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Load center brand preference

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theoldwizard1

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SE MI
Later this year, I am going to replace my old fuse box (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) and install a separate load center in my detached (<25') garage. The current Wadsworth load center has 8 15A fuses and is a flush mount with cover/door, so I would like the new one to be flush mount also. The only wire that will be changed is the feed from the meter to the load center (<10').

The garage will be wired for 60A ( 2HP 240V compressor, couple of 20A utility receptacles and a lighting circuit). I am going to go with a 4-6 slot main lug, load center.

HD by my house has mostly Seimens. some Homeline and a bit of (large sized) QO.

What is your preference ?

Is a load center in a garage required to have a door
 
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Dragfluid

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I've always used GE. Simply because that was the first one that I had ever bought many moons ago, and I always had extra breakers sitting around when it was time to buy another.
 
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Norcal

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Eaton CH load centers they are the last quality line left.
 
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CNGsaves

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Since I have bunch of Zinsco panels and whole slew of spare breakers, I'm using them.

Unce Burny was a "sideline electrician" who got bunch of these Free !! :thumbup:
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just kidding !!! I've got 1955 era Magnetron or some other ancient main panel that needs replaced when I trench power out to garage and put in subpanel and upgrade service. I'm leaning towards GE Gold Powermark with copper bus that are available at HD and affordable.
 
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cosmopedro

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zmaxmotorsports said:
Ive used the home line panels for residential jobs for 20 years,never had a problem with them.;)
Click to expand...

Dragfluid said:
I've always used GE. Simply because that was the first one that I had ever bought many moons ago, and I always had extra breakers sitting around when it was time to buy another.
Click to expand...

Norcal said:
Eaton CH load centers they are the last quality line left.
Click to expand...

I love it! Only 3 answers so far, and all three recommend different brands!! :bounce:

It's kind of like asking which compressor is the best one... but I can tell you one I'd stay away from: Murray. Not even sure if they're still making them, but have had more trouble w/them than all others put together (breakers not tripping, breakers not resetting, arc-faults false-tripping all the time, etc...)

my .02 - YMMV

Sorry, CNGSaves, you hadn't shown up when I wrote this - only after I posted it! wasn't trying to leave you out...

:thumbup:
 
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nh_yota

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Seacoast New Hampshire
Square D QO panel and breakers if it were my place. Square D Homeline are good and I believe have the same breaker internals as the QO but the QO panels are built a little better. Think commercial vs. residential.
 
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nh_yota

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Eaton CH (originally Cutler-Hammer before Eaton acquired them) are comparable to Square D QO and from what I've heard it's regional preference based on what's the most available in an area.
 
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Speedy Petey

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NY State
After over 25 years doing this I can honestly say, ANY new major name brand is FINE.
SqD QO are no better than any other brand. All brands have had issues with AFCIs, QO being one the worst in the early days of them. By now most have worked out the bugs.
Either way, any brand, even Murray and GE are fine.
I use BR series mainly because it is what my supply house stocks the most of and I stock a lot of breakers. Single pole 15's and 20's I typically stock BR series "classified" breakers which will fit legally in most 1" panels.
GE is not that big around here since not a lot of supply houses carry them, only home centers. Eaton CH is simply not worth the additional cost IMO.
 
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brewchief

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I would use whatever brand was common and had a decent price on a 100 amp main breaker 20 space panel combo. Probably end up with homeline.

I wouldn't use one of the little 6 slot panels unless it was the only thing that would fit in the space and by the time you buy the breakers in the combo kit you are only saving a little bit.
 
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Charles (in GA)

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cosmopedro said:
but I can tell you one I'd stay away from: Murray. Not even sure if they're still making them, but have had more trouble w/them than all others put together (breakers not tripping, breakers not resetting, arc-faults false-tripping all the time, etc...)
:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Murray is a Siemens division and the breakers are identical and interchangeable, and many of the panels are the same also, but some Murray panels lack some of the features of the Siemens.

I like Siemens alot, especially the copper bus models. Buy something that replacement breakers and accessories are locally available for, it will go a long way in the future when you are adding circuits and doing other electrical work.

Charles
 
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T

theoldwizard1

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brewchief said:
I wouldn't use one of the little 6 slot panels unless it was the only thing that would fit in the space and by the time you buy the breakers in the combo kit you are only saving a little bit.
Click to expand...

I know what you are saying ! I am going to have to watch for sales at HD/Lowes.
 
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CNGsaves

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nadogail said:
Even as an April Fool joke. That has to be the worst advice I have seen lately.
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You forgot to read . . . . "Just Kidding" . . . . and Uncle Burny !! :D

I do NOT have any Zinsco . . thank goodness . . and would replace immediately if I did.
 
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sands35

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St. Joseph, MI
This is like "what oil do you use"?

Just stick with what is easy to get locally. Square D, Eaton, GE, Siemens, etc.

I just bought a Square D QO 200 amp panel off ebay for ~$95. New.

It looks more professional to have all the panels the same in the house and garage though.
 
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CNGsaves

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mopar440_6

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Were it my choice, I'd have Square D QO panels in the shop and the house because we used them on the farm growing up. Had at least 7 panels between the house, barns, and outbuildings and never had any trouble. But the house was already equipped with a Homeline panel so we went with the same in the shop for consistency.
 
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wyliesdiesels

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NUTTSGT

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The only thing I'll recommend is to have matching brand and same line in the house and garage. In the event that a breaker fails at some odd time, like Christmas Eve, you can swap one from one box to another in that emergency.


I have Square D QO in both the house and garage. Since they are on separate services, I could also run temp power from one to the other in the event of something bad happening.
 
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sberry

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I am not super fussy, they seem to work. If I was starting over on a home would likely be Homeline. In a garage if a guy has a slug off spaces make it cheap and simple to add circuits, sometimes it doesn't take much extra wire. When its less than a burger for a breaker and a clamp it takes a lot of stress out of it.
 
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RacerRick

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Durham Region, Ontario, Canada
I have used Seimens in the past with good luck and have a ton of brand new Siemens breakers left over. The current load center in my place is an old Seimens also, and I recently upgrade a lot of breakers in it to Arc faults.

When I upgrade my service to 200amp next year, I will go with a Seimens load center just because they are easily available locally, and the current load center in my place is an old Seimens also. I recently upgrade a lot of breakers in it to Arc faults and would like to reuse them.
 
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Speedy Petey

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RAYJAY said:
x2 on the QO series there homeline quality *****
Click to expand...
HAHAHAHA....It's basically the same quality.
The only difference is the buss material and shape. Oh, and the neutral bar arrangement in the HOM panels does not **** balls like it does in a QO panel.
 
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RAYJAY

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Speedy Petey said:
HAHAHAHA....It's basically the same quality.
The only difference is the buss material and shape. Oh, and the neutral bar arrangement in the HOM panels does not **** balls like it does in a QO panel.
Click to expand...

the breakers do not lock in as good as the QO panels


will stick with the QO panels and not the same quality :wtf:
 
3

3rdgen

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London Ont
Not sure if American panels are the same as Canadian ones but We use Siemens exclusively for residental and Ch for commercial or Industrial. The Siemens seem the be built a little better then the ch, the breakers are held in a little tighter, the neutral bar is not as flimsy as the ch and the ground bars are in a better spot. The square d are pretty good here too just hard to get since our two wholesalers carry either siemans or ch.
 
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