Quest for an I-T-E breaker

[Andy]

I am trying to find a I-T-E 30 amp breaker without out any luck.

The main box says it can take either a Type EQ-P or EQ-T.

Any ideas of where I can find one?

Thanks.

[dpb]

I'd start at your local electrical distributors

Best I recollect, Siemens Q-series are interchangeable w/ ITE EQ but you'll want to double-check for sure...

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[David Nebenzahl]

On 8/31/2009 9:46 AM Andy spake thus:

Have you tried a local electrical supply house (assuming there is one)? You know, the kind of place electrical contractors go to get stuff (not a hardware store or big-box retailer).

[fftt]

local circuit breaker house or ebay

number of poles?

cheers Bob

[Mint]

2 pole

The main box does not have a main breaker.

Can I run wire from the main box into another box with it's own 30 amp breaker?

This is the problem that I am looking for advice with.

My daughter bought a new dryer. It is not on a dedicated circuit and it's using a 20 amp breaker. The circuit has been tripping.

The dryer manual says it needs a dedicated 30 amp circuit.

I know that the long term solution would be to replace the whole main box.

Thanks.

[dpb]

Mint wrote: ...

That's Code problem unless there's an adjacent cutoff. Are you sure it isn't one that uses one of the regular positions as the feed, though?

Not unless there are provided terminals internally which would be quite unusual. That piece of line would have to be the same ampacity as the feeder or it wouldn't be heavy enough to be protected by whatever is the upstream fusing mechanism whether that's a fused disconnect or other breaker. There's undoubtedly no place for that size connection to be made internally and while I suppose one could pigtail into the feed w/ split nut connector or similar I surely would not recommend it even if it were allowed which I doubt.

...

Yeppers...

What does the local distributor say about availability for the existing panel? Assuming you have any spare space, I'd think there would be something available but it is probably pricey owing to age/low demand (but less than a new box).

[Mint]

What do you mean by "regular position" ?

In order to safely change out individual breakers, you have to have a main breaker or a mechanism for disconnecting power.

As far as I can see, pulling the meter is the only way. :-)

I am waiting to hear back from an electrician. He may have some he kept from a job or know where I can get some.

I will check the wire gauge at the meter to see what it's amp rating is.

I will make sure that the dryer has new wire installed using the appropriate gauge of wire and protected by it's own circuit breaker.

I thought finding parts for plumbing was hard. :-)

Andy

[dpb]

Mint wrote: ...

Some boxes use a regular breaker position as the feed for the rest of the panel. Not common in older stuff; moderately so in the home line of GE, etc., carried at the box stores. Terrible design; detest it but it exists. Just thought I'd ask just in case; I would doubt it but don't know ITE stuff at all.

If there isn't a disconnect for the box other than the meter, that qualifies as a Code violation unless there are only six (or fewer) individual breakers in the box.

Possible if you know the guy he may do you a favor. Otherwise, probably just as well take the info from the panel and head to the distributor(s) and have them look it up.

Well, it'll be much bigger than you'll want to run for a branch circuit for the dryer. :) If it's 100A service it'll be minimum #4 Cu or 2/0 for 200A; Al is, of course larger yet.

The 30A branch circuit would need 10 ga. and w/ current NEC specifies

4-conductor instead of the traditional 3 -- 2 "hot", 1 neutral, 1 ground. The olden days of shared ground/neutral for appliance outlets are no longer.

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[Mint]

I talked last night with the electrician and he will come out and look at it and tell me which breaker I need.

He said he sees a lot of of boxes with no main. That's scary. :-)

I can't understand how those boxes were allowed put in during the 60's and 70's.

My mother's house is 55 yrs. old and it had a main breaker.

I would not even think about using a 3-2 wire. I don't even like seeing outlets where someone used the "plug-in" for the wires instead of the wire nut.

I was scratching my head when I found out that the current circuit to the dryer is not dedicated and also has a dishwasher on the circuit with a 20 amp breaker. :-(

It looks to me like house inspections must be awful superficial.

Andy

[dpb]

Mint wrote: ...

...

Undoubtedly the box itself meets Code/UL-listed, etc.

The problem isn't the box itself, it's that (apparently) there's no disconnect.

Possibly the jurisdiction didn't require compliance w/ NEC at the time or the enforcement was simply lax.

Note there is the one "escape clause" in the Code which is allowable, that being the small box that has six or fewer total breakers/fuses in it. That number is low enough the Code allows it w/o the separate disconnect.

At some point it sounds as though a new box would not be a bad investment if intend to keep the house any length of time; at some point lack of the disconnect will be inconvenient at best--in fact, that time may be now for adding the branch circuit under discussion... :)

As for inspections, they are often as you say superficial at best, incompetent at worst. Many places they're only a formality that serves as a form of bakeesh between lenders/realtors/inspection companies all in cahoots w/ each other.

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[fftt]

No main breaker? Gotta have a shutoff somewhere...check on the interior wall opposite the meter.

Or it could be a "split bus" panel ...where the main breaker just looks like a regular 2 pole breaker. I'm thinking maybe 70 or 100 amps.

cheers Bob

[Mint]

My daughter has an extended one year warranty that she says will cover that repair for a $65 charge.

Andy