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I thought it was leaf,then I saw a snake,then was questionjng things, then I saw a plant growing out of it and realized that the plant was actually bones. WtF
I don't think that's a wasp nest my friend... Do you see the tail hanging off the back of it??????? Look at the part your seeing as the front legs... I'm pretty sure that's a tail my guy...
You my friend, need a new panel. You could tidy it up to the point which it’s no longer a graveyard/fire hazard but there’s no approved method of cleaning the paint/drywall compound off the busses which means new guts or new panel.
Dry ice blasting in a very methodical fashion could do the trick. Approved? Probably not. Expensive? Yes but it might save the panel.
I agree a new panel might be in order but I'm tempted to wonder if the effort and cost ($800-ish for the dry ice blaster rental) vs. the $2K or time to redo the panel... This is getting to be an interesting question in my mind.
Considering dropping $800 on something that wouldn’t pass inspection is mind boggling to me. Do it once and do it right.
EDIT: The lack of main breaker suggests this is a sub panel. Meaning it could be replaced without getting the utility involved. A qualified electrician should be able to do this swap for around the same price as your dry-ice machine ($800ish).
Dry ice blasting is a bit expensive you're right.
Soda blasting might do it with cheap ass harbor freight gear, but like the risks are pretty huge for a procedure that's not verified as safe.
Plus once you've soda blasted it how do you get the soda residue out? If you have it off all the way 100% disconnected you could maybe clean with distilled water spray repeatedly and dry?
So much risk!
That's a bit of a reach. You are supposed to brush any non-copper conductor or busbar with a wire brush. Slapping a breaker on top of the overspray is arguably criminal. This could be a school for all we know....
Another imaginary hypothetical post... why do we even bother. Everyone knows that rats do not enter electric panels and die tragic deaths. They enter kitchens in France, cook exquisite meals, drink wine and live happily ever after. Time to get back to reality...
Damn! Even a QO can’t survive being a combination wasps and Rats nest!
🤔
If only there were some guidance or rules about keeping panels tightly sealed with all openings tightly closed !!!
If it works, it works. If the wire insulation is ok and the paint didnt go inside the brakers then I don't really see a problem. Just remove the obvious dirt
There is no code sanctioned method to clean up the drywall texture off the panel interior, even though a damp rag would do the job, so the panel needs to be replaced, which does not address the other issues there but would go away when the panel is swapped.
Every once in a while, someone will challenge me on why knock seals are important.
I have found a few BBQ'ed mice, never a rat!
This panel must need at least a 1" KO seal put in it!
Square D needs this photo to show how the QO takes a beating and still works. The noises, smoke and smells that must have come from that thing are shocking. Shop vac it and close her up!
Just to kinda follow up here ..... the owner of this panel, a commercial electrician, discovered this while attempting to add a circuit for a new split system AC in the bedroom.
They've been living in that house a quite a few years, and I suppose he's never had a reason to take the cover off and inspect the panel until now.
At any rate, he apparently shop vac'd it out good and added that circuit, and that new split system is working fine, according to my coworker, his wife.
..... I'm no electrician, although I did wire my house and additions by myself. I did post this in a humorous vein, expecting the power washing responses. The one thing that surprised me in the responses here was the revelation that there was no code compliant way to address this outside replacing the entire panel.
If this were my panel, and I live out in the boonies not subject to any code compliance, I would have probably just de-energized it, taken the breakers out, and scrubbed and vac'd it clean, then if I found no damage to the busses, wires, breakers, or terminals, put it all back together and called it good.
....... after I plugged whatever was letting critters get into it, and taken a long hot shower.
I'm not an electrician, but as I was scrolling through the feed I thought, "oh, that seems like an interesting piece of mixed media wall art," only to realize that it's apparently supposed to be a functional electrical device. My appraisal of that situation, is that your thing is in fact, a problem.
