All,

I'm in the process of buying a new house in Pennsylvania after retiring
from the Coast Guard in Maine. Our house inspector made a notation that
#38 & 40 breakers were double tapped. My question is whether this is a
really bad thing, or something we should not worry about (and what is a
double tapped breaker?)? Also the inspector noted the service entrance
wiring was aluminum, but noted it as satisfactory (the rest of the house
was Romex).

Thanks!

Dave

In article ,
says...
All,

I'm in the process of buying a new house in Pennsylvania after retiring
from the Coast Guard in Maine. Our house inspector made a notation that
#38 & 40 breakers were double tapped. My question is whether this is a
really bad thing, or something we should not worry about (and what is a
double tapped breaker?)? Also the inspector noted the service entrance
wiring was aluminum, but noted it as satisfactory (the rest of the house
was Romex).


I assume he means that there are two wires connected to the
terminal on those breakers. This is not allowed unless the
breaker is specifically designed to accept multiple
conductors.

Ned Simmons

A double tapped breaker as described can be made legal by splicing the two
wires together with a pigtail and connecting the pigtail to the breaker. In
theory, there should be no splices inside the box, so this should properly
be done in a secondary splice box adjacent to the main box, However, a lot
of inspectors will let this slide if it's done correctly with the right size
wire, etc.

OTOH, most service entrance cable is aluminum. I haven't seen copper
service entrance cable in a long time.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Ned Simmons" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
All,

I'm in the process of buying a new house in Pennsylvania after retiring
from the Coast Guard in Maine. Our house inspector made a notation that
#38 & 40 breakers were double tapped. My question is whether this is a
really bad thing, or something we should not worry about (and what is a
double tapped breaker?)? Also the inspector noted the service entrance
wiring was aluminum, but noted it as satisfactory (the rest of the house
was Romex).


I assume he means that there are two wires connected to the
terminal on those breakers. This is not allowed unless the
breaker is specifically designed to accept multiple
conductors.

Ned Simmons

"Bob Chilcoat" wrote in message
...

OTOH, most service entrance cable is aluminum. I haven't seen copper
service entrance cable in a long time.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)



Really? I'd heard a lot of 1960's house fires had been traced to aluminum
wiring meeting copper terminals.
How do they get around that in a service box or is that not a concern?

George

"Dave Young" wrote in message
...
All,

I'm in the process of buying a new house in Pennsylvania after
retiring
from the Coast Guard in Maine. Our house inspector made a notation
that
#38 & 40 breakers were double tapped. My question is whether this is
a
really bad thing, or something we should not worry about (and what is
a
double tapped breaker?)? Also the inspector noted the service
entrance
wiring was aluminum, but noted it as satisfactory (the rest of the
house
was Romex).

Thanks!

Dave


Double tapped - Two conductors connected to the same breaker connection.
Not allowed in most areas.
Easy way around it would be to install a breaker of the same size and
move the wire IF you have a couple spare holes.
Since you probably don't the next easiest solution would be to get a
couple split breakers, these have two breakers in one single breaker
width unit.
Buy two of them and install them in place of the double tapped current
breakers. You need to know who made the breaker box and what type
breaker is in there to buy the correct ones. OR pull a breaker and take
it with you.

As for the service entrance I haven't seen a copper one in a LONG time.
Aluminum is the common type. The only item there is that the aluminum
has to be larger than copper and you should check the terminals for
tightness every couple years just to be sure they are tight since the
aluminum expands and contracts more than copper.

Steve W.



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"george" wrote in message
...

"Bob Chilcoat" wrote in message
...

OTOH, most service entrance cable is aluminum. I haven't seen copper
service entrance cable in a long time.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)



Really? I'd heard a lot of 1960's house fires had been traced to aluminum
wiring meeting copper terminals.
How do they get around that in a service box or is that not a concern?

George

That was a problem with the 12/2 or 14/2 wire used to wire the house.
It was very difficult to get the connections good and keep them from
working loose (a little oxide, they get hot, collapses the aluminum,
makes it looser, repeat until fire). The main service entrance wires,
while often aluminum, have a special jelly on them to prevent oxidation
and they use special connectors rated for Cu/Al to connect. What
you REALLY want to avoid is the regular wiring in the house that is
aluminum. They only used it for a few years before it went away
(another nasty habit of aluminum wire is it breaks easily when you
flex it a couple of times).

mikey

All,

Thank you all for your answers. I understand perfectly now....

Dave

Dave Young wrote:

All,

I'm in the process of buying a new house in Pennsylvania after
retiring from the Coast Guard in Maine. Our house inspector made a
notation that #38 & 40 breakers were double tapped. My question is
whether this is a really bad thing, or something we should not worry
about (and what is a double tapped breaker?)? Also the inspector
noted the service entrance wiring was aluminum, but noted it as
satisfactory (the rest of the house was Romex).
Thanks!

Dave

AL wire was written out of the code a number of years ago after the
insurance industry statistics showed it burning down a lot of houses.
It is still grandfathered in existing installations, but I'd replace it
if it was my house and my dog and my family.
Bugs