Illustrated Code Catastrophes: Sections 314.15, 300.5(B), 300.6(B), and ...

1 of 3

http://ecmweb.com/print/violations/illustrated-code-catastrophes-section...

print | close

Electrical Construction and Maintenance

Russ LeBlanc

By Russ LeBlanc, NEC Consultant

Tue, 2012-12-18 12:53

All references are based on the 2011 edition of the NEC

Wet and
Wild!
I discovered
this buried
aluminum
box full of
moisture
when I
removed its
cover. The
trapped
moisture had
caused
severe
corrosion to
the box as
well as the
wiring,
which arced
and tripped
the circuit
breaker.
Section
314.15 requires boxes, conduit bodies, and fittings to be placed or equipped so as to prevent moisture from
entering or accumulating within the box, conduit body, or fitting.Clearly, that did not happen here, and the
result was a gooey mess of corrosion. In addition, the twist-on wire connectors used in this box were not
specifically designed for use in a wet location. According to Sec. 300.5(B), any connections or splices in an
underground installation shall be approved for wet locations.
Lastly, Sec. 300.6(B) requires installers to provide supplementary corrosion protection for aluminum
raceways, cable trays, cablebus, auxiliary gutters, cable armor, boxes, cable sheathing, cabinets, elbows,
couplings, nipples, fittings, supports, and support hardware embedded or encased in concrete or in direct

07-03-15 12:52 PM

Illustrated Code Catastrophes: Sections 314.15, 300.5(B), 300.6(B), and ...

2 of 3

http://ecmweb.com/print/violations/illustrated-code-catastrophes-section...

contact with the earth.

The installer should have installed a small, nonmetallic handhole in place of the aluminum box and used wet
location-rated twist-on wire connectors.

Is There a Plumber in the House?

I found this
surprise
during an
infrared
thermal
scan. Just as
some people
replace a
blown

Edison-based fuse with a copper penny, somebody replaced these fuses with copper plumbing pipe hangers.
This created a very dangerous situation, since these wires were essentially left with no overcurrent protection.
Most of us know that a fuse or circuit breaker is required to be installed in series with each ungrounded
conductor. In accordance with 240.21, overcurrent protection shall be provided in each ungrounded circuit
conductor and shall be located at the point where the conductors receive their supply except as specified in
240.21(A) through (H). Nowhere in (A) through (H) is there any mention of copper strap pipe hangers being an

07-03-15 12:52 PM

Illustrated Code Catastrophes: Sections 314.15, 300.5(B), 300.6(B), and ...

3 of 3

http://ecmweb.com/print/violations/illustrated-code-catastrophes-section...

approved overcurrent protective device.

Because this feeder was supplying power to two elevators, we could also make reference to Art. 620. In
accordance with 620.61(C), Motor feeder short circuit and ground fault protection shall be as required in Art.
430, Part V. Sections 430.61 and 430.62 require that this feeder be provided with a protective device to protect
against short circuits and ground faults. There are no exceptions that would ever allow the use of pipe hangers in
place of fuses.
Source URL: http://ecmweb.com/violations/illustrated-code-catastrophes-sections-31415-3005b-3006band-24021a-through-h

07-03-15 12:52 PM