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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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OT - Double Tapped Circuit Breakers?
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 |
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"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 |
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"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. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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