Use a wire nut to secure the three wires together. A pigtail connection is a simple repair by connecting the two wires to a third extra wire from the breaker. ![]() The quickest and cheapest repair for a double tapped breaker is to create a pigtail connection inside the electrical panel. First, you’ll need to remove the panel cover to access the breakers.Ī pigtail wire connection inside the electric panel to fix the double tapped breaker Install a Pigtail Repair There is more than one way to fix double tapped breakers, which means you can choose whichever method is the most comfortable and convenient for you. The good thing about double tapped breakers is that they can be relatively easy and cheap to fix. If a breaker allows for two circuits, it will clearly state so on the breaker. The best way to know whether or not the double tapping of the breakers on your house’s electrical panel is a defect and potentially dangerous or not is to read the label of the breaker that has been double-tapped. Often, a homeowner or amateur electrician looking to get the job done quickly might double-tap the breaker to avoid the hassle of either replacing the electric panel entirely or purchasing a breaker designed for two circuit connections. Why Would Someone Double-Tap a Breaker?ĭouble tapping a breaker can be done when the electric panel box does not have adequate space to connect all the wiring circuits. Therefore, because the manufacturer specifies how the breaker should be connected, we can derive that double tapped breakers are not allowed. At 110.3(B), the NEC statement states that equipment labeling should only be installed and used as the instructions list. However, manufacturers rate their breakers for one or two pole connections.Ĭircuit breakers are clearly labeled to receive a single or double-wired connection. There is no direct mention of the National Electrical Code (NEC) regarding double tapped breakers and whether or not they are allowed. ![]() When unwritten, the electrical code follows manufacturer specifications. Double tapped breakers are against national electrical codes and manufacturer guidelines unless the circuit breaker is rated explicitly for two poles.Įlectrical updates have to follow NEC codes at the time of the change. When people ask if a double tapped breaker is illegal, we assume they refer to electrical codes. Double tapped breaker inside the electric panel.
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