I've got torque wrenches & torque screwdrivers for my own use, but when I do an inspection, I usually don't use them, mainly because I might become liable for any failure of the connection. However, I did run some experiments & found that the average electrician will stop at a value that is about 20% to30% below the listed torque. This was especially noticeable with Square D breakers up to 30 amp.
I know that there is some bus duct that has dual headed bolts, one head snaps off when the proper torque has been reached, maybe some day we'll have the same thing for the rest of the electrical connections, if we can afford it.
I think Don has the right idea about not re-torquing the connections. But, if you had a lot of patience, you could start with a low value & slowly keep adjusting up.
Tom
[This message has been edited by Tom (edited 07-11-2001).]
