Speedy Petey

We have no "ban" on STab-Loc breakers.Just a really bad reputation (the breakers I mean).

Well, that certainly does give you something concrete to base your opinion on. Thanks!

This is extremely common, which is unfortunate since folks immediately think burning when they see it. Most times I see this associated with older craft faced insulation. There is a tar-like substance somewhere in the craft that will impart these marks on white NM cable.

What do you base this on? Your opinion? It is perfectly code legal, not the best way to install one, but 100% code legal. The one stipulation is that pretty much every bath fan I have ever seen has, according to the instruction, been required to be GFI protected if installed over a tub or shower. The problem with your "Yep, call it a fault." is that lay folks will take it as fact, when it is really just an opinion. Then we trade folks get looked at funny when we state the actual facts.

The panel listing is used, not an arbitrary formula that assumes a load of 10 amps per pole. I agree. The number of breakers, in the same way that the sum of the installed breakers, is a meaningless number. Most panels I install now are 40/80 panels. What does this formula say about 80 poles??

Definitely Pushmatic style breakers, but I have never in all my years seen oval ones. Very interesting. I am very curious to see what the actual breakers themselves say on them.

This is pretty typical of a poor connection to the neutral bar. Almost certainly not overcurrent. We see it quite often.

I would disagree with Jim. That conduit is not secured. It still needs straps at regular intervals. Also, simply laying it on the roof like that is about a hack of a job as I have seen. It would have been easier for them to just lay UF on the roof, and similarly workmanlike. Typical roof conduit sit on blocks or strut, or strut on blocks. There are even a few commercial products for just such an installation.

Yeah, exactly. It only had a tab at a couple places. No, it had a "3rd buss" every third or second place. A 3-phase panel like that typically has the center buss running down the center mostly hidden by plastic. The outer two busses usually look like typical busses from a single-phase panel, only with different spacing. Also, do NOT use "220" as your voltage. It's either 120/240, or 120/208 volt. A 120/240V 3-phase panel will have a high leg of 208V, typically in the center. This panel has so many single-pole breakers in it that it has to be a 120/208V feed. In a 120/240V 3-phase panel with a lot of SP breakers you usually see a lot of empty spaces at every third position.

Who's Tom? Tony is correct, feed wires on load terminals. It's very common, even though the manufacturers instructions and the sticker on the GFCI terminals tell you how to install the wires. I fully agree. Thing is, I don't think that GFI is/was new. Older GFIs did not have the sticker, nor do all new ones. Also, newer GFIs will not work/reset if wired wrong. This was a smart change by the manufacturers IMO. I have to say, if that micro is simply a counter top unit sitting on a shelf, this has to be one of the stupidest, yet unfortunately legal, installations I have seen in a while.

#4 aluminum stranded? Marc 2-2-2-4 SER? Yeah, standard issue in my area.https://www.google.com/search?q=2-2-2-4 ... 8&oe=utf-8

Thing is, if it is that high to be blocked by the damn GD track I'd bet that the highest breaker is more than 6'7" off the floor. Just add that to the long list of violations. Also, it is extremely unfortunate how many panels I see inside, or blocked by, kitchen cabinets. Some people have no scruples and should simply NOT be doing construction work.

It's definitely not allowed, and personally I don't care why. Code is code. Thing is, that will fit in one hole! I am amazed at how many times I see this when it is completely unnecessary. That looks to me like #2SER, which makes the EGC #4. Pretty much every modern ground and neutral bar WILL accept up to #4.

What exactly is the problem? Are they threatening some kind of action? What caused this "inspection"? And most importantly what grounds do they have to "fail" you for this? I get the whole "I don't want to upset the inspector" mentality, but sometimes they need to be challenged, especially when thousands of your $$ are at stake.

How so. OK, no, there is no prohibition to going up or down in wire size as long as the breaker is sized for the smaller wire. This point was already made so I did not make it earlier for fear of being redundant. I was just making an observation.

Unless the house is HUGE, making these runs very long, like 150'+, then all it is is a waste of money on the larger wire.

This exactly. If this was installed for a dryer I feel sorry for the client. That is quite sad.

May I ask what you would call out about this regardless of location?

Yup, many utilities are going to poly gas pipe these days.

Yup, I had that exact 20/40 200A panel in my home when I bought it. I changed it less than a week after moving in, on my dime I might add. Yes, there are companies making legal FPE replacement breakers. Challenger was one I believe. And the skinnys are totally fine. That's the only way to get 40 breakers in that small ass panel.

This! They are used for critical circuits that should not be turned off for whatever reason, like alarms, smoke detectors, fire pumps, computers/servers, etc. The breaker WILL definitely trip though.

Not anywhere even near me. It sucks! Seems like they're all way upstate, all north and west of Albany. I used to be a Stabil fanatic, then I started hearing bad things about it but could not find anything concrete about issues. Problem is, red Stabil does nothing for ethanol. Now for every day I use an enzyme treatment, like Star Tron, in everything from power equip, to race bikes, boat and our cars and trucks, and Stabil for long term storage, pretty much for over the winter and just the larger generators since they hardly get used. The small generator gets used at the track regularly.

What's the fuel consumption rate on that monster? I have you have a slew of 5gal cans ready.

I have to say, most of the crap I see is either from handyman type "contractors" or downright horrible DIY stuff. Just like you guys, anyone with any amount of self respect and professional pride would not do anything that was at the very least not to code.

Then I apologize. This has gotten off in two directions, and I guess that is my fault for not being more clear.I do still stand by my assertion about what a HI's purpose has become, but in saying this I did not mean to imply all HI's were poor. The fact that HI's are mainly used to get lower prices for buyers is not exactly your fault either. Folks just seem to use HI reports for pricing leverage and getting things done for free. IMO it has just been an unfortunate evolution. Listen, my reason for coming here is not to troll and piss people off, although I guess my opinions can come off that way sometimes, especially to angry people like Marc and Kibble. I have no problem with them ignoring me since I am probably not much help to them anyway. I'll try to keep my opinions less confrontational. If that is not acceptable, and somebody wants me out of here just have the admin let me know.