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Re: How is this circuit working?
I’ll take a stab…but it is dependant on your description being correct.
1: The two breakers must be on the same leg (phase), otherwise one of the breakers would have tripped (or the wires melted).
2: Assuming #1 is right, nothing. You still have a 120 volt circuit.
3: Again assuming #1, then yes, two breakers used in parallel like that will split the load…fairly evenly. You effectively have a 30-amp breaker protecting #14 wires. Not good! Actually, the only reason I can think of for someone to do this is because they were overloading and tripping the 15-amp breaker in the first place. This was their...ummm..."fix". FYI, if the circuit got to, or close to, 30-amps then one breaker would trip followed immediately by the other. Of course, you may have a fire started by that time!
4: If you have 14-2 plus ground inside metallic conduit, I think you should use the “romex” grounding wire, just because it is present and not doing so could lead to confusion. (but either would work)
5: See #1. In other words…no.
BTW...got a photo of the whole panel?
Last edited by Richard Moore : 06-30-2009 at 09:12 PM.
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