Siemens quad breakers

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hello.
I have a panel with not enough room that I am trying to install a 240v breaker in. Actually somebody already tried to install a 240v breaker and did it wrong. I am trying to fix it. This panel is one of those annoying panels where to get 240v you need a quad breaker. Well the panel is full of 240v loads already so there is no way I can fit another quad breaker in or move things around. I am writing to see if anybody knows of any breaker ties that can go from the top of a quad breaker to the bottom of a quad breaker (with a breaker tie already in the middle of this quad breaker). Or is there possibly a rule where you can tie the top of one quad breaker together with the bottom of another quad breaker? I am just outta ideas aside from installing a new panel. Thank you. If my picture uploads it’s the breaker on the bottom left that was installed wrong.
 

Attachments

  • 821376E4-A95C-4ABB-A556-D1D53881D59D.jpg
    821376E4-A95C-4ABB-A556-D1D53881D59D.jpg
    21.6 KB · Views: 1

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
It looks like some one has taken the outside handles off of those quad breakers that you have. You can not put a handle on one quad to fit the bottom of an other quad.


I would consider to try to sell them a bigger service or panel...
 
All the ones I see at Home Depot are the same. No outside bars. It would have to be a pretty exotic bar to not get in the way of the middle breakers. Do you believe there is something. I have looked at Siemens site and not seen anything.
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
Yes, Siemens make a quad that has handle ties for the middle two and outer two breakers.
Are you trying to replace that 20A double pole with the Quad?
If I remember correctly the only thing you need to check is the model number if it has common trip for the outside poles or not, some do some don’t. I would look at the Siemens book for you but I’m not near it right now.
 

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
Yes, they exist. I use them. You didn't say which one you needed, and I couldn't see details in your picture. Here is one example:

https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-Q220...argid=aud-466360936450:pla-309377716471&psc=1

71y%2B3zLOs0L._SL1500_.jpg
 
Well your sorta my hero right now with that picture. They were just push on breakers so that’s exactly what I am after!! I will have to go and check with the wholesaler to get me some of those. I really could not find that with google. Haha.

And yes this person needs a new panel. I already have a bunch of work since they have wires doubled up on breakers. It’s so silly cause this was out in last year, undersized. It says cowboy electric which I assume is a bunch of friends doing the work. Oh this is right behind and above a hot water tank.

Thabks all. Huge help. I have so many questions all the time. So thankful to have a place to ask them.
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
The breaker you want has the model number format Q2aabbCT2 where 'aa' and 'bb' are the respective amp ratings you want to combine. You can also use Murray MP2aa2bbCT2 unless not listed on the panel and you have a very persnickety inspector. The 'CT2' suffix is the key indicator that you're getting two 2-poles.
 

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
Thanks for the extra info. Your right, I can’t see the breaker specifics either in that photo. But alas you have armed me with enough to keep going, cheers.

Above the photo there's also a link to a place that sells them, with a full description, and there were several models that show up on the same page.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Take the 2 pole 20 out, put in a larger subfeeder to another panel, move the 2 pole 20 to that panel.

Just another option, and leaves room for additional circuits to be added. Putting a quad in what is there is the end of adding circuits to that one.
 
Done, sort of

Done, sort of

Well i ordered the Siemens breaker online like the previous poster mentioned. Surprisingly you cannot get a breaker that is 2- 2 pole 15 amps. Siemens doesn't offer that combination interestingly enough. So i just switched my plan around and got a 2 pole 20amp with a 2 pole 15amp on it. My wholesaler was gonna have to special order from their rep, saying it's not common ordering those breakers in. So i just ordered online. Sadly when i went to put the breaker in it would just not click down all the way. Looking at the breaker that just came out side by side with my new one, all the moulded casing points were the exact same (both were type QT breakers as well). Except the spot on the back where the stabs are were, there was a little too much casing to push down all the way. Not sure what that's all about, but i have a email in with Siemens. I can't imagine it would have worked with anyother panel style. There just wasn't enough stab meat to hold anything in. Oh well we chipped away some casing and it's in and looks good. I will wait and see what Siemens says and hopefully they will send me a replacement breaker for their breaker that was sent out i presume defective. Thanks for the help everybody.
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
It didn’t go on all the way due to the rejection feature of the breaker because your panel or section of panel is not set up to accept twin breakers unless they are NC (non-conforming) twins which have a longer slot on the breaker casing stab area.

There are standard conforming breakers that work on panels with a bus bar notched to accept twins and quads. And then there are NC type that will fit onto panels with only a solid bus bar. Such as a 12 circuit only panel versus a 12/24 circuit panel
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Well i ordered the Siemens breaker online like the previous poster mentioned. Surprisingly you cannot get a breaker that is 2- 2 pole 15 amps. Siemens doesn't offer that combination interestingly enough. So i just switched my plan around and got a 2 pole 20amp with a 2 pole 15amp on it. My wholesaler was gonna have to special order from their rep, saying it's not common ordering those breakers in. So i just ordered online. Sadly when i went to put the breaker in it would just not click down all the way. Looking at the breaker that just came out side by side with my new one, all the moulded casing points were the exact same (both were type QT breakers as well). Except the spot on the back where the stabs are were, there was a little too much casing to push down all the way. Not sure what that's all about, but i have a email in with Siemens. I can't imagine it would have worked with anyother panel style. There just wasn't enough stab meat to hold anything in. Oh well we chipped away some casing and it's in and looks good. I will wait and see what Siemens says and hopefully they will send me a replacement breaker for their breaker that was sent out i presume defective. Thanks for the help everybody.

Murray makes the 15-15 double-two-pole quad. Physically the same. But you won't find that without the rejection tab I don't think.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Well i ordered the Siemens breaker online like the previous poster mentioned. Surprisingly you cannot get a breaker that is 2- 2 pole 15 amps. Siemens doesn't offer that combination interestingly enough. So i just switched my plan around and got a 2 pole 20amp with a 2 pole 15amp on it. My wholesaler was gonna have to special order from their rep, saying it's not common ordering those breakers in. So i just ordered online. Sadly when i went to put the breaker in it would just not click down all the way. Looking at the breaker that just came out side by side with my new one, all the moulded casing points were the exact same (both were type QT breakers as well). Except the spot on the back where the stabs are were, there was a little too much casing to push down all the way. Not sure what that's all about, but i have a email in with Siemens. I can't imagine it would have worked with anyother panel style. There just wasn't enough stab meat to hold anything in. Oh well we chipped away some casing and it's in and looks good. I will wait and see what Siemens says and hopefully they will send me a replacement breaker for their breaker that was sent out i presume defective. Thanks for the help everybody.
That is the rejection feature at work. If the panel were intended to accept that breaker in that position it would have a slot in the bus so that extra plastic that makes up the rejection feature won't interfere with plugging it on.

Look at the bottom few bus positions (seems to be where use of tandems/twins was commonly allowed) to see of those positions have a slot in the bus tabs. If not, that particular panel likely was never intended to accept any tandems/twins at all.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top