No Room In Electrical Panel - Quick Fix

[@ianbelletti6241]

Most modern square D homeline, qo, and qob panels are listed for two circuits per breaker space. It's a code violation to use tandem breakers in panels that are so old that they listed the number of circuits the same as the number of spaces. Although square d b 15-30 amp breakers are listed for two wires per terminal, the cafci, dafci, and GFCI breakers are not. Also, good luck finding cafci, dafci, and GFCI breakers in tandem formats. Finally, if you are combining loads leaving a space for a future circuit, it's ok to leave the breaker in its side space as a spare. You don't have to prematurely remove the breaker, you can leave the old breaker until you're ready to replace it with the new breaker.

[@massengineer7582]

Siemens makes AFCI 1-pole tandem breakers. But you're right, don't count on finding a GFCI or dual tandem.

[@JohnDoe-pv2iu]

I Prefer to leave the unused breaker in place. The little slot covers to fill empty knockouts are crappy and come loose. Also, if you leave the empty breaker in place, remember to tighten the wire lug screw snug. I was helping a friend one time and there was a breaker with no screw in a slot. God knows what happened but I don't want any loose metallic objects in the power box... Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John

[@clayrichard8471]

You didn't warn moving around breakers that are part of 3 wire circuits. Older codes did not require them to have a common handle and ity it unusual to find 2, single pole breakers used. The 2 breakers must be next to each other and can't be on the same tandom unless it's a quad. Failing to obey these rules can lead to an overload neutral and a possible fire.

[@clayrichard8471]

He started to mention that but forgot to talk about it. That's why he say there were 3 solutions, but then skipped over numby3.

[@ianbelletti6241]

@@clayrichard8471 you forgot the warning that you must use a listed handle tie if you tie the breaker handles together for circuits that share a neutral.

[@williamrucki9293]

Two comments. After Joel opened the exterior disconnect switch he failed to verify the service was dead. Never skip that step if you are relying on a dead panel. I've see numerous older disconnects that have internally failed and don't open all phases. Kudos for the gloves and glasses Joel. Many DIY channels don't have a clue about NFPA 70E. A word of caution about multiwire branch circuits because older installations don't necessarily have them protected by a two pole breaker which is now required by code. Be sure to pair circuits on the same side of the box to avoid potential neutral burnout.

[@bluemarinoni]

Agreed; he should have shown verifying the panel was cold. I'd assume most watchers don't know how to do that either. Are shared loads on a neutral typically a risk in residential? Neutrals are generally home-runs with the leg w/romex, assuming we're discussing 14/2 lighting circuits, etc. I also cringe at a wago pigtail in a panel. I'm a fan of wagos, but I wouldn't use one at the front of a circuit. I'd reserve this practice for OCPD's that directly allow for two conductors.

[@williamrucki9293]

@@bluemarinoni My house was built in 1984 and is chock full of multiconductor branch circuits and none of them were on a two pole breaker. It appears it was quite common to run a single 12/3 to a remote location then branch. When I added my subpanel for my generator I converted the multiconductor circuits to two pole breakers.

[@bluemarinoni]

@@williamrucki9293 Copy. I'm feeling like this is too big of a learning curve for most DIY'ers... even my 2006 home has lighting circuits mixed with outlets; I haven't finished mapping it yet, we all know the labels aren't right! Resorting a panel is non-trivial. I have to question if this video is appropriate to show. There's too much to go wrong.

[@williamrucki9293]

@@bluemarinoni Agreed. When I sorted everything to move circuits to a generator subpanel and clean up the multiconductor branch circuits I literally pulled all 40 breakers out and started over. I’m not sure the typical DIYer is ready for that.

[@ramonhernandez3391]

​@@bluemarinoni

[@boomermatic6035]

Great information, the only thing I would suggest is placing the feed wire in the center position of the Wago connector, that way the effective current flow through the busbar is reduced by sending it in two different directions.

[@cruz47144]

What????

[@richardcollejr.5121]

I wouldn't use them at all should be illegal. There isn't enough wire contact with push in wiring could cause an arc and burn the end of the tab on the connector witch is being over heated melt the connector bam 🔥 Fire

[@rickgilbrt]

​​@@richardcollejr.5121Wago 221 connectors are rated for the full current allowed by the breaker. Otherwise they would not be allowed in junction boxes either.

[@fern9234]

​@@richardcollejr.5121So what do you use then? Wire nuts?

[@ro11erbeast]

Lower loads on LED vs incandescent lighting circuits is not something I had considered. Thanks!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@ironmartysharpe8293]

Be careful about connecting two wires to a breaker many municipalities do not allow two wires on the same breaker , So if you need additional space for a breaker , You're better off taking two breakers out and replacing with a tandem breaker

[@petero2693]

Yup.. not just load..its safety

[@petero2693]

But if breaker trips more areas dark....

[@user181]

@@ironmartysharpe8293 Do those municipalities still forbid it even if the breaker is designed for two wires, such as the SqD QO?

[@jdboy9]

Load balancing on the phases (legs) is also worth doing if you start moving breakers around. Just something to keep in mind.

[@williamrucki9293]

Agreed, very important especially if you have a backup generator. You can lose tremendous generator capacity due to poor balancing.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback 👍

[@chuckg2016]

Just like with FritzM above, I 100% agree with keeping the panel balanced ...... damn sure not always done.

[@DaveMethvin]

Also look for situations of two circuits with a shared neutral, which are usually flagged by having a 14/3 with red/black hot wires. If they're on different phases that's fine because the neutral will balance out. If you start shuffling things in the panel you need to be sure they stay on _different_ phases.

[@jdboy9]

@@DaveMethvin another very important point. Videos like this can be dangerous in the hands of the unknowing diyer. Hopefully these comments help explain things a little further.

[@AdirondackCampingAdventures]

One thing you did not cover when combining circuits is if you have MWBC multi wire branch circuits you can't combine both phases on the same phase by using tandem if pigtails because you will overload the neutral.

[@sarentopi1502]

You are right on! I am wondering about this right now. Not sure how to avoid landing a shared neutral when replacing two regular breakers with a tandem.

[@y_zass]

I just straightened out my breaker box. There were several breakers with 2 circuits on them yet there was a double breaker and a single breaker that were no longer in use. What they were originally connected to was no longer there (240v wall heater and a welI pump). I was able to label everything and every circuit had its own breaker when I got done. I also straightened out my neutral bus bar, many spots were double tapped, even triple tapped! The bar was slightly discolored where it had been triple tapped and the insulation on the ends of those wires slightly melted from overheating. There were a dozen or more open spaces so there was no excuse for this. I moved down 1 wire at a time, starting with the longest wire and turning off the corresponding breaker(s) before doing so. Everything reached just fine, each neutral wire now under their own lug. I tested every outlet in my house, all good and grounded. Crisis diverted, now I don't have to worry about my house burning down.

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

Just a safety concern and hint! When you turn off the main switch, which may be remote from the panel, please “lockout and tag out” the main switch so someone doesn’t see the power out and throw the main switch back on! Lock it out with a padlock!

[@finddeniro]

Yesly..

[@comodice905]

Dawg relax he dah pro pro

[@nameless-og]

I did wonder why panels that are clearly for indoors only have a knockout for a lock

[@comodice905]

@@nameless-og dawg beef 😤 🤣 what r u zayen

[@nameless-og]

@como dice next to the handle/latch, there is usually a knockout where you can install a cabinet style lock. It never made sense to me why anyone would want to lock a panel closed that clearly isn't supposed to be installed outside. That feature made sense to me if the box can be mounted outside, otherwise, it just seems crazy to have it on the box because it seems risky, was surprised to learn here that it's actually the opposite

[@joshhowie4071]

Keep in mind, AFCI neutrals are monitored. You won’t be able to combine if one or two breakers are currently AFCI protected. Unless you find your second neutral and pigtail like you did for the hots.(If you put under AFCI)

[@gerdberg4188]

This guy lives in yesterday ….

