Our contractor accidentally cut the 220 volt 6 gauge line that ran from our main electrical box to a panel that operates our spa and outdoor lighting. His fix was to splice the lines in a junction box. This is all outside and the junction box is mounted on the side of a wood pergola hidden by a vine. Is all this safe? Children play in this area daily Picture of inside the junction box included , main house panel, and the spa panel the cut line runs to
Let the contractor know that you will be pointing it out to the Electrical Inspector - ... along with all the other half-fix items .. .. problem solved ? ps : don't let that contractor into your home ever again .. John T.
I would be concerned too. Looks like they took a plastic junction box and then hack mounted terminals into it? The problem is that the junction box is only 1/8" or so thick and those screws that are energized must go right through it into the wood. Energized metal isn't supposed to be sticking out of a box and joined wires are not supposed to be uninsulated like that unless they are part of an approved piece of gear, eg like a a panel, switch or disconnect. Those terminals look like something used for GROUNDS and screwed to metal.
Couple of ways this could be done, there are large wire nuts capable of #6. Also there are other insulated connectors available. How did this happen? Did they cut an underground cable? There are even direct burial splices available. Any of those would be code compliant. Is this contractor licensed to do this work?
Our resident code expert, Mr. Fretwell is the best expert on this, I'm sure he'll be adding more.
Is there no inside cover for the breaker box?
The first box is the box with splice? Looks done right. Closed, kids should not be playing in it. Nothing is going to spill out of it.
It would be safer if the terminal lugs weren't attached to the building through the box. Let them float in the box and tape them up. The ground wire just twisted together would be better in some sort of crimp connector. There is something called a terminal box. That should have been used to splice the wiring. It wouldn't necessarily be kid safe though.
As trader says, that's a cobbled-up job -- the mounting screws through the box outside into the mounting board taht looks like it'll be wet often enough and won't last indefinitely is definite no-no.
Box isn't outside rated, either I'm guessing.
Where is this located -- if it were buried, also as other said there are splices for the purpose but if it were mine, unless you didn't call 811 and told him there wasn't anything where he was digging, if it were mine I'd expect a "as new" repair/replacement, not a patch.
He screwed up, it's his nickel to make it whole again and this ain't whole by any stretch. It works, but it's definitely not legit.
Dry, it's reasonably safe as temporary patch; wet it's a definite hazard.
Correct, the terminals being screwed to the wood is DEFINITELY a NO-NO. If they are screwed to the box, and the box is insulated from the building, it might be OK. It will trip the required GFCI the way it is (if the GFCI is installed)
Violations? Let me count the ways.
This is an easy fix. Just go buy 3 Polaris style insulated 2 hole splices for 6 gauge wire and get rid of those lugs. (the generic ones are a lot cheaper than Polaris) I might even tolerate two of those lugs bolted together to splice the ground but I would rather see a split bolt or some listed splicing method. While you have those wires lose, screw on some lock nuts.
The good news is that is a 15 minute fix and not very expensive.
The box is fine. It is a NEMA 3R rated junction box. (rain tight) I already addressed the splices
Doesn't running those screws through the back of the box ruin the weathertight rating? What about putting the conduit in the side instead of the bottom? If the picture is oriented correctly.
"3R" is not water tight, it is only "rain tight". If you want to clean up that box, shoot screws in those holes. It is not uncommon to see installers actually drill holes in the bottom of boxes to let them drain when water gets inside. (not "if"). There is a reason they call these "wet locations". I assumed the picture was sideways. You are right, drilled holes and lock nut connections should only be on the bottom but I assume the installer would argue, he tapped the box so it should seal. It still needs lock nuts. There is not enough thread engagement to be considered a hub.
The wiring in that other panel looks really sloppy to my eyes.
I don't know code but usually when an inspector sees something that looks like that he keeps looking until he finds something. And conversely when everything looks neat and tidy they figure there's nothing to look for.
Just wasn't sure whether was/wasn't from looking...as said, that was a guess.
I notice this time it's got mounting ears--may have used the one on the top that is hidden, the bottom one is hanging in air.
So, the assumption the lug mounting screws are also all that's holding the box to the fence slat is possibly wrong, altho one screw on one side isn't enough, either.
I'm still wondering where those two conduits came from/go to...inside this box is NOT where the feed was cut I'm sure...what was done where that occurred to get the pieces to this point to make the connection/splices?
That's what I was wondering too, which is why I asked if it was underground and cut off. The only way I can think of this coming about was if the existing wiring was cut there where the new box was, the piece from there to the panel shown wasn't very long, so they replaced that piece with a new longer piece to work into the splice box. Otherwise when you cut anything in the middle, you typically wind up needing two splice boxes and a piece of new wiring between the two. Actually, now that I think about it, I guess you may wind up with two splices on each wire even if it's an underground fix, unless the cut is really nice, with no damage to the wires. I'd think most times you're going to screw the wire and even if it's just an inch of cable lost, you're still going to have two splices per wire and new wire.
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Got lucky years ago after being unlucky! What would be the odds of hitting the well power feed running across country from the old well house that has the pressure tank, etc., to the new well location w/ posthole digger for fence around new garden area? A half-inch wide Romex wire ~2-ft deep in a 100-yd stretch for the one post?
Of course, hit it dead on. Didn't know it at the time; wasn't 'til SWMBO complained the water quit that realized it. Fortunately, that wasn't long and days were warm and long so had plenty of time to dig it back up and repair.
Amazingly enough, did almost as clean a cut as a set of cutters and Dad had laid the cable loosely-enough in the trench we had plenty of length to just use the gel-filled compression fittings for repair. It's been probably 15 years now, since...
Still amazed in managing to pick precisely that point to put the post...the wire just heads off diagonally from wherever precisely it runs from the pumphouse to miss the other fence and head towards the pole the controller is mounted on by the well...it's all just big open area; could have run the wire anywhere within 20-ft either way and could have put the post almost anywhere +/- 2-ft of where chose.
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And, of course, as is typical, OP hasn't deigned to respond so likely will never know...
The first rule of inspecting is limit yourself to the scope of the open permit. It makes your life easier. ;-)
Looking at that panel my main question is about how they grounded the can. They should have extended the 8ga from the feeder to the can, not
2 #12s from god knows where. (also the 2 wires under a lug listed for 1) If there is not an 8ga path the can is not properly grounded. I would also look to be sure there is a clip on the in feed breaker. Using wire nuts in lieu of a ground bus is bad workmanship but not illegal. It does seem to reflect the "what I had on the truck" style in the other box.
Typically gray is wet rated and blue (white, brown and whatever) is not.
I agree there may not be a lot of support but if it doesn't wiggle when you grab in, it usually passes.
They may have pulled up the existing cut cable, mounted the box wherever that was easy to land the end and ran new wire the rest of the way.
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They _may_ indeed, but if a frog had wings, too... :)
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