How does everything look?

[CarCrazyRDM]

I've done plenty of basic electrical work in the past but this is my first full wiring of a structure as well as my first full panel. So take a look at the pics below and let me know if you see anything of concern or that you think an inspector might call me out on. I hope to get someone out this week to check both my electrical rough in work and the drain line work for my plumping.

One quick inspection question... do inspectors require/expect all ground wires to be joined together in junction boxes at the time of rough in inspection? Or does it matter since I expect that is something they will check at final anyway?

One other quick note/question... the large "roll" of curled up power and neutral wire in the top left corner of the box is for a circuit of which I am not powering at this point (for possible future use upstairs). Is having it rolled up and the end of the wires capped inside the panel acceptable for something like this?




And everything is labeled now on the panel cover (not sure if that is required or not) and it has obviously been removed for inspection.

 

[lukedwag]

Are you powering that panel from another panel? is the circuit protected at its source ?The curls are not what I am used to seeing but it gives some extra just in case so its cool. What size wire are you running on the 30 amp 220v circuits ?

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

Yes, sorry I should have mentioned that this is a sub-panel run off my main panel. And it is protected there via another 100 amp breaker. And there are two ground rods spaced 8+ feet apart from one another outside. But the power was run over and the panel box itself installed by a licensed electrician.

I saw the curls suggested somewhere, may have even been on this forum, and thought it was a reasonable idea in the event something gets damaged or you have to move a breakers location from top to bottom or vice-versa for some reason. Since my panel isn't overly packed with wires I figured I'd give it a try. And if for some reason it's not kosher then I can always straighten them out and cut them off.

All the 30A are 10ga. And I realize five 30 amp circuits in a 100A panel may seem excessive, there won't be a time where it's possible for all circuits to be run at the same time or really probably any more than three of them. One is for my future lift, two are for welders (one at front of shop and one at back... won't be used at the same time), one is for a possible future 240V compressor (currently only have a 120V one), and the last one is for a window A/C unit that could have sufficed on a 20A circuit but since I had enough 10ga wire I'd just go ahead make it 30A capable.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have never seen the curls, Other then that it looks good. Yes the breakers needs to be marked before inspection.

 

[Stuff]

The white wires used for 240v should be re-identfied with black tape.

 

[tfi racing]

You did alright,just doesn't look professional,could use a few things so the inspector is not annoyed:
Too much of the wire jacket inside the panel,should only just pass the connector
Excess conductor length is ok,but should be squared off and parallel,loops just look like,well loopy
He will want to see all grounds spliced and connected to the boxes,pigtails where required to connect to devices

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Is that "dux seal" stuffed into the feeder conduit?........ if so, why?
What size feeder wires are you using from the main panel into the 100amp sub panel?

 

[Kaizen]

This is what I strive for when I did my panel. as said no insulation or paper should be on the wires. i'd redo it to get rid of the extra wire length although I don't think it is "illegal"

 

[kd7gab]

I would remove the neutral bonding strap. Your inspector may raise an eyebrow with it hanging out inside the panel. As you likely already know, remote subpanels should never have the nuetral bonded to the ground, to prevent ground loop issues.

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

Thanks for the input guys.

The white wires used for 240v should be re-identfied with black tape.

I forgot about this, thanks.

You did alright,just doesn't look professional,could use a few things so the inspector is not annoyed:
Too much of the wire jacket inside the panel,should only just pass the connector
Excess conductor length is ok,but should be squared off and parallel,loops just look like,well loopy
He will want to see all grounds spliced and connected to the boxes,pigtails where required to connect to devices

I don't know if it matters but I cut the jackets off within probably an inch or two of their entry point into the panel. The "extra" you see after that are separate pieces of jacket that wrote on to identify each circuit and then slid back on each wire. There is no paper inside any of this extra jacket. This is something else I saw suggested somewhere that I liked the idea of just to help insure you are messing with the wires for the appropriate circuit if you have the panel door off or have multiple sets of wires disconnected. I know it helped me keep things straight when I was wiring it up.

Is that "dux seal" stuffed into the feeder conduit?........ if so, why?
What size feeder wires are you using from the main panel into the 100amp sub panel?

I'm unfamiliar with the "dux seal." But how ever it is done, along with the feeder wire were both done by the electrical company I had run power from the house to the detached and they installed the sub-panel. And that work has already been signed off on by an inspector. But if you see something unsafe or that the inspector missed certainly let me know.

