Bulldog Pushmatic Breaker

[Boris]

My question is about a 30 Amp, 240 volt, Bulldog Pushmatic circuit breaker. Here's a picture of the 50 Amp. version. Notice that the description says, "May also be branded as Bulldog". Mine is branded Bulldog, and the panel is labeled as Pushmatic. There's 10 breakers inside.

The 30 Amp. breaker in question supplies a new dryer whose specs require a 30 Amp. breaker and a 30 Amp.power cord. It has both, installed a month ago.

The issue is the breaker keeps opening, sometimes completely, and the dryer won't spin or heat, but sometimes it only partially opens, such that the dryer only spins, When this happens, only one of the terminals at the wall outlet shows 120 volts hot. The other terminal shows dead.

If I reset the breaker, the dryer spins and gets hot again, but within a few days, either one or both of the 120 volt lines goes out.

I've never heard of only one side of a double pole breaker going out, but I guess so.

Anyone have experience with this?

I have ordered, from a local supply house (not Amazon) a replacement that I'll replace tomorrow.

[micky]

That sounds like the right course of action. I had a breaker fail when it was only 5 or 6 years old. It kept tripping all by itself. It was a GFI breaker made in 1979.

[Boris]

Boris [e-mail] wrote in news:XnsACC7AB6E27D82nospamnospaminvalid@144.76.35.252:

Done. Replacement works.

[Clare Snyder]

99.999% chance the new breaker will fix it Those pushmatics wew 2 separate breakers mechanically linked internally and COULD fail on one side only.

[Boris]

Clare Snyder [e-mail]> wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Ahh, thank you Clare. I did replace with this, today

but I had to get it from a local supply house for $99, but it worked.

The circuit is in my 97-year old mother-in-law's home, who is still quite fiesty, but she's no electrician. Well, neither am I.

I do appreciate your reply, because it answers why one hot side of the breaker went out. Live and learn.

Thanks.

[Tekkie©]

On Fri, 5 Feb 2021 00:51:13 -0000 (UTC), Boris posted for all of us to digest...

IIRC this was a common fault of these. There is a company called Challenger that makes UL listed replacements for these that corrects the problems.

[Clare Snyder]

Just a suggestion - but I'd be pulling that Bulldog (aka ITE) panel and replacing it with something from this century - - - - .Even an FPE Stablock would be an improvement - and THAT is saying a lot!!!

My perferred panel is the Square D QO but a Seimens would also be a good choice and a bit less pricy. Not a fan of the Square D Homeline, myself. The Pushmatic is 1936 technology -

[Boris]

Clare Snyder [e-mail]> wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yeah, I agree 100%. If it were my house, I'd have upgraded the thing years ago, bringing in more power, too. But, the economic decisions belong to the oldest son. Her daughter (my wife) and I just live the closest (2 miles) so we do the majority of repairs.

[micky]

But think how much your house cost!

For the first couple years after I bought my house, nothing seemed expensive. But that wore off.

[micky]

My mother would never let you spend big money on her house if she were

1. She's say to let the next owner do it.