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  1. #1
    David Edens's Avatar
    David Edens Guest

    Default Single wired breaker?

    Came across a house that had a couple of red flags electrically speaking. For one, the house had a 100 amp subpanel (with several breakers)- including another 100 amp breaker subpanel off the 100 amp. Also, I saw several breakers with only one hot conduit coming out of it and the other neutral was taped off. How does that even work as it seems that the circuit is not complete?

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  2. #2
    Jim Zborowski's Avatar
    Jim Zborowski Guest

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    Assuming it's a 110v breaker, there should be only one wire off it, as most are not designed for two wires. A 220v breaker ( like two tied together) will have two, one off each side.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Knoxville, TN
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    2,560

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    Hard to tell from your description. Was it as double pole breaker that only had one wire to it? You also said "other neutral". Not sure what you mean there. Was there a white wire that had black tape on it? Was it connected to the other pole of the breaker?

    A photo would be a big help here.
    JF


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    New Mexico
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    1,352

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    It's not right, but they could be sharing a neutral back to the panel, or it could be 240 circuit of some type, and they didn't use 12-3 or 10-3 wire.

    Jim Robinson
    New Mexico, USA

  5. #5
    Jim Zborowski's Avatar
    Jim Zborowski Guest

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    Could be thinking the ground is a nuetral.
    Black hot
    White nuetral
    Bare or green Ground
    Could be looking at 14 or 12-3 which would usually have a red common for three way switches.
    Unless of course it's 220v with a black and red hot, still with a white nuetral and bare or green ground.
    Or,could be................................
    Need a pic.

    Last edited by Jim Zborowski; 02-28-2008 at 09:55 AM. Reason: addition

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Mustang
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    215

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    Jim, it sounds to me like they are using the 10/2 with ground from the dryer 220 plug and changed it to 110 for a gas dryer using the ground wire for the netural and taped the white off.


  7. #7
    Jim Zborowski's Avatar
    Jim Zborowski Guest

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    Could be Tony, around here I see HVAC guys use #10 or #12 w/g for 220 too.

    Once saw a diy'er use 12-2 w/g and connected them with crimp butt connectors. Anything is possoble.


  8. #8
    James Duffin's Avatar
    James Duffin Guest

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    If one of your 100 amp sub panels was under the house near the furnace then it sounds like to me the house at one time had a heat pump but now has a gas furnace that needed a 120 volt circuit. I have seen a couple of heat pump panels that were wired for 240 volt only that have had one of the hot wires removed from the breaker on both ends and made into a neutral. This leaves you with a 100 amp breaker in the outside panel with only one wire on it.


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Ridgewood, NJ
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    237

    Default Re: Single wired breaker?

    Quote Originally Posted by David Edens View Post
    Came across a house that had a couple of red flags electrically speaking. For one, the house had a 100 amp subpanel (with several breakers)- including another 100 amp breaker subpanel off the 100 amp.
    David, not sure from the description, but it doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with this part of the installation.


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