[@ericstandefer9138]

That's a good point because with the 2020 nec it is bssically requiring and afci for every circuit in the panel.

[@rexgould]

@@ericstandefer9138 we have been like that since 2015 in Canada. Takes up a lot more space in the panel and significantly increases the cost of panel install.

[@gregberban7067]

Didn't you see the breaker?

[@jimg2885]

@@gerdberg4188 you hit the nail on the head with your comment.

[@patrickhein9470]

Glad you brought in a knowledgeable pro. Also remember if you do make space and add a new circuit that it has to be an afci combo breaker for new circuit or modified existing 120v circuits

[@thehpw]

Just searched for this topic the other day to add a heat pump water heater but needed more panel space. Well done.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks Pete 👍

[@alf732]

Thank you for showing that some Homeline's can use 2 wires and also a thanks to whoever pointed out that overloading the neutral was a possibility. I just combined a few very lightly loaded lighting/doorbell/motion detector light circuits to make room for a 240 V 40 Amp Dual Car charger breaker pair. Not related, but I'm replacing 50 year old IDC connectors in my modular home with UL rated DIN rail terminal blocks as I've had two open hots in 6 months.

[@richardcollejr.5121]

I'd like to know who wires them things shit like that happens all the time

[@lkeil84]

Very concise and accurate video. I am a retired electrician of 19 years and an Electrical Inspector for 21 years doing the smallest of jobs on to 1000 foot high rises. My only problem is that you made it sound as though as long as there were still spaces left, you could just keep adding circuits without regarding the load. That's like saying "How could I be out of money, I still have checks left". When electric cars were first coming out, I saw many a fake load calculations and turned down at least half of them. It didn't take long before the contractors figured out how to do an accurate load calculation, and perhaps make a few extra bucks changing the 100 service to a 200 amp service. Good job with all the other details though, spot on.

[@staind288]

Load balancing also needs to be considered

[@KameraShy]

I think that applies to the grid as well. States mandating electric cars but not saying how all the electricity is going to be generated and distributed.

[@kenbrown2808]

where are you that people spend the extra for 100A services?

[@lkeil84]

@@KameraShy Conversely, I have wondered about solar system that back feed the grid. When I put my system on, it was rather large to accommodate my electric vehicles. Now, most electric vehicles in California charge between 11pm and 7am because they cut the time of use billing to 1/2 to 1/4 of other times. There is no significant load on the grid at this time. With a lot of electric cars, the load may become significant, but not overly so. With Solat though, I noticed on my street on the same transformer that there were 3 of us with very large solar systems. What happens if there becomes many more? My house would pump in 40 amps on those sunny days, or about 7kw. What if half the houses on that transformer did this? It may well come to a point where the grid could not handle the reverse flow. The solution of course is start installing batteries to balance the grid during the day charging local batteries and then using that power as needed to create a virtual power plant as Tesla is now doing with powerwall owners. Or even as simple as all the power I made during the day when usage was low to charge the car at night. Although this solution sounds expensive, in a 20 year amortization, it is actually cheaper. Just thought I would share some thoughts.

[@teekay_1]

@@KameraShy It's one of two reasons why electrical cars cannot become widespread given today's generation and grid capacity. You'll see states and electric companies crack down on that soon.

[@mr.q7943]

Definitely CHECK THE LOCAL CODES....many jurisdictions do NOT allow amalgamating circuits together and most DO NOT permit any sort of splices or inter-connections within a panel.

[@AnonyMous-jf4lc]

Yeah, the pigtail and all the wire nuts in that panel would get it red tagged. Also, zip ties in the panel are considered bundling and gets red tagged as well.

[@dubmob151]

So ​practically speaking, rat's nest wiring is best for heat dissipation compared to OCDishly neat wiring run bundling, aesthetic pleasantness aside -

[@ericl5973]

The subpanel in my home (Eaton BR) has all spaces with rejection tabs but you can get Non-CTL twin breakers that fit into those spaces without field modification. The panel was listed as 20 breakers and 40 circuits so it was designed to have all twin breakers but you have to use the Non-CTL (circuit total limitation) breakers.

[@TomCee53]

At about 4:27, it looked like the wire had been deformed from being tightened in the breaker. I like to straighten the end before reconnecting. Wago splices can handle a bit of bend, but work best with a straight wire. Also, check for proper strip length.

[@replyhere590]

@@Kevin-mp5of occasionally, shortness of the wire involved precludes restriping.

[@dubmob151]

The ​Knipex pliers wrench works well for completely straightening out even fully twisted wire nutted wiring for use in lever lock connectors; minimizes continual cutback of the wire for reworking circuits.

[@ironmartysharpe8293]

I've ran into this problem many times somebody will ask me to install an additional circuit and there's no space in the panel for another breaker , So I'll take out two breakers and replace them with a tandem breaker to obtain the extra space I need , I'll remember the notching on the Eaton panels but other panels I've had no problems installing tandem breakers Keep in mind that not all brands of panels have tandem breakers available and if that's the case , A sub panel will have to be installed One very important thing is before installing a breaker is to inspect the busbar for pitting or corrosion , If the busbar looks good , Before installing the breaker I'll apply a light coat of antioxidant compound that you would use for connecting aluminium wire to the busbar to prevent corrosion because in just about all breaker panels , The busbars are aluminium and applying antioxidant compound will prevent corrosion , Also make sure the breaker has a tight fit to the busbar when installing

[@kenbrown2808]

Siemens and Homeline do that as well. it's because it used to be a code requirement that a breaker panel have no more than 42 breakers.

[@texassparky]

Good info, Thanks! I've done alot of work in older Restautant's needing more circuits but the panels were maxed out on breaker spaces. Always measure the amp load on the feeders at full load before adding circuits!!!! I dont like it, but sometimes I will "double lug" lighting or receptacle loads on a breaker to free up space. If I'm in there say at lunch "very busy, probably max load" and find 2 lighting or receptacle loads pulling like 2 amps on a 15 amp circuit I'll put them together and not worry about it to much. Don't just willy-nilly double lug stuff so you can get paid. Be a professional and think about the customers safety and cost. If you can do it on the cheap safely do that! If you cant do it cheap and still be safe, let them know the cost and be prepared to walk away. Never leave a job with a bad conscience....

[@MrKen59]

I have a CH panel from the 80’s and the twin breakers slip in any of the slots - at least I’ve not had to force anything. The thing I notice on twin breakers is the hole for the wire is hard to feel out in the panel. CH panels are pretty narrow due to long breakers. Great video.

[@davegeorge7094]

Yes I was there to on my parents estate.

[@whochecksthis]

This is because the CH panels use a copper bussbar set, and can handle more loading than the BR panel in the video’s aluminum buss…

[@MrKen59]

@@whochecksthis I do like the more robust bus but I’m not sure it’s as popular these days.

[@darrendolphdragos9752]

Different configurations of panels. Many are 20/40 in which every slot accepts a tandem. The one in the video is a 30/40, where 10 slots can accept tandems. 40 slot panels do not accept tandems at all.

[@MrKen59]

@@darrendolphdragos9752 Did they have tandem breakers in 1986? I assume the issue has more to do with the bus ability to handle the load and the panel having enough room such as neutral/ground bars.

