Don’t Risk Electrocution With a Missing Twistout

Here is another common defect found during the electrical portion of the inspection.  In the above picture you can see a dead front cover, hopefully held on by the proper screws, with a gap below the bottom circuit breaker.

The gap is caused by a missing piece of protective sheet metal that is called a “twistout.”  Since every house is different and has unique electrical service requirements, service panel manufacturers make panels that can hold a range of breakers.  For every breaker installed, an electrician will remove the corresponding twistouts so that the breaker can fit through the protective dead front cover.  Twistouts are broken off the panel, so once one is removed it cannot be reattached.  If too many twistouts are removed they should be covered with an appropriate filler plate, but often are left open by an unscrupulous electrician or do-it-yourselfer.

This creates a dangerous situation because it can allow things that are supposed to stay out in, and things that are supposed to stay in out.  Having a gap in your dead front cover can be dangerous to curious kids, or permit pests such as mice to enter to discover a shocking demise (I couldn’t help myself), which will leave you in the dark.  It can also allow sparks to escape the panel in the event that anything goes wrong internally.

The good news is this is a relatively easy defect to correct.  Most panel manufacturers make filler plates that are designed to snap right into place and add the protection that a twistout would otherwise offer.