Double tapped breakers are a common circuit breaker defect—but they are also one of the easiest electrical problems to correct. 

A double tapped breaker occurs when two conductors are found connected under one circuit breaker lug or when two conductors are connected at the neutral bar under one screw. The problem with a double tapped breaker is that circuit breakers aren’t designed to hold these two conductors together. While they might feel secure and seem to be working fine, these conductors could loosen up leading to arcing, overheating, and safety hazards, including fire.

A double tapped breaker can also occur if your electrical work has been done by someone without correct electrical experience. This can be bad news for your home’s safety and for future building permits!

Sometimes a circuit breaker can be designed for two conductors. In this case, there will usually be a label saying so. However, a double tapped breaker can also be a defect if the breaker isn’t designed to hold two conductors. If there is no label but there are two conductors, there may be an issue with the electrical connection requiring a repair by an experienced electrician.

There are a few ways that double tapped breakers can be corrected; these include the following:

If you have no experience working on an electrical panel, it is a good idea to have a licensed electrical contractor complete the work for you. Playing with electricity without proper experience could be dangerous to yourself and your home!

Kolb Electric has a team of certified electricians who offer a full range of electrical services to home and building owners in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC. We have been working in the DMV area for over 90 years and provide our customers with affordable, quality electrical repairs, whether they have a double tapped breaker in need of correction or any other electrical issue.

Contact us today for a free estimate on your home or office’s electrical work. We offer same day service, 7 days a week!

Question: A contractor wants me to sign a Partial Release form on a job he hasn’t paid me for yet. Doesn’t that put me at risk of not collecting the money if I’m not really paid after I sign the release form? – Greg Storn

Answer: The good news here is that there is an easy solution to this issue. There are four different legal documents that apply to contracted work: 4. Unconditional Release Upon Final Payment

The only “condition” of a Conditional Release is that the release is valid only if the money specified on the release is paid to the contractor. In other words, if you are 50% complete with a $10,000 job, you can safely sign a Conditional Release Upon Progress Payment for $5,000. If you aren’t paid the $5,000, the release is not valid and you have not given up any of your lien rights to this money.

On the other hand, if you sign and Unconditional Release, you have just given up your rights to whatever amount of money that was on the Unconditional Release from. So the rule is, don’t sigh an Unconditional Release from until the money you are releasing is in your bank account. I’m not talking about a check in your hand, either. I’m saying that you should never sign an unconditional release until that check has cleared and the funds are literally in your bank account.

Some or my company’s corporate clients always ask for a release before they will pay an invoice. No problem, we just send them a Conditional Release Upon Progress Payment or a Conditional Release Upon Final Payment. Later, after their check has cleared into our bank account, we will (if they ask) follow up with an Unconditional Release.

By the way, Conditional Release forms protect both the client and the contractor. If a client gets a Conditional Release form a contractor, they know that they are protected from getting a lien from that contractor, but only if they actually pay the contractor the money specified on the lien.

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A gas furnace is an economical way to heat your home, and a yearly furnace tune-up is essential to keep your appliance at peak performance. The more efficient your furnace, the less energy it uses. It’s better to get yearly service, while the weather is still warm, than to be faced with no heat on a cold Colorado night. In the long run, you’ll save money with periodic tune-ups. Here are some of the ways an annual visit from a Colorado furnace repair technician can cut down on your costs.

Minimizes Repairs

A furnace tune-up reduces the incidence of repairs. Think of it as preventative medicine for your home. With regular checkups, you nip problems in the bud and avoid costly emergency service. Technicians clean and inspect your appliance. If anything is in need of maintenance, it can be done on the spot or scheduled for later.

Keeps Your Home Safe

Keeping your family safe is even more important than saving money, but sometimes the two things go together. While heating systems are not hazardous under normal conditions, a gas leak in your home leads to dangerous conditions. Evacuating to a hotel, either because of a leak or because of no heat during frigid conditions, is expensive. During a furnace tune-up, a technician will check that the combustion process is precise and safe.

Proper Airflow

The correct airflow is essential to the function of your heating system. If the airflow is faulty because it’s restricted, it puts a strain on the furnace and can shorten the life of your appliance.

Improved Efficiency

A clean, well-maintained furnace performs better than a dirty one. Efficiency leads to less wasted energy, and that translates into lower bills for you.

Maintains the Warranty

Most manufacturers void a warranty if the furnace doesn’t get regular maintenance. Protect your investment by following the manufacturer’s suggestions for tune-ups

The smart grid can be thought of as national and personal all at once. On a personal level, the smart grid connects all of the electronics in your house, letting them communicate on an internet for electronics. This electronic internet also communicates with you via your smart phone or computer in real time, letting you monitor your electricity usage.

Your appliances will talk to each other and organize times of non-peak electrical usage for them to complete cycles that use a lot of energy. Your home will talk to you, letting you know if you’ve left your television running or if the light in the garage is still on.

On a national level, your home will be tied into the national grid like it is already, but two-way communication will happen with the power plant. If your home has solar panels installed by an electrician, any extra energy you produce will be sold to the power plant. The power company will be able to monitor your electrical usage too. They will use this information to create a picture of your neighborhood. This tells them exactly how much energy needs to be sent in your direction.

This system will be a replacement for our current power grid, and it will allow two-way communication between the power plant and your home. The meters for this system will report themselves. You won’t need a stranger tromping through your yard once a month to read your meter anymore.

This system will create a more efficient use of electricity by sending it where it needs to be. It will also report problems as soon as they happen. Before you could find a flashlight during a blackout, the power company will know exactly what wire went down and why. This will cut repair times. Since everything will operate more efficiently, there will be less cost to keep everything operating, which will translate into cheaper power prices for you.

Maintenance for your home will be easier. Having an electrician wire your house for this system will let you know exactly what your home is doing. If your water heater sees problems that could indicate a breakdown, you will get a text message alert. This will let you drain it before it turns your basement into a hot tub.

While you will need to replace your current electronics with applicances designed for this new grid, the cost will be worth it. The power grid will be more reliable, which means fewer blackouts. Your house can even report suspicious electrical activity to you, creating increased security. You may find yourself pressured to have an electrician install solar panels, but the power company will pay you for the extra energy. It will be an improvement for everyone involved.