Double Tapped Breakers
What you Need to Know
Double Tapped Breakers
What Are Double Tapped Breakers And Why Are They Dangerous?
If you’re reading this, you more than likely have had a Home Inspection or a Four Point Insurance Inspection and your inspector has identified Double Tapped Breakers in one or more of your electrical panels. In layman terms, this means that two wires (conductors) are supplied electrical power from the same circuit breaker that is not rated for two conductors.
This is a significant safety hazard that should not be ignored and should be fixed as soon as possible by an electrical contractor. This is due to the fact that having two conductors connected to the same breaker could cause the breaker to overheat and fail. Additionally, the two conductors in close proximately could cause electrical arcing in the panel. Both of these issues could result in an electrical fire within a home.
Are Double Tapped Breakers Ever Allowed?
Yes! There are certain breaker manufacturers, like Square-D and Cutler-Hammer, that manufacture breakers that are approved for two conductors. However, not ALL their breakers are rated for this so the presence of a Square-D panel or Cutler-Hammer panel does not mean you are in the clear.
Why Do Homeowner's Double Tap Breakers?
The most common reason that homeowner’s double tap breakers is due to the fact their electrical demands are exceeding their current electrical panel’s capability. In other words, when electrical demands increase, there are not enough breakers or space to add additional breakers.
This is the reason that as home inspectors we typically run across double tapped breakers when inspecting older panels in older homes. Newer panels, let’s say less than 30yrs old, typically were designed to allow for the addition of extra circuits as needed. Therefore, double tapped breakers are not commonly found in newer homes.
Homeowners Insurance and Double Tapped Breakers
If you happen to have this defect in an electrical panel it’s time to call an electrician and have your panel evaluated. The potential for an electrical fire is there and therefore your homeowners insurance will want this issue to be repaired immediately and will most likely not insure your property until it’s repaired or the panel is updated.
More importantly, you should want these to be repaired to best protect your family and your home’s safety. The good news is that this typically a relatively inexpensive repair IF there is room in the panel to add the appropriate breaker. If the panel is outdated, e.g. over 40yrs old, than you may be looking at a panel upgrade which can run up to $3k depending on the home. 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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