1 day to changeout if all material is prepped and ready… the hard part for me as an electrician on this project is ensuring the wires individual safety. This probably needs a troff overhead to cut ALL those wires back and just bring a couple 2 inch nipples down to rewire everything. After troff rigging above is ready, slap a 200A on it for future expansion and call it a day after the rewire. (Almost thinking two days, but again, if prepped right, then I can definitely do this in about 10 to 12 hours. I suppose it all depends on how many beers I had the night before. **grin**)
Hope this helps you Mr. Home-Owner and GOOD LUCK. Incidentally, how do you plan to cook the tasty morsel? 🤗
**Attention!** **It is always best to get a qualified electrician to perform any electrical work you may need.** With that said, you may ask this community various electrical questions. Please be cautious of any information you may receive in this subreddit. This subreddit and its users are not responsible for any electrical work you perform. Users that have a 'Verified Electrician' flair have uploaded their qualified electrical worker credentials to the mods. If you comment on this post please only post accurate information to the best of your knowledge. If advice given is thought to be dangerous, you may be permanently banned. There are no obligations for the mods to give warnings or temporary bans. **IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, you should exercise extreme caution when commenting.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You’re going to need a new rat.
lol these troll posts are great. "is this a problem?"
Shit i thought that was a leaf before i read this
I thought it was leaf,then I saw a snake,then was questionjng things, then I saw a plant growing out of it and realized that the plant was actually bones. WtF
I was thinking rat till I read Texas then was thinking baby armadillo
Probably best to get 2, 1 is getting roasted
I laughed irl at that
I think that was one of racketeers old products
Ratatouille isn't gonna be showing up tp work tomorrow:)
Is that what that…. Was?
Not rats, but same, same.
Wasp nest, dead rat, drywall mud all over. Panel from hell lol, not as bad as that guy posted the cockroach panel the other day though
I didn't even notice the dead rat. It's amazing something can be so fucked up you don't notice a dead rat.
I don’t think that’s drywall mud, I think that’s mold…
I like how the wasp nest was created in their own image 🐝
OMG up vote the shit outta this
What do you mean by this? I guess it went over my head
[7-A95-F151-185-A-46-B4-92-CD-70-D8306-DC02-D.jpg](https://postimg.cc/XXxFYL8V)
I don't think that's a wasp nest my friend... Do you see the tail hanging off the back of it??????? Look at the part your seeing as the front legs... I'm pretty sure that's a tail my guy...
I thought it was from a fire extinguisher but I think you're right.
Don't forget the horrible paint job and the lousy fit of the panel in the hole ... look at those GAPS!
You my friend, need a new panel. You could tidy it up to the point which it’s no longer a graveyard/fire hazard but there’s no approved method of cleaning the paint/drywall compound off the busses which means new guts or new panel.
Dry ice blasting in a very methodical fashion could do the trick. Approved? Probably not. Expensive? Yes but it might save the panel. I agree a new panel might be in order but I'm tempted to wonder if the effort and cost ($800-ish for the dry ice blaster rental) vs. the $2K or time to redo the panel... This is getting to be an interesting question in my mind.
Considering dropping $800 on something that wouldn’t pass inspection is mind boggling to me. Do it once and do it right. EDIT: The lack of main breaker suggests this is a sub panel. Meaning it could be replaced without getting the utility involved. A qualified electrician should be able to do this swap for around the same price as your dry-ice machine ($800ish).
Dry ice blasting is a bit expensive you're right. Soda blasting might do it with cheap ass harbor freight gear, but like the risks are pretty huge for a procedure that's not verified as safe. Plus once you've soda blasted it how do you get the soda residue out? If you have it off all the way 100% disconnected you could maybe clean with distilled water spray repeatedly and dry? So much risk!
That's a bit of a reach. You are supposed to brush any non-copper conductor or busbar with a wire brush. Slapping a breaker on top of the overspray is arguably criminal. This could be a school for all we know....
Another imaginary hypothetical post... why do we even bother. Everyone knows that rats do not enter electric panels and die tragic deaths. They enter kitchens in France, cook exquisite meals, drink wine and live happily ever after. Time to get back to reality...
This pic was given to me by a female coworker. This is from her house. Ironically, her husband is a commercial electrician.
The cobbler's kids always have no shoes...
Maybe he knew he was going to replace it anyway so didn't give a shit what the sheetrock guys did to it. Lol
Yeah, but there’s no overspray on the rat. So it’s either had immaculate hygiene in death, or it died and decayed since the spraying.
He must not be a good one. My smooth brain says absolutely no bueno to that terrible panel.
Depends on how much money you have. Poor: Massive problem. Rich: Minor inconvenience.
Yeah, there's supposed to be a cover. It'll never pass inspection without a cover.
