ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Residential Panelboards

Good discussion about panel boards. I need to replace a fuse box in the home I just purchased. I need a 200 amp panel board. Home Depot sells a QO 200 amp panel for $195. Is this a decent choice? I am willing to spend spend more if I need to for protection of my investment.

A QO???!!!! Ifits a QO and not a homeline, grab it and run. The big boxes have been selling a retail packaged homeline panel, panel and assorted breakers,and a flush front for it. Even if its is a homeline, I got a couple of em in, and haven't regretted it.
Trainwire

Home Depot has a contractor pack ITE 200A copper buss 30/40 with (8) 1P 20A breakers and (2) 2P 30A breakers for $119.95. They also have a SqD 200A 30/40 QO with breakers for $175.00. Both are good panels at good prices. My local supply house was charging me $169.00 for the same ITE panel without any breakers until I started going to the Depot. They quickly matched the Depot price after I went there for my second load of panels in a month.

I have abruptly changed my opinion of GE panels...

Yesterday, Joe Musser of Musser Electric was installing a breaker in a GE panel and the bus flexed and was broken off its mounts. It wasn't like he was over-torquing a lug or something, just snapping a breaker in place.

He removed the panel to show me, but I haven't seen it yet.

I'm officially switching to Cutler Hammer now.

I purchased the Sq D Homeline 200 amp value pack panel and a 10-pack of 20amp breakers. Total cost at Home Depot was $149. The feeder wires to the new panel were a little short. So, the panel was boosted up 6" before clamping the wires in place. The electrician installed it with no problems. I need a 30 amp and 2 twenty amp breakers and will be finished. Next up is the new meter base for my new underground line.

Pardon me while I become wishy-washy...

Saw the panel today, a 6 circuit 125A MLO (GE), you know, the type with the 8 circuit bus that has two "poles" blocked off...

Joe was trying to put a two pole breaker in the wrong spot, he thought he'd bought an 8 space MLO panel, and he forced a breaker where it was NOT designed to go, and broke a tab holding the left bus in...

I didn't have to scold him after it all came to light... He was feeling rather sheepish...

No other problems with GE...