[@mattalbrecht7471]

Ahhh yes, the maxed out electrical panel! When I bought my house, my outdoor panel had "the big stuff" - HVAV systems (2 of them), drop in stove, in wall oven, pool pump, water heater, clothes dryer, and a 60 amp breaker feeding a tiny-ass sub in the garage for the inside. Small panel with 23 of 24 half-inch spaces in use. I had future plans for a tankless water heater (electric the only option in our area), maybe a workshop in the garage. I feel the pain with this video. Having been a licensed electrician at one time, upgrading the panel was easy. But I know not everyone can do that and the thought of dropping a couple grand to have a new panel added is daunting. Luckily the garage feed was the standard service entrance wire in the wall which allowed me to pull the entire panel out if the wall cavity and there was enough slack for me to move it out of they way so I could retrofit the cavity with a larger panel fed by a conduit all the way out to the exterior main. Now I have a 200 amps sub panel in the garage with plenty of space.

[@r.b.587]

This got me thinking how I could improve my panel. Never thought about this method. Fantastic! I really like Joel's channel as well. Wish I could hire him as my local electrician.

[@RadioRich100]

Dont , hes a jack of all trades, master of none.

[@soisaidtogod4248]

Improve my panel, there is a whole lot of usa education in that statement.

[@gerdberg4188]

That has nothing to do with “improving” your panel it is just gaining an extra space .

[@Keifsanderson]

@@soisaidtogod4248 Shut up, Snow Mexican 🙄

[@Keifsanderson]

@@gerdberg4188 Gaining room for an additional circuit sounds like quite an improvement to me.

[@texassparky]

HA!! Just read alot of the comments. Love my Electricians!!! I mean real electricians, not just installers that can bend a 90 in 1/2 pipe. Love this trade and talking about it. Lots of smart folk here. Stay safe yall!!

[@paulrjones3]

Six years ago I converted every indoor and outdoor light to LED to save money. Then six years ago I had a ground based solar panel system installed on our lower property. It has a perfect Southern exposure on the 40 degree down slope. It paid for itself in four years because it generates 27 mWh of power per year for our 3 AC units (14 ton total capacity). We can run the AC 24x7 and in the last six years have never paid an electric bill. It was the best investment in my life and highly recommend doing this even though the original 30% tax credits are gone.

[@whattheschmidt]

It's still 26% I'm fairly certain, it's been extended again. I got in on 2019 for the 30% then 26% in 2020 on a smaller array.

[@paulrjones3]

Good to know. We went on NEM 1.0 in late 2016. The most expensive single part of the solar installation was upgrading the circuit breaker panel from 200 amp to 400 amps to handle potentially 200 amps from the utility side and 200 amp from the solar side at the same time. This is the worst case scenario that never happens but for fire insurance purposes we wanted to be safe in case there was a post fire incident report denying our insurance.

[@whattheschmidt]

@@paulrjones3 that's a huge array. I have 22 panels to generate 9mWh per year which is just about enough for my house + EV 9,000 miles a year.

[@billymacktexasdetective5827]

Solar and LEDs... 2 technologies that fail often... Those stupid LEDs NEVER make it anywhere close to their rated lifespan. And I know several people who installed solar and they are constantly under repair. 1 person has had to replace 4 panels in just 6 months time. I'll take a hard pass on both until they actually work...

[@whattheschmidt]

@@billymacktexasdetective5827 your anecdote is not indictive of actual rates.

[@DaniilStanisevschi]

Scott & Joel - longtime viewer of both of your channels. Great content as always, I especially liked the tip about tandem breaker and how it is only permitted in specified slots. Never used one and wouldn't have known.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Hey Daniil, we both appreciate your support 👍👍

[@massengineer7582]

In many panels tandem breakers aren't allowed in any slot, period.

[@lts30000]

They say if so.

[@teekay_1]

@@massengineer7582 In other panels, tandems are allowed in all slots. They're not my favorite to use, because they're a little fussy, but they do provide a neat solution int he right circumstances.

[@MuhammadAsif-qh9up]

Hi Dear.i am domestic electrical technician.and

[@mattlewis383]

Brilliant teaching homeowners how to get themselves into trouble with their electrical systems. Priceless.

[@9UaYXxB]

Your comment needs several thousand 'likes'. And I'm a tradesman (HVAC/R) licensed to do equipment specific electrical work up to 600 VAC/DC. A little bit of knowledge is always a recipe for unperceived hazards and unwarranted 'confidence'. And with electricity those misapprehended hazards can be the wrath of God.

[@randywells9676]

know enough to be dangerous lol

[@Keifsanderson]

It would be appreciated and useful if you could point out the dangerous misinformation in this video. I'm a homeowner who intends to move some circuits around.

[@jimhendrix7776]

How lol!!! Youre Just another troll!! Trolling

[@ItsKnotBread]

​@keifsanderson Check what I said in the main comments, I'm sure I saw the same issues as @mattlewis383 so I pointed them out with explanations, and gave 3 proper options, and I'm pretty sure the inspector still wins on the 2 wires under 1 breaker @ 2:20 *one other problem I didn't mention in my other comment was that he says at 2:30 he's combining bedroom and exterior lights, here in Canada, new bedrooms are on an arc fault breaker, and it's best to only have plugs on an arc fault, as the spark from a switch closing, (although in this case a photocell firing, probably no spark) or from certain bulbs/ballasts firing, that spark can cause nuisance tripping on AF breakers, just FYI

[@AM1015-]

Joel you always do such a great and professional job of explaining your work, kudos!! I have learned so much from your channel, ditto with Scott!

[@darryljanzen1019]

So, options 1 & 2 are both code violations in Canada. Also randomly combining lighting circuits can also be code violation . In Canada, maximum number of lights per 15 amp circuit is still 12 regardless of lamp type.

[@RJ-sr5dv]

Canada is a beautiful country. Unfortunately you need to rewire your leader

[@darryljanzen1019]

Not sure rewiring is a viable option. Sometimes replacement of defective equipment is the only option....leaders too!

[@KameraShy]

Panel removal: 1. Remove top two screws. 2. Insert pegs or nails to hold 3. Remove bottom two screws. 4. Pull off panel easily, without struggling. As for those posts demanding all work be done by a "professional" electrician, we have had such "professional" work done that resulted in breakers tripping. Had to straighten out the wiring mess myself. I was unhurried and took the time to do it right. - a DIYer

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback and unfortunately your experience is all too common these days.

[@chaos.corner]

I have an older home that looks like it has received several upgrades since it was on knob-and-tube. I went around with a tester when I moved in and found one instance of live and neutral swapped and a bank of outlets in the kitchen with no ground. Professionals around here are not always what you would hope for if they even show up at all.

[@BillHart46]

Well that is the safest way. If he follows your instructions he will never get the panel off!

[@Sparkeycarp]

Another option in the case of needing to expand a two pole breaker is a quad breaker. We use them a lot when installing car chargers. Another point, make sure you are keeping to the same phase if you have shared neutrals.

[@ryanbowles5158]

@GW2016 how do you mean keep to the same phase if you have shared neutrals? That’s how you overload a neutral, ex 12/3 on a tandem breaker is putting two ckts on one phase and over loading the neutral. You have to have the two hots of a multi wire on different phases with a shared neutral or if using two 12/2 ckts on a tandem each ckt would have to have its own neutral when sharing one phase

[@Mk101T]

@@ryanbowles5158 I took it to mean when combining 2 hots right next to each other vertically . They were previously on opposite legs of the 240 volt feed. So would be best to do this in even numbers of breakers for final . . . assuming the phase load was balanced to begin with . . . ergo the op means do not mess up the phase load as was prior ?

[@smirkinatu5512]

Thank you for the information. I had a specialist from the local guild say I basically needed to demolish the house and start over with a new service. not kidding.

[@James_Knott]

One little safety tip. While he mentioned opening the main switch, I always use a neon lamp to ensure what I'm working on is dead.

