Ckt Breakers-Question for you electrical guys

BB_TX · Jan 4, 2007

The load center in my house is 200 amp but a relatively small number of slots for breakers. All were used when the house was wired 22 yrs ago. It is a Crouse Hinds box. I would like to change a couple of the full slot breakers to half slot breakers so that I can add one more 220 v breaker. I have not found a local source of CH breakers yet. Are any other brands compatible with the CH load center? Or will I have to find the correct CH breakers?

BobRip · Jan 4, 2007

I have a Cutler Hammer box and they don't make a 1/2 size breaker. It could be Crouse Hinds does not either. You might want to install a subpanel or a larger panel. I would check on the Crouse Hinds web site and see about 1/2 slot breakers.

DieselPower · Jan 4, 2007

They would not be "CH" breakers, those are Cutler-Hammer. Does your Crouse-Hinds panel have QO breakers by chance? If so here's a complete listing of breakers for QO breaders and panels. http://www.crouse-hinds.com/catalog/PDFS/00630to00631_00657.pdf

Probably the easiest thing to do is do as Bob suggested and put in a Cutler Hammer subpanel that takes the easy to find QC breakers. Then if you ever want to add anything in the future it will be easy to find the QC breakers. It's been a while since I saw any QO breakers in a hardware store. You might also check with a local electrical supply store as they tend to stock alot of the off brands that hardware stores do not.

Highbeam · Jan 4, 2007

In my new-to-me house was told that I need to replace my entire panel since the model/brand is on a list of not so safe panels. New breakers for my older panel are certainly not to be found at Home Depot. It turns out that a whole new panel is relatively inexpensive and if you happen to know an electrician things can be downright cheap. The whole panel replacement will allow you to use updated, common, and cheap breakers plus your new panel can be bigger to accomodate the additional circuits.

The cost might only be a little bit more than a subpanel and much cleaner.

Buckeye_Jim · Jan 4, 2007

Here is a link to an Electrical Supply house in Victoria. You can email them with the question and they can also make some recomendations: Mid-Coast Electric Supply, Inc.

BTW my company has a customer at the Coleto Creek Park in Fannin. I have been their a few times over the years. We build environmental data collection systems.

Jim

bamatoolmaker · Jan 4, 2007

If I were you I would follow advice already given swap to C/H or Sq. D

AL_Josh · Jan 5, 2007

I just replaced my electrical box. It had Pacific Electric breakers in it. I had heard that these were not very safe and also I had a hard time finding replacement breakers and when I did a 25 amp would cost me 75.00. The electrician said the breakers I had were worth alot of money. I have a 100 amp Pacific Electric breaker he said I could get a pretty penny for.

I now have a Seimens breaker box. It cost me 400 dollars for the install and parts. I have an older home and all of my breaker boxes are on the outside of the house so it was easier for hom to work on.

randy41 · Jan 5, 2007

I've got a GE breaker box...very nice. plenty of room and easy to wire. i got it at an electrical supply place not a box store. 200 amps.

caver · Jan 5, 2007

Siemans or Murray may work in that panel.

BobRip · Jan 5, 2007

What I like about the Cutler Hammer )CH) is that it has copper bus bars. The others are aluminum. I have seen several panesl with aluminum bus bars have breakers fail from heat at the connection. The CH was recommended by my local electrical supplier for this reason.

dgl24087 · Jan 5, 2007

BB_TX said:
The load center in my house is 200 amp but a relatively small number of slots for breakers. All were used when the house was wired 22 yrs ago. It is a Crouse Hinds box. I would like to change a couple of the full slot breakers to half slot breakers so that I can add one more 220 v breaker. I have not found a local source of CH breakers yet. Are any other brands compatible with the CH load center? Or will I have to find the correct CH breakers?

Murray makes breakers for Crouse Hind boxes.

BillyP · Jan 7, 2007

BB_TX said:
The load center in my house is 200 amp but a relatively small number of slots for breakers. All were used when the house was wired 22 yrs ago. It is a Crouse Hinds box. I would like to change a couple of the full slot breakers to half slot breakers so that I can add one more 220 v breaker. I have not found a local source of CH breakers yet. Are any other brands compatible with the CH load center? Or will I have to find the correct CH breakers?

Is this what you're talking about?

Compare 20 Amp Dual Circuit Breaker Prices - Shop for Tools and Hardware at mySimon

BB_TX · Jan 8, 2007

That may be just what I need. Thanks.

hockeypuck · Jan 12, 2007

I would go ahead with 100 amp subpanel. This will not be the last time you want to add circuits. I would go get a 20 or 30 circuit main lug panel and a 8 foot piece of #2awg ser wire. That could be done for under 100 bucks with a few breakers to boot. Just my opinion.

_RaT_ · Jan 13, 2007

BobRip said:
What I like about the Cutler Hammer )CH) is that it has copper bus bars. The others are aluminum. I have seen several panesl with aluminum bus bars have breakers fail from heat at the connection. The CH was recommended by my local electrical supplier for this reason.

Depends on the Cutler Hammer. The Siemens sub panels I use are all copper but with way more room on either side of the breakers for my grounds and neutrals. My home has a Cutler meter/main that was placed in there in 2001. The design is terrible for neutral and ground connection. I much prefer Siemens. The breakers for these panels are all pretty similar be it Siemens, GE (another well designed box), Cutler, Murray, the old ITE and others. Square D is very proud of their products and the price shows.

Amontilado · Jan 13, 2007

All,
Another possible thought, though definately not the cheapest. After we took over my wife's parents house after they passes, we did some major gutting. Part of this was electrical. The electrician added a 220v panel on the outside of the house, near the meter, the ran all new 220v panels and appliances from there, including the old main panel (now it's treated as a sub-panel). I have quite a bit of space to add more sub-panels and such (need one for the outside shed). A more flexible solution.

Steve

LarryD · Jan 14, 2007

BobRip said:
I have a Cutler Hammer box and they don't make a 1/2 size breaker.

I just saw 1/2 size breakers for Cutler Hammer at the local Ace hardware store today. Not sure if they'll fit yours but they sure fit mine.

_RaT_ · Jan 14, 2007

LarryD said:
I just saw 1/2 size breakers for Cutler Hammer at the local Ace hardware store today. Not sure if they'll fit yours but they sure fit mine.

Cutler also makes what are called Quad breakers. With these you can get two 240V circuits or 1 240V and 2 120V circuits.

BobRip · Jan 14, 2007

_RaT_ said:
Cutler also makes what are called Quad breakers. With these you can get two 240V circuits or 1 240V and 2 120V circuits.

I am glad to hear that. One of my panels is almost full.

Highbeam · Jan 16, 2007

I just replaced my Zinsco panel yesterday with a siemens panel and it had all copper buss bars. Quite a chore. It took me and my buddy electrician almost all day. Thank goodness for a generator and the woodstove. The coolest part is that the new panel is a 200 amp load center/ transfer switch. It has the UL approved metal interlock so that you can backfeed the panel through an included dedicated generator backfeed breaker ONLY when the main breaker is turned to off. Pretty slick.