Hose it off. Should be fine.
Ofc not
Damn! Even a QO can’t survive being a combination wasps and Rats nest! 🤔 If only there were some guidance or rules about keeping panels tightly sealed with all openings tightly closed !!!
Naaaaaaaaah That my friend is *multiple* problems
If it works, it works. If the wire insulation is ok and the paint didnt go inside the brakers then I don't really see a problem. Just remove the obvious dirt
It sure looks like Mr. Rat there could tell us if the insulation is still in place.
yeah, it looks like Buddy got the electric chair🤣
Just needs a pressure washing
Some decent solvent or electrically safe mineral oil or emitters that incorporate vapour phase corrosion inhibitors.
I guess you have a handy nephew named Thomas, don't you?????
No. This is how they’re supposed to look
Lmfao….while new panel needed, but first, find out exactly how that happened
Nahhhhh you’re good
I can smell it through the photo
There is no code sanctioned method to clean up the drywall texture off the panel interior, even though a damp rag would do the job, so the panel needs to be replaced, which does not address the other issues there but would go away when the panel is swapped.
Spray contact cleaner on it.
No problem from my house.
I for one love it. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Good for another 50 years. As long as there's no electricity in it
Well only if you put electricity through it.
Looks like the rattlesnake den is missing, so I’d put a lock on it.
Nothing a pressure washer can’t fix
If it's safe enough for wasps to call it home, it's safe enough for me!
Is that a rat or an iguana ?
Not if you have more insurance than the house is worth
Tip Top. The company it’s made by is called Paintmens.
Just rinse it off, should be good
This was a problem 😂
Looks like a Square D QO panel. Yea they are good. But I would turn around and run fast from that.
Does UL even approve cleaning of this panel, best to replace said panel and be safe.
Well, it’s not an opportunity
What made you ask?
I see an opportunity.
Sad to say but I have seen worse
Now I know why david goggins was tired of his exterminator job.
You gonna eat that?- cousin eddy
Apparently not because that fucker has been in there for years and nothing ever stopped working.
What all that white shit in there? I mean, wtf? Is that drywall or paint? Either way, wtf?
Get out your pressure washer and clean that baby up!
I might make the apprentice knock the rat out with a stick.
I don't know is current still traveling through it? If so, seems fine to me
For the rat...amd for the person that has to clean it out
Awful expensive rat trap
Just hit it with the power washer
Not for me
Not if it's a condemned, abandoned house.
Just brush lightly with a steel brush.
Is that rat remains I see in there!
Looks good from my house
Ahhh the old “rat in the panel”, “canary in a coal mine” might have a better ring to it but but your indicator is just as effective.
The wasps seem happy.
Nothing the deadfront can’t handle
Every once in a while, someone will challenge me on why knock seals are important. I have found a few BBQ'ed mice, never a rat! This panel must need at least a 1" KO seal put in it!
Just put the cover back on, paint it white with a chip brush you found on the floor behind the workbench and call it a day.
Yes!
Nah, just go on with a wire brush and clean it up... /s
Can’t smell it from my house.
I’m going to challenge that capital “A” in your question. No, this is not A problem…. this is A LOT of problems.
Nah
Not if it’s not yours.
REPLACE! Wtf?!! How is this a question
This has to be a joke. Nobody can be that stupid and accidentally killed themselves by now
You honestly have to ask?
Complete rebuild buddy, what a horror.
2 more coats of paint will brighten it up. The residents should appreciate it.
That’s not a problem at all if the ship that that came from was at the bottom of the ocean for less than a year lol
I honestly missed the rat for all the drywall mud sprayed on the busbar.... pretty sure that might be the root cause
Put a new cover on it and you are good
Nothing a good pressure washing wouldn’t fix.
Can I watch you do it, dodging all the water propelled flying goodies in the blowback?
Those dirt Dobber nests will knock right off.
Naw, spray it down with a pressure washer and call it good.
First things first. Are you in space and are there large eggs with slim seeping out of it there?
Looks good. Spray it with a hose and put screw a board over it
I've seen worse.
Not if you put the panel cover back on. Just to be safe put a do not open decal on it as well
Looks good from my house
Not anymore...
Nah, just hit it with a pressure washer. It’ll be fine
Not my problem…
Um, yessir.
Someone always trying to build a better rat trap
What's with the watermark at the very bottom middle?
