Electric panels

[gimpyrobb]

Getting ready to upgrade electrical service, what's the best panels?

[toprecycler]

The ones that your local stores has circuit breakers for. I can’t say anything more, but that would be my main consideration. I would guess that you should be able to get most new ones at one of the big box stores, but I know the two big ones don’t seem to carry all the same ones.


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[midmosandblasting]

GE ,Square D ,Homeline all take same breakers .Easier to find .

[Norcal]

Anything except Eaton BR which I call "Zinsco II" or GE, some people like Leviton loadcenters but I worry they will go the way of SQ D Trillaint, which died & parts are impossible to find, I prefer copper bus, so Eaton CH, or SQ D QO are higher quality, SQ D Homeline is aluminum bussed, Siemens had some class action suits going on, but I am mostly a anything but BR, hated them for over 40 years starting when they were still Bryant.

[Norcal]

Originally Posted by midmosandblasting

GE ,Square D ,Homeline all take same breakers .Easier to find .

But they are not interchangeable, GE is not classified to be used in competitive makes of panels, Square D has a link stating the same thing about Homeline breakers, there is really no such thing as a interchangeable breaker, stuffing a mix of makes of breakers in a panel is a sure sign somebody does not know what they are doing, the only 1" wide breakers that can be used is Eaton CL & are not the same as BR, and they are more expensive then original equipment products. The only panels that did allow other makes is the now obsolete Murray/Crouse-Hinds panels, they allowed Murray/Crouse-Hinds, ITE, & Bryant breakers to be used.

SQ D link https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA129931/

[Shade Tree Welder]

I put in SD Homeline panels 30 years ago, got great service out of them,
zero problems. No problem with buying parts.

I have been replacing my GFCI outlets with GFCI breakers as the outlets fail;
have not had a Homeline GFCI breaker fail yet.

The only panel I have that is not homeline now is my phase converter/ 3 phase
set up as there is no such thing as 3 phase Homeline. So I did a QO style in
that. But is set up as a sub panel off my service to the shop. My shop is fed
from the transformer at the road and has it's own meter separate from the
house. I am zoned ag. so I can easily do that.

[gimpyrobb]

I wasn't sure if this was a dumb question but I see a lot of things I hadn't considered! Thanks gang.

[slip knot]

I would avoid the GE cans. I've had a GE panel on my house for 20+ years with no problems but the newer panels we have at work have had issues with breakers failing. They seem to open internally. The toggle will show on or closed and some have even functioned and seemed to reset but the power doesn't go through. SOP now is to cycle the breaker then check voltage out.

[Norcal]

Originally Posted by Shade Tree Welder

I put in SD Homeline panels 30 years ago, got great service out of them,
zero problems. No problem with buying parts.

I have been replacing my GFCI outlets with GFCI breakers as the outlets fail;
have not had a Homeline GFCI breaker fail yet.

The only panel I have that is not homeline now is my phase converter/ 3 phase
set up as there is no such thing as 3 phase Homeline. So I did a QO style in
that. But is set up as a sub panel off my service to the shop. My shop is fed
from the transformer at the road and has it's own meter separate from the
house. I am zoned ag. so I can easily do that.

The only thing "wrong" with Homeline panels is they are aluminum bussed, but SQ D is the only manufacturer to apply a dab of oxide inhibitor to the HOM breakers, SQ D introduced HOM products for competitive reasons, because QO is a premium line, and they wanted more of the residential market.

[Shade Tree Welder]

Originally Posted by Norcal

The only thing "wrong" with Homeline panels is they are aluminum bussed, but SQ D is the only manufacturer to apply a dab of oxide inhibitor to the HOM breakers, SQ D introduced HOM products for competitive reasons, because QO is a premium line, and they wanted more of the residential market.

I cannot disagree, I have not had any corrosion issues, so they have done well there.