Electrical Maintenance

[Jerry713]

For those who don’t do this I was just reminded how important it is to tighten up your connections in your breaker panel box at least annually. I would say more often for those who travel a lot. Loose wires can cause a fire. Happened to a buddy once. He lost his entire travel trailer and everything inside it because he had a loose wire and that ultimately caused the fire.

Here’s the video that reminded me with more insight.

https://youtu.be/YbC0IfBt8hU?feature=shared

[craigav]

Just a thought to add that I didn't see in the video. It is best to purchase an inch pound torque screwdriver that generally cost around ~$30 (with bits). While I would say a little over tight is better than overly loose, the proper torque is important as too loose can allow the conductor (wires) to become even more loose with heating and cooling and of course vibration, and too tight can damage the breaker (and sometimes the wires) that may not be visible. I have read reports that even electricians who install breakers for a living have a very hard time at guessing the proper torque.

If I remember correctly all breakers are now required to specify the torque which is based on the breaker type and size along with the wire size in use however, it is common that the torque specifications are on the side of the breaker and not visible from the front of the breaker which means you would want to lookup each breaker you have from the manufactures website. Commonly (and if I remember correctly) somewhere around ~20 inch pounds for the eaton breakers in my RV perhaps 30~35 in lbs for the 30A main but if you are going to take the time to torque them then it would be best to take the time to determine the torque specs from the breaker manufacture. ~CA