Meaning of "connection to more than one side of the circuit"

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wdingman

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Article 200.10(A) in the 2020 NEC reads thus:

All devices, excluding panelboards, provided with terminals for the attachment of conductors and intended for connection to more than one side of the circuit shall have terminals properly marked for identification, unless the electrical connection of the terminal intended to be connected to the grounded conductor is clearly evident.
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What does "connection to more than one side of the circuit" mean? I think that this expression occurs only here in the NEC.
 
wdingman said:
Article 200.10(A) in the 2020 NEC reads thus:


What does "connection to more than one side of the circuit" mean? I think that this expression occurs only here in the NEC.
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I would say the "Hot" ungrounded side or the "Neutral" or grounded side like black for hot and white for neutral.

JAP>
 
Welcome to the forum.

Sounds to me like they're referring to more than one ungrounded conductor.
 
Here's my take on it:
I think by "connection to more than one side of the circuit" they mean that they're excluding devices such as switches that are connected between line and load. And so a line or a neutral conductor would each be considered a "side of the circuit." Since Article 200 is concerned about grounded conductors, I think the intent of 200.10 is to make sure that the grounded conductor (if used) is connected to the appropriate terminal. But if that's the case, the wording should be less ambiguous.
 
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A "side" of a circuit doesn't always involve a neutral connection.
A "side" of a circuit may be another phase or "ungrounded" conductor.

JAP>
 
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