pigtailing

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brent1

Member
By code- When do you have to pigtail wires before terminating them to a receptacle? Where in the 2005 NEC book can I find this?
 

S'mise

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Pigtailing

Pigtailing

You have to pigtail grounded (neutral) conductors when you are using a multi-wire circuit. The reason being, if someone was to seperate the neutrals the downstream outlets would go from 120V to 220V because the neutral was interupted. Someone could remove a receptacle without realizing the implication of the rest of the circuit. See 300.13 (B)2005 NEC
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
S'mise said:
You have to pigtail grounded (neutral) conductors when you are using a multi-wire circuit. The reason being, if someone was to seperate the neutrals the downstream outlets would go from 120V to 220V because the neutral was interupted. Someone could remove a receptacle without realizing the implication of the rest of the circuit. See 300.13 (B)2005 NEC


Actually the voltage might not change at all if the loads on the MWBC's are balanced. But you are correct that unbalanced loads could cause the voltage to be anywhere from 120 to 240 volts depending on the system.
 

brent1

Member
I do apologize for not being more specific- I am asking about all of the conductors. Black and White included. Apparently, you cant rely on the piece between the two screws to continue the circuit? Special occupancy or hazardous location possibly?
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
300.13(B) is a requirement for the 'white wire' to be pigtailed in some installations.

There is no NEC requirement to ever pigtail the blacks.
 

JohnE

Senior Member
Location
Milford, MA
On a semi-related thought: Is it allowable (say in a dwelling where you are more likely to have #14 ga wire) to use bothe the backstab terminals and the screw terminals? Say for 3 14/2's in a box. It's done all the time. I believe manufacturer's instructions prohibit this, but I need to check. I thought someone might have a quick answer.
 

jwelectric

Senior Member
Location
North Carolina
j_erickson said:
On a semi-related thought: Is it allowable (say in a dwelling where you are more likely to have #14 ga wire) to use bothe the backstab terminals and the screw terminals? Say for 3 14/2's in a box. It's done all the time. I believe manufacturer's instructions prohibit this, but I need to check. I thought someone might have a quick answer.

It's done all the time and save space when installing the device.

Personally I would fire a man for wasting time twisting a wire nut on where it is not needed.
Who does he think is paying for the wire nut and his labor to do all this needless work?
I had better not see him using the screw unless there is at least three or more cables in that box either. He ain't got time to be twisting things like wire nuts and screws while on my payroll.

If it take one minute more to do all this needless work and there are 60 or more devices in the house then I have paid him for an hour that he could have been washing the van or polishing my boots or something constructive.

Until it is mandated in the book I will use the screws and the stab-locs and save that money spent on wire nuts for something important like a subscription to the Soap Operas Digest.

UL allows this so I think it is okay and I hope that my renting and raving above caused at least one of you to grin just a little.
 

iwire

Moderator
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Location
Massachusetts
UL simply says they have not tested the use of back stabs and screw terminals together.

This also applies to pressure plate type and their screws
 

sandsnow

Senior Member
iwire said:
UL simply says they have not tested the use of back stabs and screw terminals together.

This also applies to pressure plate type and their screws

The way I read this you can use back stab and screws together:

Single and duplex receptacles rated 15 and 20 A that are provided with more than one set of terminals for the connection of line and neutral conductors have been investigated to feed branch circuit conductors connected to other outlets on a multi-outlet branch circuit, as follows:

Back wire (screw actuated clamp type) terminations with multiple wire access holes used concurrently to terminate more than one conductor
Side wire (binding screw) terminals used concurrently with their respective push-in (screwless) terminations to terminate more than one conductor

This where you cannot use clamp type with the screws at the same time:

Single and duplex receptacles rated 15 and 20 A that are provided with more than one set of terminals for the connection of line and neutral conductors have not been investigated to feed branch circuit conductors connected to other outlets on a multi-outlet branch circuit, as follows:

Side wire (binding screw) terminal with its associated back wire (screw actuated clamp type) terminal
Multiple conductors under a single binding screw
Multiple conductors in a single back wire hole

The entire guide info can be found here:
http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/...n=versionless&parent_id=1073992975&sequence=1
 

brent1

Member
T baker- Yes i understand the reasoning in the code. As far as the neutrals being terminated in a panel under one screw, I believe the manufactures specs and safety are the reasons for that. At work yesterday I was asked when the code requires you to pigtail all conductors in a receptacle outlet. I believe the answer is as simple as - when you have three pairs of wires in a box and only two screws to terminate them to. But I cant find anything in the book to verify this for me. Im new to this forum and look forward to all the knowledge and view points that everyone has to share.
 

sandsnow

Senior Member
brent1 said:
T baker- Yes i understand the reasoning in the code. As far as the neutrals being terminated in a panel under one screw, I believe the manufactures specs and safety are the reasons for that. At work yesterday I was asked when the code requires you to pigtail all conductors in a receptacle outlet. I believe the answer is as simple as - when you have three pairs of wires in a box and only two screws to terminate them to. But I cant find anything in the book to verify this for me. Im new to this forum and look forward to all the knowledge and view points that everyone has to share.

With three pairs and two screws, you have two choices:

One pair on the first screw, pigtail the other two pairs to the second screw
or
Pigtail all pairs to one of the screws

It comes down to company policy or personal preference.

The Code section you're looking for is 110.3(B) which is about listed equipment shall be used according to instructions included in the listing or labeling. Which would take you to the UL guide info I posted above.

If the box had three pairs of #14's and you had a recep. with two back stab and two screws, no pigtailing would be required.
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
wireman3736 said:
Just another two cent opinion on the push ins, I've made too many service calls on failed push ins over the years, I'll stick with the binding screws,

I agree, I thank all that do use the back-stab method, makes for some easy money... I've pulled receptacles out of the wall and have had the wires come right out... what kind of garbage is that? Now imagine a heavy load down stream of a few more receptacles installed with this method....
 
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