Professional Home Inspector - February 2016
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PROFESSIONAL HOME
INSPECTOR
February 2016
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David Clark
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"Dedicated To Training
& Information For The Professional Home Inspector"
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Also in this issue....
(click on links below for more info)
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Of course the answer is as many as you can fit! Actually
this is a question that is the subject of much conversation. As you are
already aware a tandem or mini circuit breaker is a single pole circuit
breaker that is one half the size of a regular circuit breaker. You can
fit two tandem breakers in a space designed for one original breaker.
Keep in mind that both circuits in the tandem breaker will be on the same
hot pole or leg. For this reason it is unacceptable (and dangerous) to
make a 240 volt circuit or a multi-branch circuit with two tandem
breakers. The only reason to use a tandem breaker is to save room
because the service panel is full. So how does a home inspector
determine if using tandem breakers are acceptable in the electric panel
they are inspecting?
Many modern service panels are manufactured in a manner to
prevent the installation of more overcurrent protection devices than the number
for which the panel was designed and rated. Most manufacturers list the maximum
number of breakers allowed and some provide a feature that will not allow
tandem breakers to be installed in certain locations. If you see a tandem
breaker, or any breaker for that matter that is not seated properly or appears
loose when you remove the cover it should be reported. There should be a wiring diagram in every
service panel, usually on the door. Looking at the diagram you can easily see
how many tandem breakers are allowed and their position because there will be
two lines in the space not one. Looking at the pictures at the beginning of
this article; the one on the left indicates that there is not a space allocated
for tandem breakers, so none would be allowed. The wiring diagram on the right
show double lines where tandem breakers would be acceptable (bottom 5 spaces on
each side).
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2016 Niagara Frontier Home
Inspectors Training Conference - SAVE THE DATE
October 14 & 15 2016
12 hours of NYS, ASHI, InterNACHI
Approved Continuing
Education
 
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