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Two Wires On A Breaker

Question: I recently purchased a home and I am busily repairing all of the items that were identified by the home inspection.

One of the items on the list is that I have 2 – 15 amp circuit breakers in my distribution panel that have 2 wires on the output. The problem is that I do not have any spare positions to add more breakers. What should I do?

Answer: You have two choices:

  1. You can add a sub-panel. This is probably the best approach to the problem. A sub-panel will allow you to add the necessary new circuit breakers to handle the circuits that have been doubled up on breakers plus it will give you the ability to expand your electrical circuits at a later date. Secondarily it means that each circuit will have a 15 amp load capability. At this time the two circuits combined can only have a maximum 15 amp load.

    2. Additional information on installing electrical sub-panels.

  2. You can install an electrical box outside of the load center. Run the cables that are doubled up on the circuit breaker to the electrical box and then run one cable from the electrical box to the load center. The negative to this set-up is that the total load from the two circuits, because they are combined, can only be 15 amps.

    3. Additional information on adding an electrical box to split two wires on a circuit breaker.

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