Is it code to pigtail devices?

[fmdell]

Two thoughts

Two thoughts

Depending on the box in question, you have to be concerned about volume of the box when ramming a lot of pigtails in there - particularly in older residential situations. Also, I know there are some devices - particularly receptacles - that are UL listed for the mounting means to be an adequate ground. But I wonder if that is for redundancy or if it is actually meant to be a substitute for pigtailing the ground?

 

[kwired]

Depending on the box in question, you have to be concerned about volume of the box when ramming a lot of pigtails in there - particularly in older residential situations. Also, I know there are some devices - particularly receptacles - that are UL listed for the mounting means to be an adequate ground. But I wonder if that is for redundancy or if it is actually meant to be a substitute for pigtailing the ground?

It is intended to be a substitute for pigtailing the ground. Nothing stopping you from adding a pigtail if you want redundancy though.

 

[infinity]

My reading is that this requires pigtailing. You must be able to remove the device without interrupting the grounding continuity. The wording is very similar to 300.13(B) on continuity of the grounded conductor in multwire branch circuits.

Cheers, Wayne

I agree also, the EGC must be pigtailed even in an in and out two wire circuit. There's only one ground screw on the device for the connection of one conductor.

 

[hurk27]

I have found the problem with a heavy load like a heater isn't your connection at a screw terminal but rather the contact pressure between the cord cap and the receptacle is weak and that will still sink heat into your screw terminal and supply conductor.

I agree when you have old warn out receptacles or cord plugs, but I have found burnt screws with new installs and the cord plug or the receptacle contacts intact with no heat damage at all, some receptacles have better pressure plate terminals but even these offer very little contact between the solid wire and the plate because the wire is put under the plate straight and not wrapped around under it, most today have the combo slotted and Philip's screw heads which can cam out before getting as tight as they should be, I have run into some that will even strip out the threads before they are tight enough, but you get what you pay for.

The only reason I found this was in an old house where the service had fuses, 4 to be exact, and the home owner had two older 1675 watt portable heaters plugged in to one receptacle, in a room that had no heat vents to it, I was there to fix something else and notice that the plug wasn't even warm, I asked him if I could look at it and when I pulled out the receptacle I saw that each wire was wrapped around both screws on each side of the receptacle, the pigtail was soldered and taped, it was old tined copper rubber coated cloth covered wiring, and all fuses were 30 amps, I told him he was living in a time bomb but he said it's been like that for over 30 years, so I replaced the bad switch I was there for and left, after that I had seen it a few more times and notice that I never seen a burnt receptacle when I saw them, so I started doing it that way when I knew the home owner was going to use a portable heater, never had a call back from it again.

 

[hurk27]

Depending on the box in question, you have to be concerned about volume of the box when ramming a lot of pigtails in there - particularly in older residential situations. Also, I know there are some devices - particularly receptacles - that are UL listed for the mounting means to be an adequate ground. But I wonder if that is for redundancy or if it is actually meant to be a substitute for pigtailing the ground?

314.16(B)(1) does not require you to count any conductor that originates in a box and doesn't leave the box, so pigtail away.

314.16(B)(1) Conductor Fill. Each conductor that originates outside
the box and terminates or is spliced within the box shall be
counted once, and each conductor that passes through the
box without splice or termination shall be counted once.
Each loop or coil of unbroken conductor not less than twice
the minimum length required for free conductors in 300.14
shall be counted twice. The conductor fill shall be calculated
using Table 314.16(B). A conductor, no part of which leaves
the box, shall not be counted.

Exception: An equipment grounding conductor or conductors
or not over four fixture wires smaller than 14 AWG, or
both, shall be permitted to be omitted from the calculations
where they enter a box from a domed luminaire or similar
canopy and terminate within that box.

 

[kwired]

314.16(B)(1) does not require you to count any conductor that originates in a box and doesn't leave the box, so pigtail away.

No it doesn't, but they still take up space. 25 foot pigtails that don't leave the box don't have to be counted at all but would be pretty difficult to jam into the box