My journeyman told me to always torque lugs to spec, and a call-back proved him right

He drilled it into my head during my apprenticeship in Spokane, but I got lazy on a panel swap last year and just went by feel. Got a call six months later for a hot bus bar, and sure enough, a few lugs were way under-torqued. What's the most common connection you guys see that people forget to torque properly?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith_palmer512mo ago

Honestly, I skip the torque wrench on most residential service calls. If you know your tools and have a good feel, you can get it tight enough. I've been doing it for fifteen years and never had a callback for a loose connection. Specs are for new construction or inspectors, not for every single lug in a panel.

blakeharris2mo ago

My old boss used to say the same thing, @faith_palmer51.

taraw161mo ago

Lol, tell that to the guy who has to fix your "good feel" connections later. Seen way too many melted neutrals in a panel because someone skipped the torque wrench. @blakeharris knows what's up, specs exist for a reason. My personal favorite is the main service lugs, people crank them down once and forget they loosen up over time. Then you get a nice smoky surprise during the first heat wave.