Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
spencer_electrician

Recipe for disaster...

Got called to a brand new building which is being used as a doctor's office. After they had a store deliver 3 dryers, each one returned as defective, they realized maybe something electrically was wrong. Upon opening the box, I see that some idiot used 10/2 MC cable using the green for neutral. I measured no voltage to green so traced to a junction box. Above the ceiling tile and no cover plate installed, I see the box with 2 #10 green wires hanging out, unconnected. One heading to the dryer and one to a medical machine. Scary part is, the doctor said the last dryer worked. Must of been using the dryer vent as neutral or the heating element was balancing the load enough for the timing mechanism to work. The green wire was not bonded to the the junction box so it would not be possible for it to use the MC cable sheath. Let alone to use a 3-wire connection on a dryer receptacle installed in 2009 but to use a 2-wire! Big company did the work too, I'm sure it's their standard to use 10/2. Maybe they usually at least finish making up their junction boxes.

Comments (2)