Help. What is the correct way to report a breaker that is too big.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

I agree with Nick and Mike. . .

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Sorry Jeff...I dont like references that come from inspection generated companies or providers..I prefer to use Electricians Verbiage for the condition...lol....

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

That was just a quick "Google" of a phrase I've used for may years.

[Nick Gromicko]

So does anyone disagree with me when I say that "excessive overcurrent protection" should not be used to describe a breaker that is too big? It shouldn't be used because the term describes a breaker that is too small and excessively protecting (will trip when a load the circuit can handle is drawn).

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

I don't think that term works for anything. It's just wrong.

[Michael Larson]

I agree with Paul, Jeff and Nick!
Can we call this done now?

[Blaine Wiley]

I have always used the term oversized or improperly sized when describiing a breaker that is too large for the wiring connected to it.

I have always looked at overprotected exactly as Nick has stated.

[Nick Gromicko]

Fine then. We all agree. I'll tell you where it's coming from though...

Inspectors, not wanting to use the correct term "overfused" for fear of implying that a CB panel has fuses have come up with some new terms "over protected" and "excessive overcurrent protection."

Unfortunately these terms mean the reverse of what inspectors are trying to say. They describe a breaker that is OVERLY protecting (allowing much less current than the circuit can handle)... in other words a breaker that is undersized, not oversized.

They are getting the wrong lingo from a book titled: Inspecting A House by Rex Cauldwell. He has a whole section titled: "Excessive Overcurrent Protection" and goes on to say that it is "a problem which occurs when undersize wire is used with oversize breakers" (page 34).

Rex got it backwards.

Jeff is correct, the term that should be use is "overfused" even when referring to a circuit breaker panel.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Originally Posted by mlarson

I agree with Paul, Jeff and Nick!
Can we call this done now?

lol......I would think so.......lol

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Jeff is correct, the term that should be use is "overfused."

Hmmm....I would beg to differ as breakers are not fused....they are are either magentic in nature or bi-metal which is not a fuse. A fuse in nature is not resetable and a circuit breaker is.

A good inspector will know when to use " Oversized " or "Undersized" in relation to a fuse or a breaker....two different things and another reason for example grounding and bonding is so screwed up.....

A fuse is extinguished beyond reuse.......now if the circuit in question is truly a fuse setup...then "overfused" would be fine...if we are to accept it as a general term then fine...it works......

Potato versus potatoe....the old verbiage game

[Paul W. Abernathy]

OH BTW...it was an engineer at IDEAL who wrote ( and incorrectly I might add ) an article that said " Electricity is trying to always get to the earth" that started alot of problems in grounding and bonding.....it is important to know the proper terms versus development of generic ones......

I can just see an electrician now reading a report saying "overfused" and/or "underfused" and saying to himself.....but there are circuit breakers in this house....they are "Undersized" or "Oversized" and then inserting the proper device....which in this case...a circuit breaker.

Sure they both get the message across but which is more accurate for the report.

[Nick Gromicko]

Over protected is the reverse of overfused/oversized.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

lol......classic........I would say OVER PROTECTED means nothing to me......overfused tells me directly...so does oversized......in relation to the breaker itself.........over protection implies over and above...and in this case not the case.......

[Paul W. Abernathy]

How about "Wasted Protection" in regards to putting a 15A breaker on a 30A Circuit...lol.......sure it will protect it and is allowed but for a REAL 30A circuit it is wasted protection in my mind......try putting a 15A 2-pole breaker on a 30A Water Heater for a good amount of time...sure it protects it....while I take alot of COLD showers.

Or better yet..."Needless Additional Protection"....their..that would look nice on a report.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

anyway.....just a poor choice of words is the term " OverProtected "....