[@Sonny_Allgood]

Hey James, You able to explain this one?

[@James_Knott]

@@Sonny_Allgood ???? You mean the neon lamp? I'm referring to those neon test lamps that can be used to see if a circuit is live or not. A neon lamp will work on a wide range of voltages and if it glows when placed across a circuit or between a conductor and ground, then the circuit is live It can also be used to determine if the power is AC or DC and if DC, polarity. It can also detect when there's significant radio energy in the vicinity. It's a very useful device that you can keep in your pocket, like a pen. On example of when I used it was a few years ago, when my outlaws had a dead outlet. I used the neon lamp to verify where there was or was not power, until I found a dud fuse.

[@gerdberg4188]

Use a real tester , static can light up a neon one

[@James_Knott]

@@gerdberg4188 It might flash with static, but it won't stay lit.

[@gerdberg4188]

Hey it's your life if you want to use substandard testing methods .

[@ItsKnotBread]

I haven't encountered that notch/no notch in the bus so that was good info! HOWEVER, I did see a problem at 3:30 in the video! I'm from Canada but this doesn't change from CEC to NEC and I believe is manufacturer spec anyhow (If you have reference to disprove me please reply!) While breakers do allow 2 wires under the terminal, it's my understanding that this is only meant for use in Parallel Run circumstances (2 hot wires of same length for the same circuit), not meant for 2 circuits or combining of circuits. This, as well as the quick connect joint to run a pigtail to a breaker (not allowed any joints in panels **local to me, but are allowed in CEC**, but if allowed, then for sure that's a quick inexpensive option!) But these methods do create constant headaches for electricians by misleading how many circuits or free spaces there are, causing stress on contractors to renegotiate prices! Please people, if circuits can be combined to code, install a junction box (4x4, octagon, etc) outside of the panel to combine the circuits and run a single wire into the panel, Switch to space saver breakers if available, Install a subpanel, Or just call an electrician, the next guy will thank you

[@bukkakekills5163]

I agree with everything you said except the splices in the panel. You can extend wires in the panel if they do not leave the panel, Ive argued this with code references and won. 6-212(1) and 12-3032 (2) a,ii,b

[@ItsKnotBread]

@bukkakekills5163 You're bang on there! the code rules do allow you, I misspoke saying CEC so thanks for correction, locally it's a bylaw/part of fire code so we just don't do it altogether, and I wasn't sure how wide-spread that might be. If allowed locally, then definitely, when you hafta you gotta!

[@richardcollejr.5121]

I don't like quick connect fittings.should be banned.there is not enough contact point on the tab of the connector. For lights they're fine not a lot of load especially today with LEDs they shouldn't even be on recepticals especially with a big draw seen a lot of burnt recepticals and burnt wire casing

[@richardcollejr.5121]

Extensions are fine in the panel just don't use one wire from breaker to extend 2 feeds on the same breaker

[@stanleyreynolds7800]

Where I come from, there are no splices allowed in a sub panel. The inspector would have shutoff the main panel until that was fixed.

[@woodwaker1]

good information, especially about the Eaton panel. I have a double 15 and a double 20 on order to add more circuits, now I know I need them at the bottom, also going to add a whole house surge protector

[@frotobaggins7169]

While I recognize the power was off as stated early on, "turn off the service disconnect", there are some bad habits in this video. Such as touching the uninsulated screwdriver with fingers. Yes, I know the power was off and the hand had a rubber type glove but it's a bad habit in electrical work none the less. As is placing your fingers near the buss bar, again, I realize power was off but it's a bad habit. I was always taught to treat every circuit as if it were a live circuit. It only takes one mistake. If I recall Siemens makes a copper buss 40 slot panel which is great for adding space. Although it will still require the cost of changing the panel.

[@KpxUrz5745]

Yes, it only takes 1 mistake! Years ago I needed to work in the panel but was unable to turn off the incoming power because of a non-cooperative landord in NYC. I thought I was being careful, but not careful enough! Used needlenose pliers and it accidentally shorted something. A big flash, loud electrical pop, and a nice deep slot etched into the pliers! Scary stuff.

[@frotobaggins7169]

@@KpxUrz5745 Yeah, a panel, energized or not, is no place to be touching metal objects and not paying sharp attention to who and what is grounded. I get that this guy knows what's up but he's speaking to people who don't know. So showing them bad habits is not a good idea. The average home owner should stay out of panels if they don't know what is going on inside.

[@John-mk3oe]

just like a gun, always loaded !!!

[@jstar1000]

I've been a home inspector for over 20 years and have removed thousands of electrical panels and have never killed the power first, of course I couldn't do that in someone else's home in the first place. Seems a little overkill to me but of course its a safer way to do it. I also remove the last screw like you show, have a few panels slip on you and you figure that out pretty quick.

[@robreda9221]

You can just tell people to shuffle their breakers around if needed. You didn’t mention phasing. It looks like there are 3 wire circuits in that panel that share a neutral. If you shuffle those circuits around you could potentially cause a dangerous situation where the neutral gets burnt up due to the 2 circuits winding up on the same phase.

[@rayray3622]

Thats a perfect way to get an overload, also looks like there a bunch of slots on the bottom left

[@Roy-ij1wq]

While not required by code in some jurisdictions, it is a good idea to have the smoke detectors on a separate circuit. I just replaced a First Alert CO & Smoke detector and it came with the following warning: Caution - Make sure the Alarm is not receiving excessively noisy power. Examples of noisy power could be major appliances on the same circuit, power from a generator or solar power, light dimmer on the same circuit or mounted near fluorescent lighting. Excessively noisy power may cause damage to your Alarm.

[@mattalbrecht7471]

My smoke alarms (all nine of them) share one circuit. Nothing else is on it

[@Roy-ij1wq]

@@mattalbrecht7471 Mine too. My comment was based on the comment the electrician made at the 2:20 mark in the video.

[@edwardmcdermott9948]

in my opinion it's better to share the circuit and if someone turns the circuit off to silence the alarm it is not forgotten about and left off!!!!

[@NativelyBornAmerican]

Another note on tandem breakers that I didn’t hear mentioned in the video: if you plan to load the circuit to near capacity, don’t place it in a tandem breaker. The heat generated in the smaller breaker can cause earlier failure of the breaker.

[@johnbattista9519]

Please tell me how the heat will affect a breaker? There is a coil, a set of contacts, and a spring.. iron core, and silicone liquid.

[@NativelyBornAmerican]

@@johnbattista9519 as I’m sure you’re aware, running a breaker at, or very near, its current limit will cause the breaker to become very warm. This is by design since they’re designed to thermal trip with extended over-current at roughly 10-15% of their rated capacity. Or they trip instantly with a short. Now consider the greatly reduced physical shell size where heat dissipation is reduced. Any breaker will eventually fail when heat-stressed for long enough. I ran a couple tests many years ago (maybe 25 years?) where I loaded several different brands and sizes of breakers to 95-105% of their rated load. I can tell you the tandem breakers failed long before standard size breakers did. Essentially, they baked themselves. In two of them, the plastic cracked and had signs of charring.

