ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area POP sound in panel what is it?

Im rewiring a 100 year old home that has 100 amp pushmatic panel in it. Im temporarily tighing in a 20 amp circuit in for a bedroom.

Im pretty sure i have the answer to this question but want to make sure. I tighed in the new 20amp circuit but the breaker was off i then turned the main breaker back on and heard a pop sound so i quick shut the main off again.

I forgot to turn off alot of the branch circuits before i turned the main back on so was that the pop i heard because of the load? There was nothing on in the house just the fridge and the lights in the basement.

I first thought there was a short in the circuit i just ran because i had to use wiremold thinking i chafed a wire. I only hooked the circuit up to the breaker and the neutral to the ground bar i never turned the circuit breaker on so i dont see how that is the problem.

So was this pop sound because of the fridge and light loads? Nothing was burning or smelled burnt in the panel.

So at the end i turned off all the branch circuits and then turned the main on then each branch circuit without any pop noise.

I'd venture a guess that you heard the breaker mechanism closing.

The pushamatics make 'odd' noises occasionally. Some guys call them 'pop-o-matics'

Does tighed = tied and tighing = tying, not trying to be smart just want to make sure I understand your post. I assume you're getting it inspected right?

I think he meant tying in

Where is Ohia?

Don't they require AFCI's in Pennsylvania in bedroom circuits?

I don't think they make a Pushmatic AFCI.

Sorry yes i meant tying haha. I remember winning awards for spelling back when i was in school now i cant spell for **** ha.

Anyway still don't know what that pop sound was but everything works nothing is burnt. But when i finally turned the 20 amp breaker on for the circuit i ran it tripped right away. Turned out i smashed a wire putting on the internal 90 cover on the wiremold! I hate wiremold!

Anyway case closed everything is fine and dandy now haha.

That's over!

Leland:
Think she means Ohio?

"Pop" always meant that an arc either welded or blew open, to me. I am not sure where it happened in that can but that's what happened. Maybe that is just the way Pushmatics close the circuit. Never saw one.

Greg:
They were made orig by 'Bulldog', then later I believe ITE bought the brand/design. I used to have a bunch of then in the shop, single, double and three pole.

IMHO, they were a pain in the butt. Bolt-in, tight panel space, and I wonder if they ever had a SWD rating.

It was 'push-on; push-off' with an indicator in the 'push' part.