Matt1919
Member
- Location
- Minneapolis
- Occupation
- Real Estate Broker/CPA
Email 1
To reputable home inspector
I have a client who has double tapped wires going into a breaker (on a breaker that does not allow double tapping) . I presented the following solutions to my client today in order of least expensive to high.
After I propose the above 3 options I was chatting with an electrician, he said you should not do pigtails in the breaker box (he said they should be outside the panel in junction box). He provided the following code sections see attachments. Would you agree?
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap4vW8aENp0Bq01Kg?e=4NWMfe
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap520mnt1eY9JvDdg?e=X8r8Kv
Email 2
From reputable home inspector
Hi Matt,
No, I do not agree. Splices in a panel are fine, and they always have been fine.
The code section your electrician gave you just says you can't have splices in the panel unless everything complies with 312.8. So what does 312.8 say?
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap6Wtt9xpSQ-WVeCA?e=Ts6gUb
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap78jsnHEqTei2_QQ?e=p0Rm0F
In other words, you can't completely fill a panel with a bazillion splices. But the amount of fill added to a panel by pigtailing a circuit breaker is practically nothing. In short, this is perfectly fine.
Question
My question is simply is pigtails on breaker box permissible? If there is anything else that should be discussed I am open to that too. I am asking from code perspective not "oh you will be fine".
To reputable home inspector
I have a client who has double tapped wires going into a breaker (on a breaker that does not allow double tapping) . I presented the following solutions to my client today in order of least expensive to high.
- Pigtail in breaker box
- Tandem breakers if manufacture allows (if box allows and circuit overloaded)
- Replace panel (100 Amp to 200 Amp)
After I propose the above 3 options I was chatting with an electrician, he said you should not do pigtails in the breaker box (he said they should be outside the panel in junction box). He provided the following code sections see attachments. Would you agree?
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap4vW8aENp0Bq01Kg?e=4NWMfe
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap520mnt1eY9JvDdg?e=X8r8Kv
Email 2
From reputable home inspector
Hi Matt,
No, I do not agree. Splices in a panel are fine, and they always have been fine.
The code section your electrician gave you just says you can't have splices in the panel unless everything complies with 312.8. So what does 312.8 say?
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap6Wtt9xpSQ-WVeCA?e=Ts6gUb
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aui-dmVfvbqtgap78jsnHEqTei2_QQ?e=p0Rm0F
In other words, you can't completely fill a panel with a bazillion splices. But the amount of fill added to a panel by pigtailing a circuit breaker is practically nothing. In short, this is perfectly fine.
Question
My question is simply is pigtails on breaker box permissible? If there is anything else that should be discussed I am open to that too. I am asking from code perspective not "oh you will be fine".