[@ralphcrawford9741]

@@johnbattista9519 Most common (non-GFCI/AFCI) breakers are called thermal-magnetic trip. Current passes through BOTH a bi-metal and a coil. The bi-metal (similar to the one in your wall thermostat) monitors "normal current" and will bend away from its contact when heat generated by load current passing through it exceeds the breaker's current rating. This thermal mode protects your wiring from inadvertent overloads and acts slowly (seconds to minutes) depending on the amount of overload. Conversely, the coil essentially generates no heat but creates a magnetic field due to the current passing through it. Magnetic field intensity is proportional to the RATE OF CHANGE of current creating it. When there is a high-current short on the breaker's load side, the current change through the breaker's coil rises rapidly and 'instantaneously' trips the breaker magnetically. The "instantaneous" trip current is often about 8 - 10 times the rated current and is normally not listed on household type breakers. (However you will usually see "10k A.I.C." on a panel or breaker label. This means '10,000 Amps Interrupt Current' rating and tells you that if the utility could supply 10,000 amps into a short circuit through your breaker, that breaker, by design and testing, could interrupt that current without welding its contacts or exploding. Utility and system engineers use such information to perform a system "Fault and Coordination" study to assure that any electrical power system can cope with overloads and shorts without destroying itself or harming persons and property - which is also the underlying purpose and intent of the National Electrical Code.) Every breaker's specifications include a set of "inverse time" curves that relate both the instantaneous and thermal times to the amount of overcurrents. These are used by electrical system design engineers to "coordinate" a system's breaker settings. For instance, in a hospital or other critical setting, you would not want the whole 1000 amp system to shut down because of a small short or overload in only one 20 amp circuit. The panel's supply bus and breaker load wires tend to remove heat from a breaker but heat can still build up in highly-loaded breakers. High temperatures (like 200 degrees F) decompose wood and plastics into charcoal or carbon (known as Pyrolysis) which, like the composition of an electronic circuit's resistor, conducts electricity that then can form a path to ground that generates more heat and more decomposition. Pyrolysis can lower ignition temperatures from over 400 degrees to around 200 degrees over the course of days or weeks, resulting in delayed-ignition fires.

[@gerdberg4188]

If the breaker is rated for it you can load it . Any breaker running near constant full load will have a shorter life

[@gerdberg4188]

@@johnbattista9519 do you not think heat affects the performance of the materials individually AND as a system . This is just mechanical parts of an electrical distribution system . Yes site conditions and operating parameters all affect the life of any type mechanical electrical equipment . The more current you pull or push , depending on which way you look at it , the more heat is produced . More heat for most systems equates to a shorter life .

[@busterdeadpool]

I passed the pro test, alot of electricians especially union guys in my experience will sometimes cut the breaker to jam it in and im always shaking my head. Glad you brought this up my hats off to you

[@njineermike]

WTAF? Cut the breakers? Thats just insanity.

[@busterdeadpool]

@@njineermike yea they take a multi tool and cut out the back tab that prevents its use. Scary shit

[@njineermike]

@@busterdeadpool That is terrifying. Theres a Scottish guy that tests stuff on utube and one video is a "circuit breaker" thats nothing more than a toggle switch with a detent to appear to be a thermal-mag breaker. It even has legit looking markings on it. Once I find it ill post a link.

[@njineermike]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIWtdq2aptmLorM

[@RCinginSC]

Great colab for valuable info. 👍

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thx man!

[@willwaconsya3433]

You might also add that being in the field I have seen people who mix and match different manufacture breakers in one panel. Big violation of the code. Good video. I was taught to wire nut 2 circuits together and one wire into the breaker. All with the same gauge wire. I am retired 15 years so I am sure there have been many revisions to the code.

[@inkdaddy66]

Thanks a bunch for this video. I didn’t know you could pigtail off of a breaker. You learn something new everyday. Thanks again!

[@johnbattista9519]

Check your local code before pig tailing.

[@KameraShy]

@@johnbattista9519 I would presume that local codes are not that granular. My town just adopts the NEC wholesale with just one modification - a big one; they don't allow Romex, conduit only.

[@lukejones7366]

​@@johnbattista9519 yeah, using a panel as a junction box has never been something I knew to be code approved.. But who's gonna catch you unless your house burns down and they deny your insurance claim 👏😅

[@replyhere590]

@@KameraShy When do you think your locality will get public power and Internet service--they sound a little behind?

[@inkdaddy66]

@@johnbattista9519 where can I find my local code? It’s not as simple as looking in the nec code book. Is it?

[@ourv9603]

I used to install gas station eq. I lost track of how many PROFFESSONAL electricians would wire the cash register inside the store to L1 & all or some of the pumps outside to L2. Someone would turn on the regular #3 pump & 240vac would go to the pump relay & !POW! a flash & some smoke. So I got into the habit of checking all the wiring at each pump BEFORE I applied power. Good times. !

[@davidfeldman7001]

You don’t mention to make sure if you combine or rearrange circuits you don’t end up having two circuits that may be sharing a neutral on the same phase in the panel. This occurs when a three wire Romex is used to power two circuits and sharing the neutral.

[@anxiousappliance]

For real, why would someone do that? I had a shared neutral in my barn and the insulation was damaged.

[@darrendolphdragos9752]

This was a very low effort, not well thought out video and it should not be aimed at DIYers. It touched on many complex issues, homeowners and DIYers should not be attempting to make these kinds of modifications.

[@ajracer89]

I removed several baseboard heaters that were no longer used. This freed up space for my mini splits.

[@replyhere590]

interesting, we're about to do that at our farmhouse that we're renovating. It has old baseboard electric heaters that we're taking out. My wife detests the look of mini splits, but they are the wave of the future.

[@ajracer89]

@@replyhere590 quick way to freed up space on the panel. One quote I got was to install a larger electrical panel, $$$. Needless to say I didn’t got that route.

[@vince6829]

Very useful information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@ef2b]

Our jurisdiction limits the number of outlets per branch regardless of load. The lesson is that it is not enough to look at the NEC adopted at your location. You must also determine whether there have been additional modification / restrictions that may impose additional requirements or restrictions.

[@chuckg2016]

1. I've never heared an electrician or read any publication that advises homeowners to enter a panel. 2. You skip all the way around ampacity and current amperage load. 3. Available wire lenfth in the panel might not be sufficient to allow much shuffling if any.

[@fritzmiller9792]

I could write pages of what these guys don't (actually can't) tell people in these DIY videos.....they are so anxious to tell what they know but ignore the many things only experience can give to the viewers. They are like Fathers and Uncles spreading disinformation, LoL. (I got that line from Click and Clack 😆)

[@chuckg2016]

@@fritzmiller9792 I 100% agree with all you said. They give just enough to get people in trouble; then those people are shocked by the cost for someone else to come in now.

[@victorrael8714]

nice info. my city went stupid a few decades ago my having all newer homes designed with the breaker box outside the house next to the meter, rather then the older way of in utility closet or garage.

[@dubmob151]

I was surprised seeing that in other localities; not sure why that would be done. Saving space in the house? I only see disadvantages to the practice, accelerated degradation, external tampering, having to run outside in the weather to reset a tripped breaker, and probably many other things.

[@kevinberniebarron7548]

Thanks for the info., great video! I had one question. Have you heard of a "Pushmatic" breaker panel? I have a 200 amp Pushmatic breaker panel! It was installed in about 1980 and from my understanding it's no longer made and obsolete! Any suggestions?

[@originalfred66]

I have Pushmatic in my 1977 house. I had to replace a breaker, and they are hard to find locally. You can order them online more easily.

[@billhandymanbill2775]

Most, if not all, electricians would suggest the immediate change out of "Pushmatic" and "Federal Pacific" panels/breakers because the manufacturers lost their electrical certification as a result of past demonstrated failures/fires/problems.

[@kevinberniebarron7548]

@@billhandymanbill2775 Thanks for the advice! Any suggestions on what name brand of breaker panel would be best?

[@billhandymanbill2775]

@@kevinberniebarron7548 Yes I do.... "Square D" brand is the most popular name in the industry, and you can find their breakers in the big box stores too. Square D is a very reputable and safe brand too. I would also suggest putting in a "whole house surge protector in the electrical panel, as now required by NEC code, to protect all of your major household appliances and computers, televisions, microwave, etc. Check with your power company/electrician about putting a 200-amp service panel and that should cover most of your common electrical needs.

