bbeell@live.com
Member
- Location
- california
is a pigtail connection needed here?
- Thread starter bbeell@live.com
- Start date
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Danelectron
Member
- Location
- Astoria, Oregon
No. If there were additional wires feeding out from the load side, yes. My guess is they drew the wire too short and had to extend it. 
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Knuckle Dragger
Master Electrician Electrical Contractor 01752
- Location
- Marlborough, Massachusetts USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Maybe it,s in a crawl space.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
With 2017 NEC that is a possibility.
Otherwise to save using wire nuts - and then they used one anyway:huh:
The GFCI receptacles I use accept two conductors on line as well as on load terminals though.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
If that neutral wont reach the load side neutral terminal of the GFCI, then it is needed. If not, you need the pigtail extension.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
And in most instances if it won't reach you probably have a violation of 300.14.
cloudibew
Member
- Location
- orlando, florida, usa
How long is the conductor up to the wire nut? Less than 6" from the throat of the connector? Yes it is. Personally id pigtail to the outlet so when it goes bad yer light still werks
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
If it wont reach pigtailing an extension on it makes it compliant again.
Where have all the butt connectors gone?
Long time passing.
When will we ever learn?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Read 310.14 carefully. I don't think you can run 3 inches of conductor into a box and then splice a pigtail on to get 6 inches of conductor. Won't say I've never done it, but don't think it complies with 310.14.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
You mean 300.14. I did. Unless the 11+ NEC are diff from the 08, it says "at least 150mm (6") of free conductor...". Doesnt say that conductor must be unspliced or continuous. If splices/wirenuts werent allowed, 90% of old boxes would fail this code section.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
You have to post that drawing on your refrigerator. Make sure you write your first name on it in big letters.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Copied from 2014:
I don't see splices being a part of "free conductor" if in the first 6 inches. Don't know if wording has changed since 08 or not.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Q. We cut our wire too short in a few outlet boxes so I spliced on a couple inches of conductor so that I had the required 6 in. of free conductor at each location. The inspector says the free conductor must be "unspliced." Is he right?
A. No. He is correct that the NEC requires at least 6 in. of free conductor be available from the point in the box where the conductors enter the enclosure [300.14]. However, nowhere in this rule does it require that the free length of conductor be unspliced.
http://www.ecmweb.com/qampa/stumped-code-7
I believe 300.14 is unchanged from 08 to 14, probably 17 too.
Lets say the trim, cabinet, tile or drywall guy rotozips your wire (noob traced inside the box). Now you have 4" of wire instead of 6".
You going thru the effort of fishing in new wire, or add a wirenut and splice and go about your day?
This also leads to 334.30 re: service loops and stapling requirements, another fun section I like to debate.
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kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Been there and done that a few times, also spliced onto existing short conductors.
Don't mean an inspector will see it that way either.
Been a long time ago, but we once had an existing masonry wall building they decided to cover walls with an insulating material. Wiring was all surface raceways, our job was to put extension rings/mud rings on boxes to bring them to the new finish surface. Inspector made us pull new conductors if we couldn't get three inches out of the opening of the box - which is also a requirement if box opening is less then 8 inches.
mwm1752
Senior Member
- Location
- Aspen, Colo
Does seem like the 6" is intended prior to the splice
At least 150 mm (6 in.) of free conductor, measured from the point in the box where it emerges from its raceway or cable sheath, shall be left at each outlet, junction, and switch point for splices or the connection of luminaires or devices.
But also looks like this overrides in cases up to 3 gang boxes
Where the opening to an outlet, junction, or switch point is less than 200 mm (8 in.) in any dimension, each conductor shall be long enough to extend at least 75 mm (3 in.) outside the opening.
so a box that is 1 1/2" deep box would require 6" & 3 1/2"deeper boxes would need additional conductor -- though I tend to agree an extension of a short wire should comply with code.
At least 150 mm (6 in.) of free conductor, measured from the point in the box where it emerges from its raceway or cable sheath, shall be left at each outlet, junction, and switch point for splices or the connection of luminaires or devices.
But also looks like this overrides in cases up to 3 gang boxes
Where the opening to an outlet, junction, or switch point is less than 200 mm (8 in.) in any dimension, each conductor shall be long enough to extend at least 75 mm (3 in.) outside the opening.
so a box that is 1 1/2" deep box would require 6" & 3 1/2"deeper boxes would need additional conductor -- though I tend to agree an extension of a short wire should comply with code.
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