The white coiled wire attached to an AFCI

[Buck Parrish]

This little white wire that comes all coiled up on an afci breaker. This makes the panel look not so neat.

When I get ready to attach it to the neutral bar.

Is thier any reason NOT to cut this wire off so it will fit better?

 

[brantmacga]

I've never cut them off, but I don't know of any reason you can't.

I always installed those breakers over the neutral bar and the coil would tuck neatly under the breaker (sqd).

I like a neat panel, but that wire never really bothered me.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

This little white wire that comes all coiled up on an afci breaker. This makes the panel look not so neat.

When I get ready to attach it to the neutral bar.

Is thier any reason NOT to cut this wire off so it will fit better?

I hope not, because I've uncoiled, and straightened and trimmed plenty of them

 

[walkerj]

I always leave the coil and install the factory-stripped end.

I think it looks neat with the backdrop of straight wires

 

[cmreschke]

ive always used the full length of wire but never left the coil i have always put the breakers at either the top or bottom and terminated at the opposite end of the bar as the breaker is installed if that makes sense. ie breaker in space 39 and coil terminated where breaker 1 or 3 would be

 

[Dennis Alwon]

IMO, if you were not allowed to cut it there would be a tag on the white wire saying so.

 

[goldstar]

FYI, Cutler Hammer makes a breaker panel where the AFCI breakers clip right onto the neutral bar and you wouldn't need the white coiled wire. Be advised that this is a special order breaker panel.

 

[iaov]

Why do they coil that white anyways?? I just uncoil, clip, strip and attach.

 

[480sparky]

Why do they coil that white anyways?? I just uncoil, clip, strip and attach.

For packaging/shipping reasons.

If cutting them was going to cause a problem, then we've have all sorts of posts & threads about some mysterious cause of nuisance tripping.

 

[macmikeman]

I thought they coiled the white wire because the same exact assembly line and parts list that makes the gfi breakers is used to make the ark-fault ones. Its the label printing section of the factory that differs for the both types........:roll:

 

[ty]

The manufacturer doesn't know where on the bussbar the installer will be placing the breaker.
So, they provide a long enough tail to reach the neutral bar.
They coil it to make it smaller packaging.

When I see a GFCI or AFCI breaker installed with the neutral coiled up and never trimed to fit, I can't help but think that it looks, well, amateuristic

 

[wizzzard11]

Why not to cut the coiled wire on a breaker.

Why not to cut the coiled wire on a breaker.

The white coiled wire on any breaker is made that way so you can uncoil it to reach to the propper location in the panel that it will be terminated, other then that the only reason you wouldn't cut the wire is because if the breaker doesn't outlast the warrenty then by cutting the wire may give them a reason not to take it back.

 

[wizzzard11]

I try to locate the breaker far away from where the white wire will be terminated on the nuetral bar so when I uncoil the wire it doesn't have to be cut and it can be neat at the same time.

 

[LarryFine]

I install the breaker where I want it, uncoil the wire, and trim it if needed.

 

[gra electric]

I don't spend much time thinking about it Too busy running a business.

 

[Rewire]

Way to much monkey see monkey do in this trade its good to ask these questions as it helps us become better teachers.

 

[Split Bolt]

I usually stick my screwdriver in the coil, hold the wire where it comes out of the breaker and pull. If the neutral bar terminal I use is very near the breaker, I will leave the coil in the middle somewhere. After all, you never know what will happen in the future and you may be there re-arranging breakers someday!

 

[Buck Parrish]

Cool , thanks for the replies.

 

[ty]

Wire nut and tail at that point. Rarely is that ever needed.

 

[brantmacga]

When I see a GFCI or AFCI breaker installed with the neutral coiled up and never trimed to fit, I can't help but think that it looks, well, amateuristic

That's the same thing I thought when I read your post.