[@kevinberniebarron7548]

@@billhandymanbill2775 Thank you! As you know, my old 1980 Pushmatic 200 amp breaker panel, definitely needs to be replaced! That will be my top priority for 2023!

[@Sparkeycarp]

I was not going to add this comment. However after talking with some other licensed pros we all agree that stating that this can be done by homeowners is not safe. There are just too many things that have to be paid attention to in a panel. Pinched wires, poorly landed wires, unseated breakers, wrong screws, bad wire routing or pinching. The list goes on. Outlets and switches are protected by 15 and 20 amp breakers usually and don't have the potential of a 200 amp mistake.

[@teekay_1]

I've never seen an electrician shut off all power before removing the cover, but it's good advice. The downside to combining circuits is that if you turn off the power to do some sort of electrical work is you will turn off a lot more of the house with each breaker. Do yourself a favor and write down everything controlled by the circuit in some detail and tape it inside the box somehow. At a minimum, try to balance both sides of the service. The best solution, albeit a very expensive one, is to split the service coming into the house into two panels and then you'll have plenty of room for growth. If you get an automatic standby generator, you'll end up doing that anyway.

[@hankkline7300]

OSHA requires protective gear to remove a panel cover even if you turn off the panel. Until you verify it. (Nobody does it)

[@teekay_1]

@@hankkline7300 It's good advice and well considered, but as a practical matter, many electricians doing a branch circuit in an existing panel will wire a breaker first and then snap it into the live panel, unless they're doing a major rewire. They they'll shut the whole thing down.

[@Sc-jf3yk]

@@hankkline7300 OSHA doesn't have jurisdiction over homeowners or farmers with under 12 employees.

[@hankkline7300]

@@Sc-jf3yk Who mentioned OSHA?

[@Sc-jf3yk]

@@hankkline7300 you did

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

A couple things not mentioned, there is a limit to how many splices (those red wire nuts and the Wago he installed are splices) allowed in a panel, check your local codes. The tandem breakers are on the same phase so you can't use them to get 220. The slots on the bus are to prevent overheating breakers close to the incoming power. Many breakers including tandem have rejection tabs preventing them from using a slot in the top half. I would agree, not a lot of other electricians know about this. If you do your own work, it's always a good idea to have a licensed electrician look at what you've done before drywall goes up. Money well spent before inspections.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

@@Kevin-mp5of And what would happen if all the high-amp and 240 breakers were at the bottom, away from the feed?

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

@@Kevin-mp5of You are an electrician?

[@darrendolphdragos9752]

No, the slots on the bus are to allow the tandems, and are typically placed near the bottom because that's where the manufacturers decided to put them. Just about every manufacturer makes a 20/40 panel where EVERY slot allows a tandem, disproving your theory tandems are kept away from incoming power.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

@@darrendolphdragos9752 According to you.

[@meperson]

Smoke detectors must be connected to light load to ensure you notice if they trip by not having light.

[@kenbrown2808]

that may be a local rule, but it's not a code requirement.

[@WilliamEades_Frostbite]

@@kenbrown2808 And some jurisdictions require them to be on a dedicated circuit.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@WilliamEades_Frostbite a central alarm without a battery backup is required to have a dedicated circuit.

[@WilliamEades_Frostbite]

@@kenbrown2808 Here ALL new builds require battery backup and dedicated circuit...Local Codes.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@WilliamEades_Frostbite and here they'd prefer standard smoke detectors be on a general lighting circuit so a bad resident won't just turn them off and pull the batteries.

[@boblatkey7160]

Smart panels are awesome. We sell solar powered battery backup systems and now we can put many more circuits on the back up load panel because when the power goes out and you have a smart panel you can choose which circuits you need energized and which circuits you can shut off. I can literally go on my phone and check to see that my battery is 90% full and then I will go ahead and energize the air conditioner for two hours. For example.

[@jenko701]

Smoke detectors should always be tied to kitchen or bathroom lights ,so you will always know if they are out .

[@stevencole7331]

Most detectors have battery backup and will chirp if power goes out

[@Sc-jf3yk]

Depends on jurisdiction

[@jenko701]

@@Sc-jf3yk over and above jurisdiction, I think it’s a good thing to do . My main thing is never home run smoke detectors,yes I know it will beep when the battery backup gets weak ,but if you can’t see in your bath room you will most likely investigate. If your home run smock detector breaker is tripped you won’t know until the beeping.

[@andrewshedron425]

New powered smokes will always chirp if no power or something not hooked up right. It doesn't wait till the battery is weak.

[@Sc-jf3yk]

@@jenko701 and again depends on jurisdiction and inspections. Really doesn't matter what you think. If it's wrong you'll just fail

[@CUSTOMWORKS7.3PSD]

I have a older home and installed new gas water heater, gas dryer and finally gas stove Removing the electric appliances opening up several spots in my box

[@lyndakempland4559]

If I was an electrician I'd wire my box like this. Very organized and neat. My box is disorganized and lazy. I used to wire f18 and AV8B testing boxes and always branched them and zip tied them

[@100vg]

Me, too! I always route all wires going toward a same direction as neatly organized in branching groups going into more branched groups until the final destination wires are terminated. It's just something I have to do. I guess it started in the Air Navy, working my way up the enlisted ladder, and upon reaching a new base assignment both times, as an Aviation Electrician's Mate, I would support a Squadron of P2 Antisubmarine Warfare/Search and Rescue, twin Radial/Rotary Piston Props with wingtip jet boosters, on the squadron line, maintaining the P2's electrical systems, including wiring bundles, and its various Navigation Systems. Once the Avionics Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) section was completed within the Electricians' Repair Section of AIMD to support the modified-from-an Airliner into the P3A Orion Patrol Aircraft to take over the P2's Mission. I worked on the Analog Computer Navigation/Guidance System and, its backup, the Attitude Heading Reference System, indoors in the A/C. This happened at the beginning of each enlistment, working on the squadron line, briefly, as I waited for AIMD to be ready for my section to be used. Other than a tendency to always do my best, also considering appearance, my neat freak wiring preference probably came from the Navy. What kind of work did you do? I wanted to be an Avionics Electronics Tech, but a high frequency hearing loss prevented that, but my job, rated as an Electrician, still got me working in electronics.

[@billymays3541]

Best in the Business, literally have never heard of this guy before.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Where ya been 🙂

[@jutde]

I was concerned that my house was tapped out on 200 amp service because I wanted to install On-Demand water heating. I started tracing lines to realize that roughly 30% were installed by an idiot. For instance: The doorbell chime transformer had its own dedicated 20 amp breaker…

[@teekay_1]

" The doorbell chime transformer had its own dedicated 20 amp breaker…" What kind of music did it play?

[@WilliamEades_Frostbite]

@@teekay_1 Symphonic.

[@Wrang15]

I am tapped out at 200 amps... if my heat, well, septic, dryer, hot water, dishwasher, heater all kick in, welder , blame 200 Amp main shuts down... can't get the power company to up me to 400 amps gerrr. .... lol smart panel we only have dsl where I am. 1mps... unless you go to a Sat system. Rural places are stuck in the 80s.

[@Sc-jf3yk]

I maxed out my panel by running light circuits. The inspector counts the circuits in the panel and records it. Now If I add new circuits or load the curcuit I don't need the inspection or the permit. Lot less headache. Might be the reason for the doorbell

[@livingdeadbtu]

This is why I prefer to install GE Q-line panels. Sure, Eaton and Square D panels are cheaper up front than a Q-line... but they get you on the back end. Q line breakers are much cheaper than the others, and they also have half width breakers readily available. This allows much more flexibility later down the road. A 20 amp q line runs about 6 to 8 bucks, whereas a square D is over double that!

