In article ,
Bob wrote:

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
.com...

It is perfectly safe, and does not violate code, as long as:
a) the two hot conductors are on opposite legs of a 240V service, *and*
b) a *single* disconnecting means will disconnect *both* of them at once.
Both of these criteria are easily satisfied by using a standard two-pole
breaker: the two sides are necessarily on opposite legs, and one handle
disconnects them both at once.

Doug, you seem to know what you are talking about. What's your experience
with how often this is actually done? It seems to me that, though legal and
safe, someone might forget how this is setup and rearrange breakers/wiring
in the future, creating an unsafe situation. Are there any requirements for
tagging such a configuration?

'Standard practice' is to run _different_ colors of 'hot' wire. With
all the wiring on a given phase being the same color. I use different
colors for each hot phase, _and_ unique colors for any 'switched' hot
leads. If I have 3 switched leads in the same place, they'll be three
different colors -- e.g. 'yellow', 'pink', 'blue'. With this kind of
set-up, if you find a 'non-red/black' - neutral pair, you *know* you can't
_trust_ that the *circuit* is dead, just because there's no power across
the pair. Gotta find the switch (or switches!!) first. and check _there_.

Any competent electrician, does any breaker 're-arranging' only _within_ a
single color. Or *thoroughly* investigates the details, and then 'marks'
*both*ends* of any wires that get 'moved' to a different phase. *AFTER*
having made sure that neutral load currents are _not_ exceeded.

This is practically 'no-brainer' stuff for a professional. The amateur
that doesn't understand stuff at this level, should *not* be messing in
the panel. grin

This is also why =many= communities have a 'basic wiring' test that you
have to pass, _as_a_homeowner_, before you can get a permit for 'do it
yourself' work. These exams are _not_ difficult -- their primary purpose
is to ensure that you know enough to not to anything 'dangerously stupid'
in _residential_ wiring.