Square D HOM or QO Combo? Does it matter?

[TimBobUSA]

I purchased some property that has a garage (shop) on it and the electrical needs to be completely redone. I spoke with the local inspector and he provided me with a list of requirements and suggested a combo unit. That's partly so we can more easily meet the local code requirements for this type of building/situation. On a side note, we're also moving to underground service.

The engineer from the local electrical co-op suggested a Square D combo unit and approved use of the HOM RC816F200C. However, after reading a number of threads here, I'm wondering if I should go with the QO combo instead. My plan was to feed from the combo unit directly to a 200 amp QO panel inside the garage. The only exception may be if the inspector wants the required 20 amp GFCI outlet run off the combo unit.

It appears the only difference between the QO and HOM combo units is that the QO has a tin plated copper bus and the HOM has an aluminum bus. Does that really matter, if I'm not loading any breakers in the combo unit? On day one the garage will be wired to use 100 amps, spread across basic inside/outside lights, outlets, and 40 amps for a welder. Long term we'll add a 50 amp RV outlet, LED driver(s) for additional inside/outside lighting, compressor, and power for a well.


QO Combo
QC816F200C
$219
Factory installed main breaker

HOM Combo
RC816F200C
$132 ($87 savings)
Factory installed main breaker

 

[u3b3rg33k]

homeline stuff just feels cheap to me. not a place I'd chose to save money. when I had my garage service installed quotes spanned thousands of dollars. I went QO PoN.

 

[Jim greengo]

Only differance internally between qo and homeline breakers is the visa trip,nothing wrong with using homeline equipt for a residential/garage setting like yours,unless you like soending 3 times the money on breakers and double on panel,save your money for all the extra stuff you're gonna need to wire the garage.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

when the quote from electrician A is $3k and HOM, and the quote from electrician B is $2.5k and QO, yes, I'm happy to spend more for the breakers and box.

 

[Jim greengo]

Depends on what the rest of the work they're including in the bid.

 

[sberry]

My own is QO but I started with it, if I was doing over would be Hom, lots cheaper. I used it for customers.

 

[Norcal]

It's not ''visa trip'' it's Visi trip®. QO is overpriced & Homeline is cheap, a copper buss is still the best, aluminum buss will always be more problematic then copper but SQ D introduced the Homeline panels to compete with the likes of Challenger, & others.

 

[346ci]

I went with all QO, local electrical supply stores prices were crazy so I bought the box online from Home Depot.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

What are your other panels? If you can standardize on one it would make it easier for you.

 

[pattenp]

Have you considered Eaton CH panels?

 

[Jim greengo]

It's not ''visa trip'' it's Visi trip®. QO is overpriced & Homeline is cheap, a copper buss is still the best, aluminum buss will always be more problematic then copper but SQ D introduced the Homeline panels to compete with the likes of Challenger, & others.

That's my auto correcting phone,if it doesnt recognize a word it substitutes one it likes.

 

[nh_yota]

The guts are the same between the QO and the Homeline breakers but the QO panels have a copper bus.

 

[mike93lx]

What are your other panels? If you can standardize on one it would make it easier for you.

I see this all the time here, but realistically, how often do you replace breakers? One every 10 years? Seems like a silly justification unless you are constantly adding new stuff

 

[Jim greengo]

I see this all the time here, but realistically, how often do you replace breakers? One every 10 years? Seems like a silly justification unless you are constantly adding new stuff

Unless you need to rob a breaker in the middle of the night for an emergency fix.

 

[TimBobUSA]

Thanks for all the input so far; I'm leaning towards paying the extra for the copper bus of the QC. I have the add-ons for the shop I listed above, but my primary job is in IT Infrastructure, so reliability is key.

 

[sberry]

I don't think QO had a copper buss. This doesnt mean a pinch of shate. Hotline is not new anymore, they been in service a long time and the buds might be as good or better than QO. Only thing I don't care for so much is they stick out like horns a little , I bumped one the other day with my knuckle but ideally a guy isn't sposed to work on panel with main on anyway.

 

[TimBobUSA]

Have you considered Eaton CH panels?

I looked into Eaton CH after seeing some good feedback on this site, but Eaton doesn't seem to have high availability in this area. I know at my previous job we were fully on board with most Schneider Electric products and they do have a good presence here.

 

[TimBobUSA]

I don't think QO had a copper buss.

The models I'm looking at all have a tin plated copper bus.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I see this all the time here, but realistically, how often do you replace breakers? One every 10 years? Seems like a silly justification unless you are constantly adding new stuff

Normal people = never
People likely to be reading/posting on this forum = far more often

It isn't so much for replacing breakers as adding an extra circuit as you need to. For me it is almost an hour drive into town, so having one handy is worth the $10 spent.

