Had to choose between a torque wrench and a ticket home today

I was up on a ladder at this old house in Oak Park trying to decide if I should torque the main lugs on a new panel or just snug them by feel. My foreman was screaming from the basement about getting done in time for lunch. I grabbed my torque wrench, set it to 45 ft lbs, and did it right because I didn't want to come back to a loose neutral in 6 months. Took me maybe an extra 40 seconds and the world didn't end. Any of you guys actually torque every lug on resi panels or just when you're getting inspected?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant82627d ago

Aw, come on now. You're the one who's gotta live with the work, not the inspector. I always torque every lug, even on a little resi panel. Saves a headache later, and it just feels like the right way to do it.

burns.richard27d ago

Yeah "just feels like the right way" is exactly it, that peace of mind is worth the extra minute every time.

umac7110d ago

Oh man, I'm gonna disagree hard here. Snugging by feel has never burned me in 15 years of resi work and saves enough time that I get home for dinner instead of chasing that last 2 ft lbs. If the lugs are clean and the wire is properly stripped, that extra torque is just theater for people who don't trust their hands yet.