This is what I strive for when I did my panel. as said no insulation or paper should be on the wires. i'd redo it to get rid of the extra wire length although I don't think it is "illegal"

I may leave the extra wire length for the time being. If the inspector won't pass it then I'll cut it off.

I would remove the neutral bonding strap. Your inspector may raise an eyebrow with it hanging out inside the panel. As you likely already know, remote subpanels should never have the nuetral bonded to the ground, to prevent ground loop issues.

That's probably a fair idea on removing the neutral bonding strap.

 

[-Brent-]

Thanks for this thread and the responses, I learned a bunch.

 

[LXCam]

Other than marking the white wires I don't see a reason he won't pass you, and as suggested just remove that bonding strap all together. But if he a stickler about tagging those wires you'll need to use heat shrink to cover them. Also I would highly suggest you install a couple 3/4" flex conduits (or EMT) out of the top of the panel and above the top plate for future use. It'll only cost you a few buck but will really make life easier for you should you add anything.

As for coiling the wires - what I've always done is extend them up or down (depending if they come in from the top or the bottom) and loop back into the breaker (like a J). That way you don't create a magnetic field (electromagnetic field). Granted it's not like you made multiple coils, but for leaving some length of the conductor looks much cleaner.

Oh, forgot about your grounding conductor ?. Those should have been all made up during the time of the rough-in inspection for him to review. He'll probably just make you open up a couple of devices to check. So be prepared for that. As for your future circuits, as long as they are capped, no issues.

 

[the gypsy]

This is what I strive for when I did my panel. as said no insulation or paper should be on the wires. i'd redo it to get rid of the extra wire length although I don't think it is "illegal"

I love the work you did in the panel. The only thing I did differently in my panel, is that i did not tie wrap similar color wires together. I tried to leave a small space between wires so as to better follow the wires if needed. The only exception is the ground wire neatly pushed into the sides of the box.

 

[Mustang51js]

Your two wires on the sides of studs are to close to the outside of stud, need 1 1/4 inch space from front of stud to wire. Just staple them to the wood going across. Other than that i would tape the neutral up more but thats just me. But unless you use a nail plate the only violation i see is those 2 wires

 

[Kaizen]

I love the work you did in the panel. The only thing I did differently in my panel, is that i did not tie wrap similar color wires together. I tried to leave a small space between wires so as to better follow the wires if needed. The only exception is the ground wire neatly pushed into the sides of the box.

oh no no no.....lol.....that is what I STRIVE for. that's not my work. a good example of a great job though.

 

[Hephaestus29]

I was told in school that more than one
loop in wire could act as a transformer.

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

Your two wires on the sides of studs are to close to the outside of stud, need 1 1/4 inch space from front of stud to wire. Just staple them to the wood going across. Other than that i would tape the neutral up more but thats just me. But unless you use a nail plate the only violation i see is those 2 wires

Thanks for that info... I will fix this too.

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

I haven't heard anyone comment on whether my wire in the top left corner of the box is OK (see third paragraph in original post)? Thanks.

 

[mm08822]

The panel looks flush to the studs. If you plan to sheetrock, move it outward 3/8". the panel directory needs to be completed for final.

 

[ScratchNSniff]

you'll want a wire nut on both ends of those "future" wires, but you definitely want them inside the box like you have.

mark both ends of the white hot wires too, not just inside the panelboard.

is that the plastic crossover bar between the 2 neutral busses? are you using the left one at all?

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

you'll want a wire nut on both ends of those "future" wires, but you definitely want them inside the box like you have.

mark both ends of the white hot wires too, not just inside the panelboard.

is that the plastic crossover bar between the 2 neutral busses? are you using the left one at all?

Thanks SnS. And yes, left neutral bus has the pigtails from both the ground fault breakers on that side of the panel.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The white wires used for 240v should be re-identfied with black tape.

I don't think that is a requirement, but it is a good idea. Personally I would use red.

Not a fan of the way you handle the extra wire. It is nice to have, but I think I would have just run the wire to the bottom of the box go across the bottom and come back up the other side.

 

[alfredeneuman]

It's not a requirement.(or it doesn't say black tape, anyway)

The Code only says that the conductors will be permanently identified with a color other than white, natural gray, or green.

Felt tip markers, paint, heat shrink tubing, or tape would all be suitable.