house circuit breaker question.

[BethelHntr]

To make more room in a full service panel you can use tandem circuit breakers or peanut breakers, They use only one position but have two separate circuits, They can be used for 15 or 20 amp circuits, These will make room for your double throw breakers you need for 220v welders, dryers etc. Lowes and home depot carry these.

 

[OrangeB2400]

He has a two pole twin or a two pole tandem. However you want to say it. The two outside handles tie together and will give you 240V. The inside two tie together and give you 240V. All in the space of one 2 pole.

He has a piggy back breaker. It has two circuit breakers built into one. Two - Single throw double pole breakers built into one. They use these when your panel box has no more spaces available.

 

[Cord]

What, like this? odd arrangement of 2-pole breaker ties

 

[OrangeB2400]

What, like this? odd arrangement of 2-pole breaker ties

It would be like this but two side by side tied together.

 

[hr3]

Take the breaker out of the panel and see if it will hold in the on position.. Plugging it into the panel may have tweaked it.. If is still doesn't hold check continuity between where it plugs on to the panel to each output. Might I ask what brand ??? It sounds like a bad breaker !!!

 

[Inspector507]

Take the breaker out of the panel and see if it will hold in the on position.. Plugging it into the panel may have tweaked it.. If is still doesn't hold check continuity between where it plugs on to the panel to each output. Might I ask what brand ??? It sounds like a bad breaker !!!

I think he got it working right

I decided I was going to push the levers until it broke, or reset, and luckily it reset.... now if easily flips between on and off. Thank you to everyone who replied

 

[hr3]

I think he got it working right

Opps missed that part..lol

 

[ENC]

I'm on my phone so it's not convenient to post a link. Just google 2 pole tandem.

Might want to make sure safe mode is on when you Google that.

 

[Oldpath05]

Now that the OP problem is solved, can someone riddle me an answer. In years past I've wired a fair amount of single pole light switches and only a couple of brain teasing double pole light switches.
Now I want to replace a double pole light switch, and it seems like someone sometime somewhere (we wont name names) has change terminology on switches with out my permission. I Google "double pole light switch" and now I see 3-way light switches coming up, what is that.

Are 3-way light switches the same thing as double pole light switches or not? I spent ten min. searching Google with that question, 15 min. on YouTube with no clear answer, so I go to the next best thing,TBN

 

[LD1]

Not sure how to answer because I don't know what you mean by double pole switch.

A 3-way switch has 3 places that hook wires. Let's call them 1, 2, 3.

Switch up would connect 1-2 switch down would connect 1-3.

Not a double pole. Only 1 input path for power. The switch simply decides to send that power down either of 2 different paths.

Itsused for controlling a single fixture from 2 separate switches, and many different correct ways to wire up a 3-way.

A double pole (not sure I have ever seen one) or triple pole (3-phase switch) are different. In the off position all contacts are open, when on, all contacts are closed. While I haven't seen one, if they are made, I would assume a double pole is used for 240v stuff where you need to switch 2 hots at the same time. (Like a double pole breaker