[@JohnThomas-lq5qp]

Good luck with POS garbage that ge throws out there. A union contractor installed two 120/208 42 circuit ge junk panels and you could only open the doors maybe 50 degrees while the NEC mandates 90 degrees. Every Expensive GE million dollar plus 13,200 volt dual service with automatic tie breaker gave me serious problems.Last one halve ass ge engineers put vents at eye level on 13,200 volt dual service switchgear that had a CAK rating iver 100. This set up guarantees that you will not be buried during a short circuit while transferring loads. You will be cremated from ge design. Of course we were told that above a 50 CAL short circuit no PPE can protect you. The arc flash blast that high would throw a fat person back at least 40'. GE service & parts were always the worst to deal with. GE even managed to contaminate one of our 13,200 volt transformers with hazardous PCB'S back in the 1970'S because they were too lazy to use a clean 100' long filter hose but used a hose filled with oil that contained PCB'S.

[@adamsurjan2228]

Do not follow this advice! The way that was shown in the video can easily overload the neutral capacity for the 2 circuits combined depending on how the house was wired initially. The proper, safe, and code compliant way to do this requires more knowledge and experience than represented. If you need to make space in your panel it can be done, but it needs to be done correctly. This is a oversimplification of a common problem. Follow at your own risk. 25 year licensed master electrician.

[@KameraShy]

That should have been addressed in the video. Probably shared neutral. They did that, back then. Like my house. My understanding (DIYer) is that shared neutrals should NOT be on the same phase.

[@ianclark1972]

I love these videos... I repeat it's like going back to the 1970s the standards in the USA compared to the UK..

[@lophiz1945]

C’mon. All your doing is jerry-rigging to accommodate new circuits. Do the job right and put in a sub-panel or just rip that one out and put in a bigger one. If you guess wrong you could seriously overload a circuit and leave the customer with a problem they paid not to have.

[@MarioRodriguez-gv9km]

Everything he said is accurate and absolutely the right way to do it to the point of load capacity.

[@johnbushur6080]

Joel’s channel is awesome too! I have learned a lot from both of you.

[@noryaa4194]

Don't EVER do what is shown in the thumbnail.

[@rogerwhiting9310]

Follow Square D recommendations? It's rated for 2 wires to the breaker.

[@Cherokee10g]

WHY?

[@rogerwhiting9310]

@@Cherokee10g probably has no idea why you shouldn't follow the manufacturers safety data.

[@noryaa4194]

@@Cherokee10g The possibility of arcing. The creation of heat. The creation of potential unnecessary loosening of points of contact. Creating more branch circuit pathways to result in over current conditions. This is inviting the branch circuit loads via the outlet-receptacles to overload the over current device (the breaker; which will then, if done, have MORE pathways via TOO many cable conductor hots to result in maximum current amps flowing thus throwing the breaker). Reducing the clamp strength of the screw securement of the conductors under the pressure plate. Creating a new hazard of loosening from vibration. Etc.... There should be only ONE hot conductor terminated into the breaker. Do NOT stack two conductors into one breaker under one pressure plate even if it may have a metal pressing that has the seating shape. There should only be ONE hot conductor terminated to ONE over current protection device.

[@noryaa4194]

​@@Cherokee10g Such installation is example of shoddy construction that attempts to squeeze every penny out of a dollar. It's also the hallmark of lazy, unintelligent branch circuit wiring planning, load calculations and installation.

[@chrisidzerda2963]

I put it a 60 amp 12 branch as i took out the 1950 fused panel. I also added lots of new circuits

[@briantruxtonjr.6108]

Never believe the know it all guy. "Gonna show you something pro's don't know" 🚩🚩🚩

[@Troy-McClure81]

Ugh my house is a mess 1990 Las Vegas builder special, ive got kitchen outlets tied in with dining room lights breaker,I literally have 3 breakers for my kitchen..not to mention when I replaced the GFCI in kitchen it wasn't wired properly and wasn't even working.Cant wait to change the one in garage im sure that is messed up too .I have to replace whole panel soon its been rotting outside in the vegas sun for 30+years, and one breaker keeps tripping under load so that's concerning ,great video for all the folks out there thank you

[@Teh_Random_Canadian]

Ya... you shouls have your electrical checked out sooner rather then later. Doesn't sound good

[@Teh_Random_Canadian]

@@Kevin-mp5of You Still high AF aren't you?

[@WilliamEades_Frostbite]

A constantly tripping breaker is an indicator of an issue. Either wiring or a device on the circuit. Either one could start a fire.

[@Troy-McClure81]

@@WilliamEades_Frostbite im thinking its the wiring i replaced the outlet and its fine,replaced a 30 year old back stabbed from builder.Once I get back to work from my surgery and get some money coming back in im having the whole system gone through its a mess..and its better then the plumbing lol

[@WilliamEades_Frostbite]

@@Troy-McClure81 If one was back stabbed, then it's a good bet that they are ALL that way, including the switches. What I did in my home when I bought it was over the course of a few weekends, power down one room at a time and swap every device from back stab to side screw as I too had power issues. The next thing I did was to re-torque every connection in the Main Panel. The number of loose terminals there was amazing. The last thing was to call in for a "Cut Seal" authorization, pull the meter and retorque all the Service Feed Terminals in both the Meter base and the House Panel. I found a couple of loose terminals there as well. What the point here is that the older the home, the more likely that thermal cycling from current load over time has caused the wire under the terminals to deform and "Loosen" in relation to the connection. So the first thing I do on a call for Trip or fluctuation problems is to check the terminal torque on everything in the panel. You would be amazed at the number of times I've found the problem is nothing more than a loose breaker terminal.

[@dannycalk8051]

When you made that joint in the box that was a violation, because the panel is not listed as a junction box. You could create a hazard situation here by combining the two wires , if both wires are listed as 20 amp circuits, and you put the two together then you have two 20 ampere circuits under one 20 ampere breakers.

[@mikebavoso26]

At the beginning when you remove the two Breakers and piggybacked the wire onto one breaker you changed the phase of the second breaker. If the second breaker and the first breaker had a common neutral you're going to burn the neutral out by now applying double amps to the neutral.

[@tombrownca]

Subscribing to Joel's channel. If the rest of his content it as helpful as this was, I'm going to be SO happy!

[@R0nnieFR0wn]

Not sure if you mention this in the video and I missed it or not. Are wagyu connectors okay for every panel or does your panel have to state that they are acceptable?

[@billsmith9249]

FYI: According to the manufacturer, the proper pronunciation of this product is: [Vah-go], they do acknowledge [way-go]/

[@adenllc7593]

I have only two spot but I need 220v for the dryer and 110 for the lights can I use two single pole to get 220V and use one of the two to get 110 only ?

[@timhofstetter5654]

Swap out regular breakers with mini-tandems. That gives you full circuit protection, which you don't get from combined circuits.

[@kenibnanak5554]

This only solves half the problem caused by a full box. Granted using the Wago pigtail frees up a breaker slot. But the box was full. Where do you put the ground and neutral on the new circuit you are now adding to the box? Do you run more Wago pigtails on the ground and the neutral of the new addition?

[@samsen3965]

Can a subpannel be used for feeding into another subpannel?

[@mohamed1104]

My smoke detectors have to be on a separate 15amp circuit by code where I am, smh. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s what they wanted when I re-wired the house. Thankfully I used gas appliances and heating to offset the electrical load from the panel. Without doing that, I would have just simply ran out of room on the panel I have. Very educational video though, thank you for posting!!

