gcronau
Member
I was reading an old thread on this forum about the question of whether to use Square D Homelite or QO series panels, and I'm pretty much sold on the idea of using the QO series for most everything except one small subpanel that will see very little amps through it. No need to spend the extra bucks where it isn't needed.
However, when I was looking through the available panels, I noticed something odd. Most of the panels are advertised as something like 6/12 for instance, meaning 6 slots and up to 12 circuits if tandem breakers are used. (And no, I don't want to get into an argument as to whether tandem breakers are a good idea or not.)
But I've seen some panels advertised as 30/40, with 30 slots and up to 40 circuits. That seems odd, it implies that only 10 of the 30 slots can be used for tandem breakers. So my question is: Are the other 20 slots physically blocked from having tandem breakers installed in them, or is the limit of 40 circuits just a *recommendation* on the manufacturers part? If I wanted to, or someday needed to, install an 11th or 12th tandem in the panel, would I be able to, or would there something in the panel that physically prevented it?
And on the same idea, there are some panels that are sold as something like 32/32, which seems to imply that tandems can't be used at all in these panels. Again, is there a physical barrier preventing the use of tandems in those panels, or is it just an issue that the manufacturer is recommending that they shouldn't be used?
In all the panels I've worked with so far, I've never seen anything that would prevent tandems from being installed in all the slots if I ever wanted to do something so dumb, so the above specification seems odd.
However, when I was looking through the available panels, I noticed something odd. Most of the panels are advertised as something like 6/12 for instance, meaning 6 slots and up to 12 circuits if tandem breakers are used. (And no, I don't want to get into an argument as to whether tandem breakers are a good idea or not.)
But I've seen some panels advertised as 30/40, with 30 slots and up to 40 circuits. That seems odd, it implies that only 10 of the 30 slots can be used for tandem breakers. So my question is: Are the other 20 slots physically blocked from having tandem breakers installed in them, or is the limit of 40 circuits just a *recommendation* on the manufacturers part? If I wanted to, or someday needed to, install an 11th or 12th tandem in the panel, would I be able to, or would there something in the panel that physically prevented it?
And on the same idea, there are some panels that are sold as something like 32/32, which seems to imply that tandems can't be used at all in these panels. Again, is there a physical barrier preventing the use of tandems in those panels, or is it just an issue that the manufacturer is recommending that they shouldn't be used?
In all the panels I've worked with so far, I've never seen anything that would prevent tandems from being installed in all the slots if I ever wanted to do something so dumb, so the above specification seems odd.
