyer get stuck with this mess because it’s going to cost a lot of money to make it code compliant.
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Thanks, I had already called all that out, along with the grounding and grounded being bonded, oversized and double tapped breakers, the service mast leaning significantly, etc. etc…
I have just never seen the home being the detached structure before, very odd
Reminds me of a lot of manufactured homes I see. The “main” panel (often times just a switch) is on a power pole with a disconnect that is separate from the actual house. I believe up until recently (5-10 years?) the house or outbuilding (if the main were in the house) could exist without it’s own grounding system but newer rules (codes) dictate a grounding system for each building with more than a lighting circuit.
Yeah, but even with a mobile home, the distribution panel is still inside the home, regardless of where the service disconnect is.
Unless you are saying you have seen both panels at the exterior before?