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Duct Tape Is Not The Same As Conduit

5/4/2018

 
Duct tape used inappropriately as conduit
Top of an electric water heater with conduit protecting the electrical wiring not quite reaching the top of the tank. Duct tape used to cover the gap is not a good idea.
Interesting find at a recent inspection. The armored conduit for the electric water heater was just a bit short during installation. Rather than obtaining a longer piece, the installer decided to substitute duct tape to cover the gap. Though it is the same color as the conduit, duct tape does not provide the same benefits as an appropriate length of armored conduit. This is a potential safety hazard for shock and needs to be repaired. Standard building practices call for the power supply wires to be protected with BX armored conduit all the way to the top of the tank to prevent damage. Duct tape is not listed in the building code as an option. 
Duct tape used inappropriately as conduit
Duct tape is the same color as the conduit but does not provide the same benefits of actually protecting the wiring.

That hole is pretty small, what could go wrong?

3/17/2017

 
It's such a small hole, why should you bother to seal it? It doesn't look like much could get through. I can ignore it, can't I?
Electrical conduit attached to house with an improperly sealed penetration hole.
It's hard to see from this far away but there is a small hole where the conduit attaches to the house.
Unsealed electrical penetration hole in siding of house.
Look closer and you can begin to see the unsealed opening.
Close up of unsealed electrical conduit penetration in wall siding.
Close up of the unsealed hole. I wonder what is on the other side of this wall?
This hole is hard to see from far away but on closer inspection of the electrical conduit an unsealed siding penetration is easy to notice. The hole is less than an inch wide but this is a lot of room if you are an insect, a drop of water or even a small rodent. From the outside it can be difficult to tell where the hole leads. In this case, with the hole next to the main electrical service meter, you really need to investigate farther.
Inside picture of a unsealed hole in wall siding. Hole leads to the interior of the main electrical panel. Significant amounts of cobwebs and insect debris inside the panel.
The other side of the unsealed hole. It leads right in to the back of the main electrical panel.
Inside of an electrical service panel filled with cobwebs and insect debris.
Electrical panel with evidence of prolonged visiting by (hopefully) friendly neighborhood spiders and insects.
As you can see from the picture above, the hole leads directly to the main electrical service panel for the house. When the panel was opened and the safety cover removed it was quite evident that this panel was found to be an inviting and cosy home for spiders and other insects. 

This is a problem. There is a lot of organic and potentially flammable material in the electrical panel. This can trap heat and serve as a source of ignition for a fire. The panel needs to be cleaned by a qualified party and the hole in the siding needs to be repaired. A little bit of maintenance and routine repair can prevent a much bigger problem down the road. 

    Author

    Brian Jovag, owner of Jovag Home Inspection.

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