Installed by a licensed electrician

[homnspector]

What do you think of this new panel on an old house? The knockout in the upper back of the cabinet was enlarged with a hole saw, is this a fire hazard?

No bushing is installed on the lower knockout. Neutrals and grounding conductors are doubled under the lugs. Let me know what else you see (overfilling at the knockout?).

Mainly, I need to know how big a deal is the enlarging of the knockout?

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[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by homnspector

What do you think of this new panel on an old house?

It's embarassing.

The knockout in the upper back of the cabinet was enlarged with a hole saw, is this a fire hazard?

I wouldn't argue with someone who called it a fire hazard.

No bushing is installed on the lower knockout. Neutrals and grounding conductors are doubled under the lugs. Let me know what else you see (overfilling at the knockout?).

Bushings missing, too many cables through each opening, neutrals & egcs together . . . did the number and placement of breakers match the schematic?

Mainly, I need to know how big a deal is the enlarging of the knockout?

It's this big "_________________________________________________________"

It's wrong. Plain & simple.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[homnspector]

Thats what I thought, thanks Jim. Time to get another electrician PO'd at me!

"did the number and placement of breakers match the schematic? " Yikes, I didn't look at that!

[Chad Fabry]

Damn, that's quite a panel.

[msteger]

I too would call it out..

[Tom Corrigan]

If you get any flack, send those pictures to the licensing board and the electrical inspectors oversight board.

Ask them for their comments.

Tom Corrigan

[homnspector]

"If you get any flack, send those pictures to the licensing board and the electrical inspectors oversight board.

Ask them for their comments."

I love it!

[Kyle Kubs]

Originally posted by homnspector

Time to get another electrician PO'd at me!

Tell him you want to see a copy of his license... I doubt he has one. If he does take down the # & name and send it with the pictures & property address to the State board that issues his license, cause he needs to loose it. That panel is a disgrace.

[Mr. Electric]

The notes are correct. It is very illegal and unsafe! The wires are not connected to the enclosure, and the unused knock out must be closed by something equal to the metal in the cabinet.

I agree with the "thats a discrace" comment. No "electrician" would ever do work like that.

[elgato]

I agree with the complaints completely, I want to address the issue of neutral and ground under the same terminal on the bus bar. As I understand the requirements, this condition is "OK" in the main distribution panel. Am I wrong??

[Richard Moore]

Originally posted by elgato

I agree with the complaints completely, I want to address the issue of neutral and ground under the same terminal on the bus bar. As I understand the requirements, this condition is "OK" in the main distribution panel. Am I wrong??

It's not OK in ANY panel unless the lugs at the bar are specifically designed for more than one current carrying conductor. As I'm not aware of a residential grounding/neutral bar that has special lugs, it's safe to say it's wrong. It's been wrong for a long time and is well supported by NEC code. There's a couple of issues, one being that the screw may only be torqued down on one of the wires leaving the other loose in the lug and, therefore, a source of arcing or a potential "open neutral"...both bad. It's a "quality of connection" thing, same as why "double-tapping" regular breakers is wrong.

Basically, one neutral, by itself, per lug is allowed.

Grounding conductors, because any current they might carry should only be momentary, may usually be 2 or 3 per lug, depending on the "listing" in the panel.