Mystery box double tapped on dryer circuit

Question

I had a home inspection done and he commented that there was a double tapped circuit on a breaker which is typically a no-no. The extra wires just go to this little box which doesn't seem to have any wires leaving the subpanel. The inspector had no clue what it could be. Has anyone seem something like this?

For reference the house was built in 1989 on the east coast of Florida.

Maybe is a surge protector. Maybe it's one of those "magical" devices you can buy from scammers which somehow reduce your energy consumption just by passively sitting there... — brhans, Nov 18 '22 at 15:50
Could it be one of those devices that allows the power company to shut off loads remotely during peak times? — Duston, Nov 18 '22 at 15:53
@Duston then it would be spliced in between breaker and load, not double-tapped. In addition, those devices need remote communications which normally means something *outside* the panel either for wired or (more typically) radio. — manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact, Nov 18 '22 at 15:56

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 18 '22 at 16:41

Surge protector. That is how they are typically installed.

In my panel they were double-tapped onto the main lugs, which was dumb because that is not allowed, but double-tapping my breakers is.

Certain breaker brands are UL listed for double-tapping. HOMeline and Pushmatic off the top of my head. Either the design will be obvious, or it will be labeled to that effect.

Mystery box double tapped on dryer circuit

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