Look what I found!!

[nhfire77]

So I was doing a little bit of clean up on what previous owner called electrical work in my house and found this: (see pic)

I pigtailed in a new receptacle. I have read all the stories about back wiring and had to redo 95% of the oulets in my house

I assume this configuration would not be to code?

It was the line fed onto the screw terminal (messy). and two separate loads on the backwiring (two different receptacles, also back wired and loose!!)

The ground, as with every ground the last guy did, the longest wire in the bunch that was "twisted" together would hit the ground on the receptacle. Again, I replaced this with a pigtail to the receptacle and a wire nut.

(disclaimer: I am a Licensed LV guy and not trying to solicite help as a homeowner, I just enjoy the forums here)

 

[jeremysterling]

Pigtailing is the smart way to avoid future problems. That said, there is nothing I can see that is legally wrong with the previous owner's install.

 

[byourdesky]

Not exactly sure if it is legal or not but the wire under the screw is not looped and looks like it could be problematic in the near future

 

[William1978]

Thank God I was able to wire my own house!!!! If I found that I my house I couldn't sleep until I fixed every box.

 

[steelersman]

No big deal. Just wrap the wire around the screw and it'll be fine.

 

[nhfire77]

I also have this!

I also have this!

I have corrected this situation in the picture, I found it so Hack looking that I posted it.

Yea, I opened every box and found a lot of surprises. I had bx going to outlets that were "grounded". The bx was just sitting in the hole where the clamp was supposed to be.

I also had an 8/3 SE cable fed from the MDP into 1" EMT underground (set screws underground, that will work right? ) to a subpanel in the garage. The sub panel is fed by 3 6 AWG conductors coming out of what appears to be some kind of plastic tube. Its not conduit, its some plastic tube.

So there is a junction between the EMT and the garage.

​

Its so scary it scary.

The Sub panel is so rusted its also scary.

 

[wirenut2008]

I dont see anything wrong with this install except the wire not being looped. I have seen this alot in older homes when remodeling.

 

[480sparky]

Just my poor eyesight here, but it looks like the backstabs are 14, and the two under the screws are 12. If it's on a 15a breaker, fine.... But I would check to make sure someone didn't put a 20 on it and the 14s are too small.

 

[grich]

My house was built in '77. Nearly every outlet in the house was wired like the picture, except the grounds were wirenutted and pigtailed, and the screw terminations were neater. All 12-gauge wire, so any replacements have to be pigtailed, and since the missus has asked for all ivory devices to be replaced with white, I've been having a lot of fun.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Perhaps I'm mistaken but I thought I read or heard in a continuing ed class.
That in the 96 NEC it became not code compliant to have three neutrals on an outlet like the OP's picture.

I pig tail them if it's three wires.

 

[JohnJ0906]

Perhaps I'm mistaken but I thought I read or heard in a continuing ed class.
That in the 96 NEC it became not code compliant to have three neutrals on an outlet like the OP's picture.

I pig tail them if it's three wires.

The only place that is mentioned is 300.13(B), and it only refers to MWBCs.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If those wires are 12 gauge I bet there is another violation- box fill. I have not seen any retro boxes that could accommodate 3- 12/2 cables with a device.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

It may be a violation of the listing. The following is from the UL Guide Information for receptacles (RTRT).

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

 

[JohnJ0906]

It may be a violation of the listing. The following is from the UL Guide Information for receptacles (RTRT).
[/list]

Side wire (binding screw) terminal with its associated back wire (screw actuated clamp type) terminal

That doesn't look like a clamp terminal.

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

I think the bold applies here.

 

[brian john]

Originally Posted by Buck Parrish
Perhaps I'm mistaken but I thought I read or heard in a continuing ed class.
That in the 96 NEC it became not code compliant to have three neutrals on an outlet like the OP's picture.

That is the problem with SOME code classes, the beliefs of the instructor are placed forth and stated as code. I have seen this several times and have argued theses points in class, to the point where I was closed to being removed after 4 such comments by the instructor and my rebuttal (I was polite but asked WHERE, HOW, WHY and there was not substantiation by the instructor).

I find it is best to take notes in these classes and then check in the NEC referenced for the class, rather than just assuming the inspector is the expert. Many AREN'T.

 

[nhfire77]

details

details

It was not a clamp terminal, its a 15A CB the line is 12 ga. the loads are 14 ga. It is a 20 cu. in. box. This circuit is outlets and one wall lamp. I have been checking for proper sizing as I go, so far so good.

 

[Buck Parrish]

That is the problem with SOME code classes, the beliefs of the instructor are placed forth and stated as code. I have seen this several times and have argued theses points in class, to the point where I was closed to being removed after 4 such comments by the instructor and my rebuttal (I was polite but asked WHERE, HOW, WHY and there was not substantiation by the instructor).

We must have had the same credit hr instructor.:smile:

 

[don_resqcapt19]

That doesn't look like a clamp terminal.


I think the bold applies here.

John,
Yes, you are correct.