Breaker panel

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David84642

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Is it legal (within code) to have wiring spliced together inside my breaker panel?
If not where can I find the answer in black an white?
My Home warrantee insurance electrican said that it is within code, but, I have been told otherwise by two other private electricans.
Thank you.
 
Re: Breaker panel

When you upgrade a panel, you often have no choice but to splice inside the new panel. The lugs and busses are often lower in new panels, and the old wires don't reach them. I splice like this all the time, and no inspector has ever said a word to me about it.

Next time a "private electrician" says you can't splice inside a panel, ask him for a code reference. I don't know of anything in the code that prohibits it.
 
Re: Breaker panel

Some people have a hard time trying to find this requirement, as they think to look in panelboards, Article 408.

As has been mentioned, Art 312 is the Art to look in, as this is the Article for Enclosures.

312.8 Enclosures for Switches or Overcurrent Devices.
Enclosures for switches or overcurrent devices shall not be used as junction boxes, auxiliary gutters, or raceways for conductors feeding through or tapping off to other switches
or overcurrent devices, unless adequate space for this purpose is provided. The conductors shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 40 percent of the
cross-sectional area of the space, and the conductors, splices, and taps shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 75 percent of the cross-sectional area of that space.
 
Re: Breaker panel

Originally posted by pierre:
The conductors shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 40 percent of the
cross-sectional area of the space, and the conductors, splices, and taps shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 75 percent of the cross-sectional area of that space.
Click to expand...
From a practical standpoint, have you ever seen this violated? I have spliced nearly every circuit in a 42 circuit panel and still have not reached a 75% fill; I'm sure of it.

[ October 24, 2005, 11:41 PM: Message edited by: mdshunk ]
 
Re: Breaker panel

Originally posted by mdshunk:
From a practical standpoint, have you ever seen this violated? I have spliced nearly every circuit in a 42 circuit panel and still have not reached a 75% fill; I'm sure of it.
Click to expand...
All that's required is staggering the wirenuts.
 
Re: Breaker panel

I doubt a bag of wirenuts exceeds 75% fill given their shape.

Trying to achieve 75% fill in a panel gutter would require a hammer and a lot of sweat. :D
 
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