Double Lugged Neutrals
What you Need to Know
Double lugged Neutrals
What is a Double Lugged Neutral?
Okay, so you’ve had a Home Inspection or a Four Point Insurance Inspection and double lugged neutrals were noted. But what is that? Double lugged neutrals, sometimes also referred to as double-tapped neutrals, is the term used to describe when two or more neutral conductors (white wires) terminate under a single lug on the neutral bus bar within your electric panel.
Up until 2002 this was common practice by electricians, as the National Electric Code (NEC) did not explictly forbid double-lugged neutrals until then. However, this defect has never been permitted in the NEC! But due to not explicitly forbidding them this misled many electricians to believe they were acceptable. More on this later.
First of All... What is a Neutral?
Neutral conductors are the white wires within your electrical panels and they fulfill a critical role in your home’s electrical system. Neutral conductors complete the electrical circuit or loop within your home by providing a path for incoming electrical currents to return to their source. Within your home, your electric panel is the source of electricity. So electricity returns to your home’s main service panel via the neutral conductors from every receptacle or switch within your home.
Why are Double Lugged Neutrals an Issue?
Neutrals conductors are current-carrying conductors which means they will expand and contract when the circuit is under a load i.e. being used. When under a load, both the neutrals and the black “hot” conductors (properly known as ungrounded conductors) will expand and contract due to the increasing and decreasing temperatures of the conductors. For neutrals that are properly wired under one lug, this expansion and contraction is not an issue as the lugs can be properly torqued to prevent the conductor from becoming loose over time.
However, for neutrals that are double-lugged, meaning more than one neutral under one lug, this expansion and contraction of the neutral conductors have the potential to create loose neutrals overtime. Ultimately, this can lead to electrical arcing in the panel. Electrical arcing in your panel is a significant fire hazard and therefore double-lugged neutrals are a serious concern in the panel and should be repaired by a licensed electrical contractor.
Was This Ever Allowed?
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, double-lugged neutrals have never been allowed according to the NEC. However, they were just explicitly outlined until 2002. Prior to 2002, the NEC only stated that electrical panels must be installed according to UL67, which is the governing safety standard for electrical panels.
UL67 has been around for a long time and it states “An individual terminal shall be provided for the connection of each branch-circuit neutral conductor.” Thus, any electrical panel that is UL-Listed (Which they all must be in order to be installed to code) should not have double-lugged neutrals within them.
Homeowners Insurance and Double Lugged Neutrals
If you happen to have this defect in an electrical panel, odds are your home is not going to burn down. In fact, it’s probably been wired that way for years now without an issue. However, the potential for an electrical fire is there and therefore your homeowners insurance will want this issue to be repaired.
More importantly, you should want these to be repaired best to protect your family and your home’s safety. The good news is that this is typically a relatively inexpensive repair and is easily fixed by a licensed electrical contractor. If you’re in Central Florida, we recommend staying away from the big-name companies and choosing a smaller reputable electrical company like Central Florida Electrician, to avoid overpriced repair estimates.
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