opinions needed for giant junction box

[zeb]

Ran into this yesterday. Who ever put a new GE 200 amp panel used this for a junction box. Opinions needed.

Download Attachment: box.jpg

54.66 KB

[hausdok]

Hi,

Well, it's busy, but it doesn't look like it violates the fill limitation. Hope they've got one or two screws securing that cover in place. A little quibble with the wiring attachment, though, The NM needs to be secured within a foot of where it enters that box, so there are quite a few wires where they screwed that up. Then you've got the large number of wires under that clamp on the upper right. Because it's out in the air and can cool readily, I'm not sure whether that violates the 'no more than 4 bundled' rule. Jim?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Les]

I have seen worst.

[zeb]

The cover didn't have any screws and that was the first thing I thought when I opened it up.

Is there a rule of thumb as cubic inches to wire allowed.

[Richard Moore]

Try 312.8.

Yada, yada.....The conductors shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 40 percent of the cross-sectional area of the space...Yada, yada, yada.

I doubt you are using 5% of that space. Lot of air in there.

Secure the cover to keep the kiddies out.

[kurt]

I was educated by a really smart electrician once when I asked the question "How many wires, space, etc.?".....

He answered, "The amount of wiring allowed is that which fits easily & comfortably", or something like that.

I know that will bother the folks that memorize C&V, but there's a certain nice sense to it.

[Tru View]

Wires do require a specific amount of space for dissipating heat in a junction box.

#14 awg. 2 cu. in.

#12 awg. 2.25 cu. in.

#10 awg. 2.5 cu. in.

The yoke on a switch or receptacle

2X cu. in. of the largest conducter in the box.

A wire passing straight through (no splices) only counts as one.

All the grounds collectively, count as one (the largest ground wire)