OT electrical or mechanical ??

55 50 Ron · Aug 2, 2016

I just installed a GFCI breaker (Square D QO and 20 amp) and was surprised to see that the screw terminals have room for just one conductor (one hot, one neutral) on each terminal. The old breaker had 2 "hot" wires. What reason(s) are there to only allow one wire per screw ?? Probably an NEC rule ??

It means I'll use the conventional breaker (which was removed from the slot that the GFCI now occupies) for the 2nd circuit which doesn't require the GFCI feature.

Greg K · Aug 2, 2016

The one wire per screw is all about UL listings. They were only tested and approved for 1 wire. Same thing with other electrical lugs and such. I think that they are building the GFI breakers on the same frame as the AFCI breakers which have smaller spaces for the lugs. We usually tail the wires out so that the 2 circuits only have 1 wire to go under the breaker.

dr sportster · Aug 2, 2016

Or you could tail off to two circuits with one wire on the breaker[ I know everyone hates wirenuts in their panels].

Olliejunkie · Aug 2, 2016

(quoted from post at 09:55:51 08/02/16) Or you could tail off to two circuits with one wire on the breaker[ I know everyone hates wirenuts in their panels].

Seems to me that it won't work with two circuits sharing a neutral if that's the case. May not work with two neutrals either. Hard to say with out seeing exactly what you have.

OT electrical or mechanical ??

55 50 Ron

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Greg K

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dr sportster

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Olliejunkie

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