Need help Square D panel

[Peter C. Russell]

Today's inspection was a 200 year old farm house, very wet basement and I did not feel comfortable removing the main panel cover due to the amount of corrosion.

Also, the main disconnect was app. 50 feet away in a different part of the basement near the service entry. Any help is appreciated.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Good call if you feel you should leave it alone then that is exactly the thing to do . How I would write it below.

Old rusty equipment in wet area needs to be serviced or repaired as needed by qualified electrician.

..... Cookie

[Peter C. Russell]

Thanks Roy, that's pretty much the way I wrote it, The owners wanted a complete evaluation on the property, it's been in the family for years and has been rented for about 20.

Electrical was number one on my list, a structural engineer was second.

One question was, it bothers me that the main disconnect was so far from the main panel and almost not accessible. In case of an emergency it would be almost impossible to get to the main disconnect.

Thanks for the help.

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by rcooke

Good call if you feel you should leave it alone then that is exactly the thing to do . How I would write it below.

Old rusty equipment in wet area needs to be serviced or repaired as needed by qualified electrician.

..... Cookie

I agree 100% with Roy, one of the things I teach in classes is when NOT to continue with electrical inspections, wet and/or rusted panels are top of the list.

As to the disconnect, if it wasn't in free space as required for a service panel then it needs to be corrected, the required clearances are 30 inches wide and 3ft clear space in front of the panel.

Regards

Gerry

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

The biggest friend I think you have on an inspection is the hair on the back of your neck.
If it says this is not right then listen.
If it says I do not like what this person is asking then listen and do not book the inspection with this person.
Home Inspections are great and you need to enjoy them and the person you are working for .
Questions do not hesitate to ask me Phone if needed glad to help.
Cookie

Remember write hard talk soft and miss nothing

[Speedy Petey]

Originally Posted by prussell

One question was, it bothers me that the main disconnect was so far from the main panel and almost not accessible. In case of an emergency it would be almost impossible to get to the main disconnect.

The relationship (distance) from the main disconnect to the panel is of NO concern.
The accessibility of either IS.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Agreed....If you see that much rust on the outsite we can only imagine the rust inside, poor connections at the buss and well rust and degraded material does not limit itself to the outside of the panel only.....well worth deferring. As with what Peter said....the disconnect at the point of entrance of the service is proper......not really an issue with that UNLESS it happens to look similar to the panel shown.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Shouldn't we be looking in these panels if/after we determine no voltage on the casing. These may/will have corrosion on terminals possibly leading to overheating, disintegrated insulation and possible arcing/fires. When finding this I would state that an electrician be called immediately and tell the realtor to ensure the vendors are informed....they may be still living in the house for up to 6+ months with this hazard.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Well I think we all know my personal feeling on it....I think all panels should be opened once the potential hazard to YOU is identified and you take steps to reduce it during observation.
Many HI's feel it should not be opened at that point...which is fine as it is clearly a potential hazard to the HI........so some will open as I would and some would not which they are fully covered by their SOP regarding it...

To each his own........my " WANT TO KNOW " mentality usually gets me into th panel....

[mthomas2]

Hey Paul,

Where can I buy electrician's gloves, I can't seem to find them for sale on the net.

[Jim Port]

Try www dot whsalisbury.com for insulated tools and protective equipment.

[Speedy Petey]

Originally Posted by mthomas2

Where can I buy electrician's gloves, I can't seem to find them for sale on the net.

Huh??? I can find plenty.

My local supply guys also carry then.

This is a popular brand around here:

http://www.cementexusa.com/