[@ourv9603]

Heres a trick I do. Whenever I move into a new house, BEFORE anything is moved into the space, using a wall lamp as a tester I test each & every outlet & switch & label the breakers. ALSO, on the wall above each outlet, at the ceiling, I place one of those colored dot stickers you find at the office supply. NOW, in the future, when I am searching for an outlet all I have to do is look up. !

[@willpartin622]

thanks for the video, Scott! HELP! I'm replacing an old Federal Pacific 100-amp panel with a 200-amp Square D Hameline panel, so I will need to upgrade the service entrance cable and want to use 2/0 THHN copper. The outdoor meter can/box is mounted low, (30" off the ground at bottom edge of can) outside, so if I use the bottom rear 2-inch knockout of the meter can, it will put the hole through the wall below the bottom edge of the new breaker panel by about 8 inches, so I will have to make a vertical 90 upwards turn from hole in wall to bottom knockout of the new panel. I cannot find a 2" close 90 PVC electrical fitting so I'm guessing they don't make one. My question is: how do I make that vertical 90 turn upwards? It will eventually be covered in drywall. Do I need to have the inside copper leads in conduit at all? If I use switch to 4/0 aluminum, do I need conduit inside the wall cavity? thanks in advance!

[@Dogatemyhomework927]

I love the newer panels with smarts!!

[@jolyonwelsh9834]

You can buy tandem breakers without the restricting clip in them. Such breakers have a warning sticker which says "For replacement use only. NOT for CTL( circuit limiting) assemblies". You have to ask for them at your supply house. And they cost twice as much as the regular tandem breakers.

[@darrendolphdragos9752]

Which can only be legally installed in older panels with the rejection feature. Not the panel shown in the video.

[@albatross5466]

The code that I am familiar with regarding smoke/CO detectors is that they SHALL be wired to a 15A lighting circuit. That way you can't turn them off without the inconvenience of shutting lighting off.

[@Icehso140]

Smokes and CO detectors also get wired before and in the same circuit as the CO source. That way you can't use the CB to silence the detector without killing the source of the problem. Depends on local code requirements because the NEC is bare minimum. You can always improve the install.

[@KevinBenecke]

If you are considering a panel upgrade, you should plan ahead to the possibility of needing tandem circuit breakers. You should read and find out how many of these can be added down the road if needed. My home several years ago got a Square D 100 amp Homeline panel. We don't have electric heat and the only 220 volt items in my home are and electric dryer, my through the wall A/C and the feed to my detached garage that has it's own sub-panel. The panel I had put in can actually handle tandem breakers in every space in the panel. Believe it or not, they used to make a tandem 220 volt breaker. It had 4 breaker switches in it. The 2 outer breaker switches were 2 single separate 110 volt 20 amp breakers. The 2 middle breakers were tied together and was for a 220volt 30 amp circuit usually for an electric dryer or water heater. I don't know if you can get those anymore. I think some brands still make them.

[@KevinBenecke]

One other thing I think you should have mentioned in the video is that you cannot connect a 220 volt circuit to a tandem breaker because this could overload the single phase because the 2 breakers share the single tab on the bus bar. You have to use 2 tabs to properly have a 220 volt circuit.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback Kevin 👍

[@darrendolphdragos9752]

Those breakers were called quads and were popular with the Murray and Bryant brands, perhaps others as well. Code now requires most residential circuits to have AFCI or CAFCI protection making the addition of circuits via tandems a moot point and no longer an option. If every space in your 100 amp panel can accommodate a tandem, it's a 20/40 panel and the cheapest on the market.

[@07BSPtC]

Many jurisdictions recommend having some lights on smoke detector circuit so if an issue you identify it quickly.

[@RCRoads]

Did you just combine A phase and B phase conductors? Now you could have an "Unbalanced load" and excessive current on your neutral. Common mistake in residential but it looks like this wasn't a multi wire branch circuit so you probably have 2 neutrals, and your fine. Besides it would be a violation of Section 210.4(B) not to have simultaneous disconnecting means such as a 2 pole breaker or a tie bar connecting 2 single pole breakers. 210.4(D) requires ungrounded and grounded circuit conductors are to be grouped by cable ties or similar means. Good job on the video. It was very informative. 👍

[@bubbatime]

If I was combining circuits (as the Wago depicted) I would still use a wire nut as they offer less resistance and run 10 degrees cooler at 18 amps, and I would use a 12 gauge wire to the circuit breaker for the same reason.

[@stevenpehl8593]

What do you think about wago connectors instead of wire nuts? ty

[@vladb4727]

It is very informative. Thank you ! Will the inspector approve this splicing method? is it legal?

[@TheSpatulaCity]

I actually didn't know about the disallowed tandem slots on Eaton panels. Thanks.

[@sgsellsit]

If you were leaving that breaker spot open for future use; what was the point in combining? Next. If some inspectors opened a box and saw one single wire nut.....Instant Fail and violation. That box is full of them. Now in some instances depending on your area, a 220/230/240v or double pole single phase breaker can be used as a split circuit. This automatically balances the load across the two bus bars. In North America the ground/neutral circuit is one bar or two opposing bars connected to one another. Thus all grounds and neutrals run on the same single conductor. The incoming line has three conductors in which at the service pole runs to a grounding rod, the conductors are connected in the meter base and the ground is connected to another grounding rod below or within a certain distance of the entrance. Then another conductor travels and connects to the ground/neutral lug in the main panel. This conductor is all one circuit and continuous to ground. If you are combining circuits that are running the same combined amperage as before then there is no risk of overloading the neutral. However if you bring that combined circuit over the replaced circuit load limit then yes it is possible. Honestly I never use 14awg wire for anything. 14awg wire is a main cause of infrastructure electrical fires. I always use a minimum 12awg. Any 120v major appliance should be a home run. This includes refrigerators (standard or mini), microwaves, ice makers, under cabinet coolers, dishwashers, clothes washers etc. I always use a minimum 10awg for those circuits. I always use at least 2 home runs to each bedroom. A lighting circuit and a receptacle circuit. If a major appliance such as a mini fridge is likely, I will run another. Depending on the devices in kitchens and baths, I have used up to 8 homeruns in kitchens before and up to 5 in bathrooms. I even opt for larger services, incoming conductors and larger panels. Overkill? More expensive? Yes, maybe. But in the end, safer. Peace of mind is priceless. In new construction, if you plan ahead and allow for upgrades and add ons, then it is better to install fresh than having to go back and fish wire, add circuits etc.

[@jasonfoster9118]

Push lock connections suck. I had push lock receptacles in the house I was renting and I got curious so I checked the receptacles and found 3 that had gotten loose and melted the insulation back about 3" into the wall. Damn near burned the house down. I've also done maintenance for 20 years and seen lots of problems with push lock style connectors. Each to their own but wire nuts are great if you learn how to use them properly and pull on the wires when you're done to make sure they're secure. Wire nuts also provide a lot more surface to surface contact for the wires than the WAGO style do.

[@JC_Norris]

In older homes with multi-wire branch circuits (MWBC), often to both lights and outlets, combining circuits does not work well!

[@brandonknight7240]

Did you re-do this video? I thought i saw you craming 2 conductors in a breaker "to make space" saying it was ok in some circumstances

[@SteveStowell]

Exterior and interior lights and outlets must be separate circuits in places. Also some require separate circuits per room so those could not be combined

[@bobgrauer]

What is the difference in using Wago connectors and back wiring an outlet or switch?

[@XbotcrusherX]

Interestingly, some jurisdictions prefer or REQUIRE that you have other devices on the alarm circuit (in one instance, it was the lighting circuit for the basement) to discourage pulling the batteries and killing the circuit.