wire nut inside breaker panel

[nevsquare]

Hi forum members: as a helper I sometimes see a wire nut connection inside a breaker panel where some one came up short. The other day I worked with an electrician that did it and he said it was ok because a connection needs to be inside a box and the breaker panel qualified as such. I came here for a 2nd opinion and thanks for all the info posted here. I usually don't get a full week in since I started in the trade a few months ago and I try to read on this site whenever I have time, Thanks - Gordon

 

[electricmanscott]

Have you ever installed a doorbell transformer on a panel? :wink:

I'll answer with a question to you, why do you think a wirenut in a panel is not allowed?

 

[iwire]

Hi forum members: as a helper I sometimes see a wire nut connection inside a breaker panel where some one came up short.

Welcome to the forum and the trade.

The other day I worked with an electrician that did it and he said it was ok because a connection needs to be inside a box and the breaker panel qualified as such.

First you need to think like the NEC, it would be imposable to put a splice in a panelboard.

Per the NEC definitions this is a panelboard as covered by Article 408, it is missing only the dead front.

This one may be much larger then what your used to but to the NEC a panel board is only the 'guts'.

Panelboards are generally mounted in a cabinet as covered by Article 312 and

This is a cabinet as covered by Article 312

When you do commercial work you often have to order the parts separately, when you do residential work you normally use a "Load center" which is a manufacturers term for a cabinet, panel board and cover all shipped together.

The reason I am telling you all this is because in order to find the answer in the NEC you need to know where to look.

The electrician you where working with was correct he can make a splice in a cabinet that contains overcurrent devices.

The rules for doing so can be found in 312.8

 

[TOOL_5150]

312.8 Splices and taps can not fill more than 75% of the wiring space in a switch or circuit breaker enclosure.

So, to answer your question - They are allowed.

~Matt

 

[TOOL_5150]

Beat me to it Bob!

~Matt