A double tap is two wires landed under one terminal screw meant for a single conductor, usually on a breaker, to squeeze in an extra circuit without a free space. The second wire is rarely clamped properly and can loosen, arc and overheat. Some breakers are listed for two conductors of certain sizes and say so on the label; everywhere else the fix is a pigtail, a tandem breaker where allowed, or a new circuit.
Home inspector flagged three double taps, pigtail two of them and put the garage outlets on their own breaker.
Also heard as
- double-tapped breaker
Related terms
Guts
Interior of a panel: the bus bars, breaker mounting and neutral assembly that bolt into the enclosure.
Pigtail
Short length of wire spliced to several conductors so only one lead goes to a device terminal.
Red tag
Failed inspection notice, or the act of an inspector failing work so it must be fixed and reinspected.
Cheater
Anything that beats a built-in limit: pipe over a wrench handle, a three-to-two plug adapter or a tandem breaker.