Culter Hammer CH Circuit Breaker

[shebaaa]

I have a 1970 Cutler Hammer Circuit panel. A 20 amp breaker broke. Looking at replacements the CH type is now different then my old CH breaker. Are they interchangeable?

Thanks, Steve

[RBM]

Some are interchangeable and some aren't. I think a 70's panel is, but just buy one and try it, if it doesn't work, there are breaker brokers you can buy old stock from

[darrendragos]

You're probably not looking at a cutler hammer replacement for a cutler hammer, but a cutler hammer replacement for a Federal Pacific or Square D some other company.

Try a different (better) supply house.

[Tom The Great]

imho:

Get some professional help, by visiting your local supply shop. With giving them information about your panel (age, number, etc) they should find you the proper breakers for your panel.

Good luck,

tom @

[shebaaa]

Picture is small but it does look like mine. The ones at Lowes are a newer different style though they are marked the same "CH".

-Thanks

[shebaaa]

The local supply shop is 30 minutes away and closes before I get out of work, so I was trying to find one at a local hardware store or even online. I knew my Panel would be a problem. I lost the Main Circuit breaker last fall (2005) and after searching only one Supply house was able to get a replacement but it took two days for them to get it.

thanks

[Tom The Great]

IMHO:

I help people with home improvements, I say help since I manage to forge to ask for a market rate for my work, eventhough I carry insurances, etc. So I'm very biased. If your electrical system is giving you problems, you might think about updating. When I say updating, I mean upgrading the panel, the grounding/bonding, and maybe some AFCI's.

Like I said, I'm biased to getting stuff fixed. ;) Oh, I like Square-D QO products. Replacement parts are readily available, and long history of good quality.

later,

tom

[RBM]

This may be of some help to you. The old CH breakers have a metal clip to attach to the panel rail, and the new ones have a plastic clip, but other than that are pretty much the same. The problem panels if I'm remembering correctly have a two piece heavy steel cover. Four screws in the face, then four more screws in the bottom plate. If you don't have a cover like this, I think you'll be OK

[John Grabowski]

I ran across an old Cutler-Hammer circuit breaker panel several months ago. It had 200 amp fuses (Single phase)for a main and the copper bus for the circuit breakers had a protruding round copper stud approximately 3/8" in diameter that the CH circuit breakers were biting on. I don't think that these were the proper circuit breakers for this particular panel as the CH breakers did not seem to hold too well on to the bus. Unfortunately there was no labeling in the panel so I was not able to find out what breakers actually belonged in that panel. I remember that the panel cover was quite heavy for a panel of this size and the inner cover to go over the circuit breakers was missing.

[RBM]

That's like the dog I'm talking about, but mine had a main breaker. The main went bad and I got a replacement CH panel, figuring I'd save the customer some money and use the old breakers, but they wouldn't match up. Like you describe, it had like copper pins sticking up for the breaker to snap on to. I think this panel was from the 60's. I'm pretty sure his panel is new enough that he won't have any breaker issues

[shebaaa]

Thanks I will give them a try. The cover is only one piece but it is heavey. I found out I was wrong the House supposedly wasn't built until 1970 (according to the deed). But the Panel has a date written of June of 1969as being installed.

[pawlowsk002]

Tom:

Cutler-Hammer's CH series are every bit as good, though.

[Tom The Great]

Thank you, I've used their products, and they are good too. I just 'like' Square-D more, as my personal option.

tom