I found this beauty at my local Chinese carry out restaurant. Exposed wire (not to the conductors, just the actual insulation of the individual conductors), and just hanging by them.
Not Even Restaurants Are Safe
- Thread startercdiamondz
- Start date
The "electrician" who "installed" it must have been on something while "intalling" it. Maybe he's also a plumber and let the primer get to him in the small janitorial closet? At the very least, the counter where it's located above, is about 4 feet high, so little children's hands aren't tugging on it, but that's where the good ends. I wonder if their insurance covers "fires caused by improperly installed outlets."
AC (BX) exposed in general I would not prefer... is BC even able to go into plastic boxes without questions about how it was properly grounded inspected? Three different installers clearly, where are they tapping the power from also suspect?
More important question to the industry - those that know a little or some, in seeing such things where and how do we report such safety hazards to get them fixed? At times at events we should question things up our chain of command, but stuff like this in eating out... we should report it to who?
Does have a GFCI outlet... at switch level was it required? If so for what and if it's hanging off the wall.
More important question to the industry - those that know a little or some, in seeing such things where and how do we report such safety hazards to get them fixed? At times at events we should question things up our chain of command, but stuff like this in eating out... we should report it to who?
Does have a GFCI outlet... at switch level was it required? If so for what and if it's hanging off the wall.
JerseyMatt
Member
That is MC (metal clad) not AC (both of which are approved for surface mount installation, BTW). The difference is that with AC the armor is bonded through the entire length of the jacket and is used as the EGC (it wont have an insulated green wire). MC is basically just metal NM-B (Romex), and has a separate green EGC. The armor must be separately bonded to protect against it carrying fault current - this is usually accomplished through the metal clamps on bonded metal boxes.. You CAN bring AC/MC into a plastic box, but not through those self-clamping openings. Those are for NM-B only. AC/MC must be secured with a metal clamp using the round knockouts (drilling your own knockouts is NOT acceptable), and the clamps must use a listed bonding means (lug or bushing) to ensure ground continuity.
GFCIs are required on all general circuit receptacles in any kitchen setting at this point, regardless of their proximity to a water source (it used to be only receptacles within 6 feet of a sink). I believe as of NEC2014 all 15 or 20A 125V receptacles in a kitchen must be GFCI. I think 2011 was the last cycle to have any exceptions - but those were for built-in appliances like dishwashers and garbage disposals.
It actually does look like it was done by the same person at the same time, just not someone with any brains (they are the same GFCI, same boxes, same MC), but the one ripped off the wall probably just had its plastic snap-on faceplate replaced at some point. The hazard could be remedied by simply swapping the three separate (not surface mount, BTW) boxes for a single 3-gang metal box with appropriate clamps and metal faceplate.
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