C-H GFI breaker info needed

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jimport

jimport

Senior Member
Location
Outside Baltimore Maryland
Occupation
Master Electrician
Today I saw a single pole? C-H (brown) GFI breaker. The HO asked why it was buzzing so I said I would take a look. This was feeding the bathroom receptacle and an exterior receptacle.

This breaker was 2 poles wide and had a 16 ga? black jumper from the 2nd hot screw to the factory neutral pigtail terminal. There was no branch circuit conductor landed there.

What is the purpose of the jumper? I tried the C-H site but the pdf was poor quality.
 
That was one of the real early GFI breakers. I don't suspect you'll find any info on them, but I do remember coming across one or two. If it was buzzing and it was old enough to look like you described, I'd feel pretty good about replacing it and calling it 'at the end of its useful life'.

My guess is that jumper fed power to the electronics housed in that "2nd pole". If I remember rightly, that second pole plugs onto the bus finger with a plastic clip, so it's not really getting power from the bus for the second pole.
 
Thanks Marc,

I did not pull the breaker off to see if the 2nd pole really was fed from the buss. I could not figure out how the jumper was not creating a short.

Was told this house was built in the early 70's.
 
The 2nd pole does not connect to the bus, it is as marc stated plus one other bit of info, the lead coming off the breaker is secured w/ a one way screw. Replace it & free up another space in the panel. Off topic but I was mad when Eaton decided to make a twin breaker for some CH panels, it was one thing that kept C-H loadcenters above all others.
 
jimport said:
Thanks Marc,

I did not pull the breaker off to see if the 2nd pole really was fed from the buss. I could not figure out how the jumper was not creating a short.

Was told this house was built in the early 70's.
Click to expand...

Did you test it?
 
norcal said:
Off topic but I was mad when Eaton decided to make a twin breaker for some CH panels, it was one thing that kept C-H loadcenters above all others.
Click to expand...
Interesting sentiment. I hope you don't mind my saying this, but why resent a company offering a feature you're not required to use? Just say no. :)
 
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