Circuit Breaker Sizes ?

[Robert11]

Hello:

Regarding circuit breakers:

Wish to replace a few of mine with the new arc fault type.

Are all circuit breakers that one finds in typical home residences standard (the same physical size) or does, e.g, Square D have their own size, and XXX a different size ?

If there are different standard sizes, where might I find a table showing them, and how best to know what I have now ? Once I open the panel up, is the size likely to be on a label, or... ?

Thanks, B.

[SQLit]

You need to find breakers that are UL listed for the service entrance panel you have. CH/Eaton makes breakers for other panel manufactures. SqDog has NQO and Homeline that has been used on residences in my area. The breakers are not interchangeable. Other panel manufactures may have other issues. Best plan is to match the manufacture and breaker style. All of the information should be on the label. If not pull a breaker that you want to replace with arc fault and take it with you.

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

There is a fine point here that I wanted to tell you about.

You say the Sq.-D and the Sq.-D Home are not interchangiable. There is one combo that will work here.

1) Old Sq.-D Box can use old square - D breakers. 2) Old Sq.-D Box can use New Sq.-D Home breakers. 3) Old Sq.-D Box can't use New '' Home '' Breakers and not Sq.-D Home Breakers.

4) New '' Home '' Box will use New Sq.-D Home breaker and Home Breakers.

5) New '' Home '' Box will not take old square-D breakers.

The point here is the old sq.-D box can use the new '' Sq.-D Home '' breaker but a old sq.-d breaker will not fit in a New Sq.-D Home box or a Home box. And with this said. The New Sq.-D '' Home '' breaker will fit in a old square-D Box. And Also the old Sq.-D breaker will only fit in a Old Sq.-D Box.

The New Square-D '' Home '' Breaker will fit a Old square-D box. If it says square-D and home on it. It will go back and fit the old Square D box. Now a lot of electrician don't know this and will replace accordingly. I had a Square-D saleman explain this to me for there has been some discussion about this working or not. Read carefully here for it is just one point to make.

Now I'm totally brain dead after stating this.

TURTLE

[RBM]

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

I was not making a shotgun answer to universial breaker but making just one point of the Squae-D breaker that would work and be acceptiable to Square-D breakers verses the other Square-D Home type breakers. I do know you don't work with Square-D breakers verses the Square-D Home breakers much for you would have seen this matching up problem that I was speaking about. I was speaking of one match up between the two and not as you ay a shotgun approach to breaker matching up. Only a electrician or a person who works with these sq.-D breakers would have a clue as to what I was talking about.

Now Also i have had this discussion with others and with SQIit and i don't remember directing the question / answer at RBM or talking here to you. I was adding to a conversation SQLit and I had sometime back about these breaker which you seem to have missed.

Now by what you said above you don't know about Square-D making a [ Square-D Home Breaker ] which will fit both Old Square-D Boxes and Home Boxes also. They will go both ways.

TURTLE

[RBM]

[John Grabowski]

I seem to recall an old style Square D circuit breaker that plugged in, but I can't remember if it is similiar to the Murray/Gould/GE/Homeline style that is out there now. It was made before the QO style came out. I used to have a few laying around, but finally threw them out.

Check out this link:

John Grabowski

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Earth to RBM , Check at your Electric Wholesale warehouse and see. They do make them but they don't send out bulletins to every tom dick and harry to tell them about them.

Now if you call Squre-d customer hot line they will not tell you about them because it will stop most people from buying a new switch box but call you electric warehouse and they know about them. The Key word here is '' Square-D HOME Breaker '' and nothing else. Yes I know all about what your going to tell me about the two boxes being different but one type breaker only will go in both. It is a Square-D Home Breaker and nothing else. The Home and Square-D will both be on the breaker and not just one or the other.

TURTLE