give us your top ten?

List your top 5-10 deficiencies found on electrical panels. Lets see how many are common to a broad area and the differences by region.

  1. Double tap single connection breakers

  2. Missing knock outs especially on outside boxes.

  3. Screws missing in dead front covers

  4. Mix of breakers not recommended by panel mfg.

  5. Neutral and grounds mixed on bars

  6. Loose breakers

  7. Service entrance conductors scorched at block.

  8. Improper sized wire for breaker.

  9. Burnt buzz bar

  10. No circuit label

Double tapped neutrals and wrong breaker sizes for AC and water heaters.

The rest seem typical…

No clamps on cables

Good ones, I started with typical hoping others would add additional things. No matter how long we do this, there are always things we miss.

Tandem breakers in the wrong spot or panel

Here’s a few more:

-Service raceways that aren’t sealed which allows the transfer of air that is at different temperatures.

-Equipment grounding or bonding conductors run between the service neutral bus and the meter enclosure in parallel with the neutral.

-NM squeeze connectors used with single grounding electrode conductors when entering the panel.

Robert explain the last one for me, what’s the resulting issue?

Juan
Tandem breakers in wrong spot, elaborate for me

In some panels, not all of the spots are listed to accept tandem breakers. I’m not really sure why.

I know there are ways to make them fit where they don’t belong.

Improper workspace in front of panel.

Legend incomplete, missing or unreadable.

Low voltage transformer mounted inside enclosure.

Missing twist outs at dead front cover.

Moisture in or around panel.

Panel located in bathroom.

Alterations, modifications by a non professional (no permit sticker)

That’s interesting Juan, not something I’ve ever looked at, very helpful.

You are welcome. I don’t know where I learned it but I always look at the panel label if there are tandem breakers in it.

Panel guts upside down

Jeff

Unless the breaker operates in a vertical manner this is not an NEC issue.

Which is generally the issue.

Jeff

A small issue with a NM connector not being listed to be used to when entering a single grounding electrode conductor in a 1/2" KO.

Robert is a small hole and kenny clamp lover…lol…sorry Robert i could not resist while sitting in an OHIO airport.

I had used cheap NM squeeze connectors for years until an inspector questioned it. Although I have used them on occasion I tend to avoid Kenny clamps because of their high cost for no real electrical benefit.

Personally I don’t see the squeeze connector as an issue especially when you can use the small hole without a connector, but as mentioned it can be a technical violation of the connector listing.

What airport!! How you been my friend??