pigtail

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Nate Edmonds

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Hi I was wondering if anyone knows if it is against the NEC to wire a receptacle without using pigtails to pick up a downstreamed outlet. I thought that if the person who wired an outlet using only the screws on a device as a means of splicing, if the outlet dies then all downstreamed outlet wont work. And it is possable to send 240 volts to an 120 outlets. Thanks
 
You do not ever have to pigtail the hots.

You always have to pigtail the EGC. 250.148(B)

You have to pig tail the the neutral only if it is part of a multiwire branch circuit. 300.13(B)
 
Nate Edmonds said:
And it is possable to send 240 volts to an 120 outlets. Thanks
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Not exactly.

There is an issue if you lose the connection between the home run neutral and the panel on a multiwire circuit in which 2 hots [with 240v between them] share a neutral for unbalanced current.

With a solidly connected neutral, each of your 2 hots provides 120v to neutral [to ground] to their loads whatever the load is. . But if you lose that home run neutral connection, your 2 circuits will only continue to be 120v each if the impedance [or you can go by the wattage] on both circuits is identical. . 99.9% of the time your loads are not identical and your voltage per circuit will vary. . Instead of 120v + 120v = 240v, you'll get something like 100v + 140v = 240v. . Your 140v leg will push more current thru the load [voltage divided by resistance equals current]. . More current results in damage to your equipment.

You might hear the the TV make a noise that sounds like a firecracker followed by a trail of smoke. . Not good !!
 
It is a well known fact that the higher voltage will always be applied to the most expensive appliance.
 
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