Terry Beck
12-05-2008, 05:47 PM
Having a discussion with realtor on a house I inspected the other day (he also happens to be the president of local board realtors this year). He called out an electrician today to review what I called out in my report, and basically said that the electrician said there was nothing wrong with the bonding and grounding.
1965 house, a room was added at rear, basement finished in 1990.
At service entrance, I see two hot conductors, a system grounding conductor, and a neutral that all pass through the wall to inside. (Ignore the splices, those are installed by the city sewer department, and are accepted by the city electrical inspectors, long story not worth going into).
At the Main distribution panel in the basement, I see all four conductors coming in. The system grounding conductor is attached to a lug on the interior side of the panel. (Ignore the fact that this is a Federal Pacific panel, and ignore the fact that most breakers have been replaced, and ingore the fact that three breakers are double-taped).
The neutral (grounded conductor) goes to what appears to be a floating bus bar. Of course all the equipment grounds and neutrals all meet at this bus bar.
Here is the main gist of what I said in the report:
"1) Equipment ground wires are not connected to the grounding system. Grounding conductor and grounded conductors (neutral) are not isolated at this panel; bonding has already been accomplished at the meter.
2) Double-tapping observed at breakers 2, 6, and 24.
Note: No room is available at this panel for expansion for added circuits. We recommend that a licensed electrician review the panel and make all corrections necessary for safe and proper operation of the system."
The realtors electrician states that "well, that how it was done in 1965 and therefore is mostly ok. He plans to somehow replace or rearrange a few breakers (I assume to take care of the double-tapping), but he apparently sees no problem with the grounding and bonding at this panel. (Of course, this is 2nd hand, so don't know for sure what the electrician actually said, wish I had been there).
What is you opinion??? What would you have said in your inspection report?
1965 house, a room was added at rear, basement finished in 1990.
At service entrance, I see two hot conductors, a system grounding conductor, and a neutral that all pass through the wall to inside. (Ignore the splices, those are installed by the city sewer department, and are accepted by the city electrical inspectors, long story not worth going into).
At the Main distribution panel in the basement, I see all four conductors coming in. The system grounding conductor is attached to a lug on the interior side of the panel. (Ignore the fact that this is a Federal Pacific panel, and ignore the fact that most breakers have been replaced, and ingore the fact that three breakers are double-taped).
The neutral (grounded conductor) goes to what appears to be a floating bus bar. Of course all the equipment grounds and neutrals all meet at this bus bar.
Here is the main gist of what I said in the report:
"1) Equipment ground wires are not connected to the grounding system. Grounding conductor and grounded conductors (neutral) are not isolated at this panel; bonding has already been accomplished at the meter.
2) Double-tapping observed at breakers 2, 6, and 24.
Note: No room is available at this panel for expansion for added circuits. We recommend that a licensed electrician review the panel and make all corrections necessary for safe and proper operation of the system."
The realtors electrician states that "well, that how it was done in 1965 and therefore is mostly ok. He plans to somehow replace or rearrange a few breakers (I assume to take care of the double-tapping), but he apparently sees no problem with the grounding and bonding at this panel. (Of course, this is 2nd hand, so don't know for sure what the electrician actually said, wish I had been there).
What is you opinion??? What would you have said in your inspection report?