Neutral Bus in Separate J-Box

[Mike Lamb]

The neutral conductors for these service panels are being connected in a separate junction box. This looks wrong but with my limited electrical expertise, I am not sure how to write it up. What harm is it doing?

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[Marc]

No significant consequences but I'd write it up anyway, goes to the workmanship of the electrician. Conductors of a single circuit should all terminate within the same enclosure or box. The motivation for that comes from the magnetic fields that would be generated otherwise. Magnetic fields in the presence of conductors generates currents in those conductors that manifest as heat. Sometimes referred to as inductive heating.

Marc

[Carson2006]

Agreed, workmanship isn't the best; but I've seen a lot worse. However, workmanship is a very subjective issue and IMHO isn't a problem here. Why put a showroom paint job on a 1975 farm truck!

Inductive heating would not be an issue here. The conductors are not large current-drawing, paralleled conductors.

Conductors of the same circuit must be contained in the same raceway, gutter, cable tray, etc. Terminations are ok. The splice box is ok. Conductors seemingly are in the same conduit. Can't see anything wrong with the terminations as such; not that I remember at the moment anyway.

Basically the only issue I see is the "for rent" sign hanging on the splice box for mice, insects or any other critter looking for a new home. (The un-used open knock-outs) They need a plug to cover em up.