Selling my house which was built in 1989. Breaker panel is as it was built and has been through a few owners including me for the past 13 years with no issues. Buyer wants me to have a licensed electrician correct this. What do you think?
Home inspector flagged multiple neutrals on single lug in breaker panel
- Thread starter nwjones18
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So what is wrong with muti neutrals on a single lug? As long as they are side by side I see no problem with the risk of a loose neutral, I also tend to overtorque in that situation.
I honestly could be.. It was on the market for less than 24hrs and I had two essentially full asking price offers..
Is a Double Lugged Neutral Wire "Up to Code?"
So what is a double lugged neutral? This is when two grounded conductors, also called neutrals, or the white wire, are under one screw
www.ahouseonarock.com
This is what the internet says.. I'd say if it was a problem in real life it'd have definitely manifested itself by now.
That buyer wants something for nothing. You're not required to make a older house meet current codes.
No, buyer has no idea what's going on. Home inspector told them there's an electrical issue that needs corrected.
Shut off the main, move neutral wires to their own lug, take a picture (show the inspector's report in the picture), button it up. Every inspector is likely to flag this. Tell them it's corrected and include the picture. Disregard the part about an electrician doing the work. That is simply standard text that every home inspector uses. HVAC repairs should be done by a licensed HVAC tech, plumbing repairs should be done by a licensed plumber, blah, blah.
Wouldn't the aluminum wiring be a bigger concern?
Service feed is usually aluminum.
All the more to scare and intimidate the seller into making unnecessary work.
Let them walk. There will be many more in todays market.
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Bad practice and doesn't meet code. Can't isolate circuits and the expansion and contraction of the wires can loosen the connection, resulting in heat. Original builder/electrician probably did that out of laziness, just like backstabbing receptacles.
Luckily it is an easy fix that you can do yourself. You can do 3 grounds in 1 lug but only 1 neutral per lug.
Luckily it is an easy fix that you can do yourself. You can do 3 grounds in 1 lug but only 1 neutral per lug.
Cutting the wires to exact length like that is poor practice since it makes any rework difficult. I like to run them to the bottom of the box then back up so there is enough slack to move one anywhere. This also greatly simplifies the replacement of the whole panel, should that ever be necessary. It may look sloppy but there's a reason for it.
Also the overhanging ends of many of the white wires are way too long and blocking the lower row of screws.
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For cost service entry cable is usually aluminum the lack of noalox is more concerning.
You should really have a max of 2 wires under one screw and they should both be the same size. I’ve seen multiple times where there’s a #12 and #14 and the 14 is loose. Assuming it’s SEU cable for the feeders, a better job of twisting the bare neutral should have been done.
Is this a sub panel or not the primary means of disconnect? I don’t see a bonding screw/ jumper, but we have grounds and neutrals on the same bar.
The issue with having a licensed electrician fix the issue is that a licensed electrician likely installed the panel in 1989.
Is this a sub panel or not the primary means of disconnect? I don’t see a bonding screw/ jumper, but we have grounds and neutrals on the same bar.
The issue with having a licensed electrician fix the issue is that a licensed electrician likely installed the panel in 1989.
If you’re handy you can do the fix yourself. You’ll most likely need to extend wire length and add an additional neutral bar. Code likes one termination per lug for proper torque and capture of the wire. Overheating “could” also occur from multiple neutrals under one lug. I don’t see any discoloration so you’re fine there.
In today's market house sold as is I would not fix it . Supply and demand luckily u on the supply side with very high demand.
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