CEI Inspection Techniques & Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When inspecting a service entrance, which condition would require the inspector to flag the installation as deficient?
- Service conductors entering through a weatherhead with drip loops
- Unprotected service entrance cable where it passes through the soffit (Correct answer)
- Service conductors sized at 150% of the calculated load
- A meter socket installed at 5.5 feet above grade
Correct answer: Unprotected service entrance cable where it passes through the soffit
Service entrance cable must be protected where it passes through building structural components like soffits; unprotected cable is a NEC violation.
Question 2: During a rough-in inspection of a residential bathroom, which finding is a code violation?
- A GFCI-protected receptacle installed 24 inches from the sink basin
- A non-GFCI receptacle installed on the wall outside the bathroom door
- A receptacle outlet installed within 3 feet of the bathtub edge (Correct answer)
- A single 20-amp circuit serving only bathroom receptacles
Correct answer: A receptacle outlet installed within 3 feet of the bathtub edge
NEC 406.9(B) prohibits receptacles within 3 feet of a bathtub or shower unless they are GFCI protected and installed on a wall surface not facing the tub.
Question 3: An inspector observes that wire connectors (wire nuts) have been used to splice conductors inside a wall cavity with no junction box. The correct action is to:
- Accept it if the conductors are rated for the voltage involved
- Require a listed junction box with a cover plate to be installed (Correct answer)
- Accept it if the splice is wrapped with electrical tape
- Require the splice to be soldered and taped
Correct answer: Require a listed junction box with a cover plate to be installed
NEC 300.15 requires all splices to be made in listed boxes or conduit bodies; open-wall splices are prohibited regardless of insulation.
Question 4: When conducting a final inspection on a commercial occupancy, what does the inspector verify regarding equipment grounding conductors in conduit systems?
- That green-insulated conductors are used only for grounding
- That the conduit itself is sufficient and no EGC is needed when metal conduit is used
- That EGC size matches the circuit's overcurrent device per NEC Table 250.122 (Correct answer)
- That EGCs are connected only at the panelboard, not at utilization equipment
Correct answer: That EGC size matches the circuit's overcurrent device per NEC Table 250.122
NEC Table 250.122 specifies minimum EGC sizes based on the rating of the circuit's overcurrent protective device.
Question 5: Which inspection method is most appropriate for verifying conductor insulation integrity in an existing installation?
- Visual inspection of exposed conductors only
- Megohmmeter (insulation resistance) testing (Correct answer)
- Clamp-on ammeter load measurement
- Infrared thermography of the panel only
Correct answer: Megohmmeter (insulation resistance) testing
A megohmmeter measures insulation resistance in megohms and can detect degraded insulation that is not visible to the naked eye.
Question 6: During an inspection, an inspector finds that a 240-volt, 2-pole breaker feeds a circuit with conductors that are both black. What is the correct assessment?
- This is acceptable since both hots of a 240V circuit are ungrounded conductors (Correct answer)
- One conductor must be re-identified with white or gray tape to indicate a neutral
- Both conductors must be replaced with one black and one red wire
- This is only acceptable if the circuit is a dedicated appliance circuit
Correct answer: This is acceptable since both hots of a 240V circuit are ungrounded conductors
For a 240-volt 2-wire circuit with no neutral, both conductors are ungrounded (hot) conductors and may both be black per NEC 200.6.
Question 7: What is the inspector's primary concern when checking a panelboard for 'double-tapping'?
- That the panel cover has been properly reinstalled
- That multiple conductors are connected to a single breaker terminal not rated for it (Correct answer)
- That breakers are in the correct voltage rating column
- That the panel has a main breaker sized at 100% of bus capacity
Correct answer: That multiple conductors are connected to a single breaker terminal not rated for it
Double-tapping occurs when multiple conductors are landed on a single breaker terminal not listed for multiple conductors, creating loose connections and potential arcing.
CEI Inspection Techniques & Procedures 2
When inspecting a service entrance, which condition would require the inspector to flag the installation as deficient?