Also, the plug on neutral is awesome.

 

[sberry]

These are installed by the thousands every day. Your application is not special from the rest of the world. You will never be able to tell the difference besides a few dollars more or less in your pocket. Cheaper is good, all the more incentive to add another breaker or keep a couple in stock.

 

[Sticky Grips]

I have both homelite and QO load centers. Newer QO's offer the plug-on neutral for GFI/AF breakers, which eliminated the traditional pigtails.

QO's also offer tandem breakers (as of 2015 when i did my panel), so if for some reason you need to add one, it's an option. I just stuffed a 54 space panel in when upgrading my panel at home to not have to worry about space again.

That is the only applicable, practical difference that i could see.

 

[sberry]

Hom has plug on and tandems.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The guts are the same between the QO and the Homeline breakers but the QO panels have a copper bus.

Cu bussed QOs are an option. The standard QO bus is aluminum.

Both Siemens and SqD QOs are available with a tin plated Cu bus.
All Eaton Cutler-Hammer CH busses are Cu with silver plating.

 

[sberry]

I guess I never see them any different. They must be carried by the jobber then? I have thumbed thru some catalogs but it's been a while.
On a side note a box of Hom 120/20 breakers was 35$ at Menards the other day. My local hwd or lumberyard was 5.50 a piece and still not a deal breaker for 1 off for most folks. I bought a 100a there the other day, the customer has account there, was 42 I think.
Hom has stormed the country, rare to see a hwd doesn't carry it.

 

[Evan(CA)]

I use SD HL all the time and they are on par or better than Challenger or Eaton. Cheaper panels and breakers along with less install time. I installed literally over 100 panels at a retirement community and haven't had to replace a single breaker of the almost 2000 used. They are cheap, fast and reliable which is a rare combo to find.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I don't think QO had a copper buss. This doesnt mean a pinch of shate. Hotline is not new anymore, they been in service a long time and the buds might be as good or better than QO. Only thing I don't care for so much is they stick out like horns a little , I bumped one the other day with my knuckle but ideally a guy isn't sposed to work on panel with main on anyway.

QO are tin plated copper bus, Homeline is tin plated aluminum.

I have no problems with either, and for residential I'd almost always lean toward Homeline due to significant cost savings. Never had an issue with a Homeline panel that wasn't a result of a bad install or hack work.

 

[Jim greengo]

What he said.

 

[rburke65]

I’m all electric home....1970....and have a SqD QO panel and a CH panel for a second kitchen in a finished basement, and I have never replaced a breaker in either panel. I also used a Sq D Homeline in my new shop. I’m an electrician by trade.

 

[jim111]

To answer your question OP, no it does not matter. Either one is fine and I install both, depending on the job situation. It's really just a Ford or Chevy question IMO

 

[nsula_country]

Have you considered Eaton CH panels?

Eaton CH has copper bus. I like them. We have 1 supply house and they are an Eaton dealer.

But it's really Chevy/GMC vs Ford. If you had said GE panel, then I'd throw Dodge into the mix! LOL.

CT

 

[u3b3rg33k]

^^more like ford/lincoln. same OEM.

 

[nsula_country]

^^more like ford/lincoln. same OEM.

Right!

SQ D QO or Eaton CH. Both are the premium panels of each brand.

CT

 

[terabitdan]

I don’t think Leviton has been in the load center business for long, but I really like the design of this.

https://www.leviton.com/standalone/LoadCenter/m/


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[u3b3rg33k]

Looks decent.

FWIW i like investigating strange failure modes in panels. I've seen one where the main lug/bussbar connection was loose enough to cause flickering. it was basically arc-welding itself for the connection on that leg. mfg defect imho, even if it took 20 years for it to happen. that kind of failure shouldn't be a thing.

 

[Norcal]

Not seen Leviton loadcenters locally, but did get a email from a east coast distributor I bought something online years ago from, listing a 200A MB 40 space panel for $125, what worries me about them is if Leviton decided to discontinue them then would be stuck with a product with no support, just like Square D Trillant panels in the past, & breakers that are hard to find & stupid expensive.

 

[Schu338]

If it was my house, I'd use QO.

If you're trying to make a few bucks more, Homeline. Both good products.

 

[TimBobUSA]

I appreciate everyone's feedback and I decided to go with HOM. Figuring in everything I want to accomplish on the property, not just electrical in the shop, there will be a substantial cost savings by using HOM.

Since I'll have separate 200 amp services to the shop and the house, the only single point of failure is the electric company. Long term plans are to have a generator, so that'll provide backup power. I'll keep a few spare breakers on hand, just in case.