Need to replace Crouse-Hinds breaker in a Bryant box

[SLIM]

I have an 18 yr old house with a 200 amp Bryant breaker box. One of my breakers needs replacement. It's a Crouse-Hinds thin 2 pole (1 inch thick). It's apparently a Challenger type breaker with the contact prongs each side of the breaker. One of the prongs has corroded and loses contact.

The breaker looks almost exactly like this one:

Question: Can't I just install a normal 2 inch wide double pole breaker of the same amperage? There's plenty of space on both side of the old breaker.

[HA HA Budys Here]

You could probably install 2 normal, 1" breakers in the twin breaker's stead.

Sometimes, a home with a 200a panel will have only "twin" style breakers in it because that's what the old 100a panel was filled with at the time the service was upgraded.

If each pole of that old twin breaker has a black wire on it, feeding seperate circuits without a shared neutral, then you can go ahead and use 2 individual

1-pole, !'' breakers. Using a 2" wide 2-pole breaker is only necessary if this is a 220v load or a multi-wire circuit feeding devices with both circuits on the same strap, which it shouldn't be because the single twin breaker shouldn't have been feeding one single multi-wire circuit. But check out what each pole is feeding first.

[SLIM]

I would just replace the old breaker if I could find one....but these Challenger styles are almost impossible to find locally. Yes each pole has it's own black wire. One pole feeds 3 wall outlets in the den, and the other pole feeds 3 wall outlets in the living room.

[HA HA Budys Here]

Impossible to find locally? Where the heck are you? I 've still got 2 milk crates full of 'em just from changing panels (We always included brand new breakers during service upgrades) and I on;ly did that kind of "jobbing" work for a short time back in the late 80's.

Murray/Bryant compatible breakers are the single most common used in these parts (Long Island NY) they're less than 10.00 off the shelf at the local Home Depot.

[SLIM]

I'm in Garland Texas. The "regular" sized breakers like the 1 inch singles and 2 in doubles are easy to get. Home Depot, Lowes, and just about everyone has them. It's this one funky 2 pole (1 inch wide) Challenger style breaker with the side prongs that I can't find locally.

I did find a replacement online here:

it would cost $30 with shipping.....plus I have to wait for delivery. Kinda like to get it fixed quickly.

I'm fixin to head out and purchase a couple of single breakers. I'll let you know how it works out.

[HA HA Budys Here]

Oh, didn't catch those side prongs. What the heck are they all about? Usually the breakers, either 1" single or 1" "twin" (tandem - 2 circuits from 1 panel slot) have a single slot in the back bottom centered.

[RB]

If you haven't found these by now look at Turner Hardware in Carrollton. They will have them.

RB

SLIM wrote:

But it would cost $30 with shipping.....plus I have to wait for delivery.