Double Lug on Safety Switch
- Thread starter Zyb
- Start date
jaggedben
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern California
- Occupation
- Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Reading the label or instructions could shed light. I'd say more info is needed regarding the model size and rating of the switch. Larger switches would likely be expected to have multi-port lugs for parallel conductors, smaller ones not so much.
It sounds like you are not paralleling conductors but are branching to two different circuits. Why? I've seen this done with taps to multiple loads, which is okay, but pretty old-school. Why not use a panelboard?
Whether you need fuses probably depends on whether you already have overcurrent protection upstream.
It sounds like you are not paralleling conductors but are branching to two different circuits. Why? I've seen this done with taps to multiple loads, which is okay, but pretty old-school. Why not use a panelboard?
Whether you need fuses probably depends on whether you already have overcurrent protection upstream.
@jaggedben This is what we are planning to do. I have 1 branch micro inverter. it's a small 240/120 panel and it is full. so planning to do just using double lug at the ac disconnect. is there any code violation?
ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
jaggedben
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern California
- Occupation
- Solar and Energy Storage Installer
I'll assume the knife blade disconnect is utility required which is why you don't want to just use a 2-4 space panelboard in it's place.
I think the code is a bit ambiguous about a monitoring load associated with the system. It's perfectly safe but could be interpreted as a violation of the requirement for dedicated disconnect and overcurrent protection for the source.
I certainly would splice the wires instead of double-lugging.
I think the code is a bit ambiguous about a monitoring load associated with the system. It's perfectly safe but could be interpreted as a violation of the requirement for dedicated disconnect and overcurrent protection for the source.
I certainly would splice the wires instead of double-lugging.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
- Occupation
- Electrician
From a code perspective, there is no direct violation changing lugs in equipment (and in my opinion it is my God given right as an electrician to do so). However it seems like everyone is nutty these days about "modifying equipment" or "listing violations". The actual code for this would be 110.2, which allows the AHJ (which in practice is the inspector) to say whether equipment is acceptable or not.
From a practical perspective, if it's a smaller switch, it will likely be hard to find double lugs that physically mount and fit. Sometimes you would have better luck removing the lugs and double stacking crimps on the stud.