UPB Coupler Question

[GadgetBoy]

I'm tight on spots in my circuit panel. In my last house, I had my UPB coupler on a dedicated breaker to connect both phases. In my new panel, can I connect it on an existing 2 phase breaker? I'm thinking yes...

 

[RAL]

The NEC allows 2 wires under a screw terminal on circuit breakers of not more than 30 Amps if the circuit breaker is identified for this purpose.  Many circuit breakers are, but it may not be obvious.  The information can usually be found in the manufacturer's catalog.
 
Another solution may be to replace several single pole circuit breakers with tandem circuit breakers to free up a pair of slots for the coupler's own breaker.

 

[pete_c]

Here ran out of space for my automation stuff in the 200 AMP panel such that I went to many smaller dual breakers and created a bit more granularity as the loads were minimum.  Well too it was easy to do but time consuming. in the Midwest with conduit everywhere.

 

[sda]

You can also pigtail it in with wirenuts.
 

 

[GadgetBoy]

I was thinking just opening the setscrews on the breaker and inserting the two wires from the coupler alongside the existing wires...

 

[RAL]

I was thinking just opening the setscrews on the breaker and inserting the two wires from the coupler alongside the existing wires...

 
 
Whether or not that is ok depends on the rating on the screw terminal of the breaker.  If you have two different gauge wires or types of wire (say a 14 gauge circuit wire and 16 gauge stranded on the coupler), the wires may not make proper contact under the screw terminal unless is was designed for that situation.  If you aren't sure, you'd be better off using a pigtail and a wire nut as @sda suggested.

 

[Desert_AIP]

Yes, if the breaker allows multiple wires connected to it.
Otherwise you'll need to join the wires to a pig tail, and attach the pigtail to the circuit breaker.
I have one attached to my water heater circuit breaker.

 

[ano]

For a breaker to allow two wires it must be rated as such. You'll often see a picture with two wires if allowed. Typically its never allowed for aluminum wire.  Occasaionally local codes don't allow it even if the breaker does.  Another potential solution is use one wire to the breaker, but then splice in another a few inches away. If the box is not too cramed, this will work, just use the correct size wire nut.  Another solution is a tandem breaker, which is basically two breakers in the space of one.  You do this if you don't have more breaker space. 
 
If you do have breaker space, just add a new breaker. That's always allowed and the best solution of all if you have room.

 

[tmbrown97]

This was a double-post with activity on both; the topics have been merged.
 
I originally had the in-panel phase coupler, but I wanted better results so I swapped to the 1-gang style and put 3 in parallel.  My panel is maxed so I had to take a 240V breaker and tandem it.  The in-panel works better by itself, but going to 3 separate ones gave me an even better boost.