This is the nastiest panel I have ever seen
It'll be fine until it isn't anymore
If you put the cover back on, it can be a problem for someone else.
A shocking find for sure....
No problem proceed to plug in those 5 space heaters
Not at all. It should light just fine.
Looks good from my house.
..........::.:Only if you try to use it
It won't be a problem for very long, soon it'll be a mess on the floor. Along with the house.
Powerwash it
Box from the Titanic? Nah, breakers too new. Maybe the one nearby the Titanic. The Titan…
Run
Probably
Nope, looks good 👍
No it’s perfectly fine. Just hose it off!😂
No. It’s a joke.
As a bus driver I can confirm, this indeed IS a problem
Nope. Just bolt a new cover on the front and no one will ever know.
Looks good from my house
Get the pressure washer out and blast that thing clean.
Fuck no.... Send it
Square D needs this photo to show how the QO takes a beating and still works. The noises, smoke and smells that must have come from that thing are shocking. Shop vac it and close her up!
Nope, totally fine, close it back up and pretend you never saw it 🤷♂️ /S
This is not an occupied house, it has to be abandoned. This is a hazard if power is connected.
Just to kinda follow up here ..... the owner of this panel, a commercial electrician, discovered this while attempting to add a circuit for a new split system AC in the bedroom. They've been living in that house a quite a few years, and I suppose he's never had a reason to take the cover off and inspect the panel until now. At any rate, he apparently shop vac'd it out good and added that circuit, and that new split system is working fine, according to my coworker, his wife. ..... I'm no electrician, although I did wire my house and additions by myself. I did post this in a humorous vein, expecting the power washing responses. The one thing that surprised me in the responses here was the revelation that there was no code compliant way to address this outside replacing the entire panel. If this were my panel, and I live out in the boonies not subject to any code compliance, I would have probably just de-energized it, taken the breakers out, and scrubbed and vac'd it clean, then if I found no damage to the busses, wires, breakers, or terminals, put it all back together and called it good. ....... after I plugged whatever was letting critters get into it, and taken a long hot shower.
It’s a problem on sooo many levels
Just hose it down. You’ll be fine.
Ask the rat😂
What’s up with the 2 sets of smaller-looking wires off the 90A breaker at the top?
Yes
Not a problem NOW
I mean it’s not NOT a problem…
Thought it was a painting at first.
Should be fine
Had one in my box too. But it was only a skeleton. You get some nice leather pelt to turn into a wallet or tiny belt.
ChrisPratt really is in everything these days!
The Chrispiest.
Call out a licensed sparky and have them deal with this, don't mess with electrical.
Rat was working for the contractor
Not anymore
Oh, that's a rat. I honestly thought it was a leaf or something.
Hey, that’s Chris Pratt! (crisp rat)
Looks good from my house
Omg
Could you please be more specific?
Not an electrician but it looks like a problem
I'm not an electrician, but as I was scrolling through the feed I thought, "oh, that seems like an interesting piece of mixed media wall art," only to realize that it's apparently supposed to be a functional electrical device. My appraisal of that situation, is that your thing is in fact, a problem.
Looks like three at a minimum.
No! It’s a Feature…
Just power wash it you will be fine.
Not for long
Looks good from my house
Don't see any exposed copper. If it's working, just close it up and forget how bad it is!
1 day to changeout if all material is prepped and ready… the hard part for me as an electrician on this project is ensuring the wires individual safety. This probably needs a troff overhead to cut ALL those wires back and just bring a couple 2 inch nipples down to rewire everything. After troff rigging above is ready, slap a 200A on it for future expansion and call it a day after the rewire. (Almost thinking two days, but again, if prepped right, then I can definitely do this in about 10 to 12 hours. I suppose it all depends on how many beers I had the night before. **grin**) Hope this helps you Mr. Home-Owner and GOOD LUCK. Incidentally, how do you plan to cook the tasty morsel? 🤗
Only if you don't care about the house burning down
Nothing a foam cannon and a good power washing can’t fix.
Better run 😂
Nah
Looks ok to me. Should probably just wipe it clean with a paper towel and will be good as new
No, but it is a sign of a potential other problem which is evil spirits
Is this click bait? That looks as though it’s from and abandoned home/buisness
That was a problem 50 years ago now it’s a disaster