AFCI wire length

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codetalker

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Typical residential panels have a neutral terminal bus on one side and ground on the other. Afci breakers want the pigtail to connect to the neutral bus. With the current pigtail wire lengths all the afci's want to go on one side of the panel. This doesn't seem to be the most logical approach to have a balanced panel. Question; why don't they require the piggies to be long enough to perform their function anywhere in the panel? Thanks.
 
I guess I should add the two panel configs. Bonded or not.

If bonded; is there a chance the afci will work better on the neutral side of the bond?

If sub panel (no bond); pigtail length insufficient to be installed in some locations.

I understand that it is legal to extend the pigtail but this doesn't seem like a long term solution.
 
codetalker said:
I guess I should add the two panel configs. Bonded or not.

If bonded; is there a chance the afci will work better on the neutral side of the bond?

If sub panel (no bond); pigtail length insufficient to be installed in some locations.

I understand that it is legal to extend the pigtail but this doesn't seem like a long term solution.
Click to expand...

An AFCI is not going to work any better or worse if you splice a small length of conductor onto the pigtail.
 
I guess the pigtails are long enough in most cases. I have some other questions but I think i'll put them in the "General section". Thanks
 
codetalker said:
Typical residential panels have a neutral terminal bus on one side and ground on the other. Afci breakers want the pigtail to connect to the neutral bus. With the current pigtail wire lengths all the afci's want to go on one side of the panel. This doesn't seem to be the most logical approach to have a balanced panel. Question; why don't they require the piggies to be long enough to perform their function anywhere in the panel? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Actually, a lot of panels start out with the neutral bar on both sides connected with a jumper.

Most tend to remove the jumper and use one side for the EGC.

I do the same, although, if one were to get a ground bar for the panel instead of using this easy method of removing the jumper, the neutral would be on both sides and your pigtail would reach without splicing.

JAP>
 
codetalker said:
Typical residential panels have a neutral terminal bus on one side and ground on the other. Afci breakers want the pigtail to connect to the neutral bus. With the current pigtail wire lengths all the afci's want to go on one side of the panel. This doesn't seem to be the most logical approach to have a balanced panel. Question; why don't they require the piggies to be long enough to perform their function anywhere in the panel? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess that's why plug-on neutral panels/breakers were invented to help alleviate these annoyances.
 
texie said:
Well, I guess that's why plug-on neutral panels/breakers were invented to help alleviate these annoyances.
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He would actually be in worse shape yet if he used plug on breakers where the neutral jumper was removed from one side to the other.

If this were the case He'd only be able to install the plug on style breakers on one side of the panel.

JAP>
 
Only true way to avoid the annoyance would be to leave the neutral bars alone on both sides of the panel and use an equipment ground bar bolted to the can where needed.

JAP>
 
As stated above, the stabs alternate phases, so 2-pole breakers hit both phases regardless of positioning. I would think any experienced electrician already knows this.

As a general rule, I prefer placing all of the 2-pole breakers on one side of a panel, and the 1-poles on the other, with the cables entering the panels with that arrangement in mind. This allows for most of the neutrals to be on the neutral-bus side of the enclosure, and to avoid the larger breakers sharing the same stabs.
 
LarryFine said:
As a general rule, I prefer placing all of the 2-pole breakers on one side of a panel, and the 1-poles on the other, with the cables entering the panels with that arrangement in mind. This allows for most of the neutrals to be on the neutral-bus side of the enclosure, and to avoid the larger breakers sharing the same stabs.
Click to expand...

That is a very good tip.

JAP>
 
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