Illegal tap from electric furnace.

9232 Views 21 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Meadow, Mar 20, 2014

MDShunk

Discussion Starter · Jun 13, 2007

This is a brand spanking new top of the line Trane heat pump install. The electric furnace is seved by a 60 amp, 240 volt cable. I noticed the installer had a quad receptacle bolted on the side of the furnace for the 110 volt condensate pump, Aprilaire humidifier, and the UV light. I was curious how they were getting 110. I opened it up, and this is what I found inside. They had the hot and neutral of a #14 romes tapped onto the 60 amp cable's ground wire, and the hot tapped under with one of the 60 amp hots. Nice. 60 amp fused receptacles now. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

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MDShunk

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jun 13, 2007

Same job... this is at the outdoor condensing unit. They used what appeared to be a scrap of #10 romex for the whip to the unit. It must have been a little short, because they took some tin snips to cut a little bit of the sheet metal out of the condensing unit so it would reach that little bit more. This is probably a $4,000 condensing unit. Some people have no shame.

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Reactions: 1

JohnJ0906

· #3 · Jun 13, 2007

Ridiculous.

Any idea who? Or should we just blame the HVAC guy?:whistling2:

sbrn33

· #4 · Jun 13, 2007

Look at how that upper connnector has already discolored from a bad connection.
This is exactly why I think inspectors are a required

MDShunk

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 13, 2007

JohnJ0906 said:
Ridiculous.
Any idea who? Or should we just blame the HVAC guy?:whistling2:

I know exactly who. I know both the company's name and the technician's first name. Normally when an HVAC company has a job installing very high-end, top of the line equipment, they'll send their best installers. This one must have been installed by the parts runner. :laughing: I know this was probably a 7 or 8 thousand dollar changeout.

JohnJ0906

· #6 · Jun 13, 2007

Marc, what size wire is that feeding the furnace?

MDShunk

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 13, 2007 (Edited)

JohnJ0906 said:
Marc, what size wire is that feeding the furnace?

#6 NM cable. Yeah, I know where you're headed... cable only rated for 55 amps. I pick my battles, because every single inspector in my area will buy this. Use the 1.08 temp correction multiplier, and you get 59.4 amps.

GregS

· #8 · Jun 14, 2007

MDShunk said:
I know exactly who. I know both the company's name and the technician's first name.

So what do you do in a case like this? Do you call them up and raise hell?

knothole

· #9 · Jun 14, 2007

GregS said:
So what do you do in a case like this? Do you call them up and raise hell?

or do you notify the inspector or do you go nah, nah, nah every time you see them. We usually just bring it up when others are around, just to let them know that we know. :no:

Speedy Petey

· #10 · Jun 14, 2007

This stuff burns me up!
I myself would let someone know that this is not acceptable. NO ONE should be allowed to get away with that kind of work!

Reactions: 1

Meadow

· #11 · Mar 19, 2014

Man that's one hack job. Some people do indeed have no shame. I hope this isn't on a new home.

Pete m.

· #12 · Mar 19, 2014

meadow said:
I hope this isn't on a new home.

I'm gonna guess that this home is almost 7 years old... just like this thread.:whistling2::laughing:

Pete

Reactions: 5

ibuzzard

· #13 · Mar 20, 2014

Who can dredge up the oldest thread, without an ounce of shame or embarrassment? This is the oldest one I have seen to date.

Reactions: 1

MTW

· #14 · Mar 20, 2014

ibuzzard said:
Who can dredge up the oldest thread, without an ounce of shame or embarrassment? This is the oldest one I have seen to date.

:laughing::thumbup:

MTW

· #15 · Mar 20, 2014

MDShunk said:
This is a brand spanking new top of the line Trane heat pump install. The electric furnace is seved by a 60 amp, 240 volt cable. I noticed the installer had a quad receptacle bolted on the side of the furnace for the 110 volt condensate pump, Aprilaire humidifier, and the UV light. I was curious how they were getting 110. I opened it up, and this is what I found inside. They had the hot and neutral of a #14 romes tapped onto the 60 amp cable's ground wire, and the hot tapped under with one of the 60 amp hots. Nice. 60 amp fused receptacles now. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

A "110" outlet? Are you even an electrician? :001_huh:

jbfan

· #16 · Mar 20, 2014

ibuzzard said:
Who can dredge up the oldest thread, without an ounce of shame or embarrassment? This is the oldest one I have seen to date.

This may have been one of the first ones on the site!:laughing:

Safari

· #17 · Mar 20, 2014

Pete m. said:
I'm gonna guess that this home is almost 7 years old... just like this thread.:whistling2::laughing:

Pete

pete that was so observant of you.so how. did you realise? you were actually the first person to raise a flag

Sent from my HUAWEI Y210-0100 using Tapatalk 2

Meadow

· #18 · Mar 20, 2014

Pete m. said:
I'm gonna guess that this home is almost 7 years old... just like this thread.:whistling2::laughing:

Pete

It came up in a search, but still Shouldve looked at the date more closely.

I commented without thinking when I saw it.

ibuzzard said:
Who can dredge up the oldest thread, without an ounce of shame or embarrassment? This is the oldest one I have seen to date.

See above. One the bright side its still worth seeing for those who missed it.

Safari

· #19 · Mar 20, 2014

meadow said:
It came up in a search, but still Shouldve looked at the date more closely.

I commented without thinking when I saw it.

See above. One the bright side its still worth seeing for those who missed it.

yes saw the date 2007!
seriously why should someone do this? is it a mock or something?

Sent from my HUAWEI Y210-0100 using Tapatalk 2

Pete m.

· #20 · Mar 20, 2014

nickson said:
yes saw the date 2007!
seriously why should someone do this? is it a mock or something?

Sent from my HUAWEI Y210-0100 using Tapatalk 2

Unfortunately, this install is real. There are many hacks in this world... some better than others.

Pete

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