110.14(D) Electrical Connections
Change Summary
- New requirements were added for the use of tightening torque tools where torquing is indicated.
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(D) Installation. Where a tightening torque is indicated as a numeric value on equipment or in installation instructions provided by the manufacturer, a calibrated torque tool shall be used to achieve the indicated torque value, unless the equipment manufacturer has provided installation instructions for an alternative method of achieving the required torque. Copyright© 2016 National Fire Protection Association |
Expert Analysis
Use of proper torque tools is essential to verify that terminations are properly made, and the equipment will function properly throughout its expected service life. Without the use of the proper torquing tools, it has been shown that even experienced electricians cannot consistently tighten terminations to the recommended torque value. For electrical connections, the adage “hand tight plus a quarter turn” is not sufficient to produce a proper mechanical connection. In articles published by IAEI in the July-August 2010 and January-February 2015 IAEI magazine, research indicated that only about 25% of connections performed without a torque wrench were within +/- 20% of the manufacturer’s recommended torque value. That means 75% of the connections were wrong!
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