A plug, so simple but…                                       Wenatchee and Chelan House Inspections

I should start with a little melody from “The Who”… “Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals. I get my back into my living. I don't need to fight to prove I'm right, I don't need to be forgiven.”

Here we have an example of some exterior wiring that I find on a fairly frequent basis.

Homeowner needs power to an outbuilding, yard lights, yard receptacles or ponds etc...  So you have some skills and basic understanding on how to get power from point A to point B.

But true understanding and knowing the rules is a bit of a different beast.  We cannot use flexible cord as cabling and we cannot use cabling as flexible cord. Knowing the difference is the key here.

The example is UF cable. It is designed to be used in wet locations and can be direct buried.

Here is the nuance.  Where it leave the ground needs to be protected ( like in conduit). It also is not designed to be used with a plug. That is for flexible cords.

Also direct-buried conductors should be properly buried to 18 to 24 in., depending on code cycle.

                                                              (Per 2008 NEC)

But hold on there partner, as always there is an exception!  For residential branch circuits rated 120 volts or less with GFCI protection and maximum breaker (overcurrent) protection of 20 Amps you can now reduce the burial depth to 12 inches.  See it is really very clear.

Again before the wires leave the ground it must be protected up to 8 feet. Well as you can see here that cannot be achieved.

So in essence this is wrong and there is a potential for wire damage.  It can be a fairly easy fix but shows a professional has not been here.
 

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                               509-670-9572