Cost difference between different AIC breakers

Status
Not open for further replies.
Grouch1980

Grouch1980

Senior Member
Location
New York, NY
Hi all,
What's the approximate cost difference when you have 10k AIC breakers versus 100k AIC breakers.

For example (let's include the cost of the panel too):
One 42 pole panel with 10k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 22k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 42k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 65k AIC?
One 42 pole panel with 100k AIC?

Thanks!
 
Grouch1980 said:
Hi all,
What's the approximate cost difference when you have 10k AIC breakers versus 100k AIC breakers.

For example (let's include the cost of the panel too):
One 42 pole panel with 10k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 22k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 42k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 65k AIC?
One 42 pole panel with 100k AIC?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
A lot if you are buying them at "over the counter" pricing.

Probably still some difference if purchasing via a job quote but not as severe as OTC pricing.

That said it isn't that often one needs typical 120/240 miniature breakers rated higher than 10k, and many of them probably not avaiable in more then 22k.

Distribution level is where you possibly do see need for 42 or 65k but often fault current is lessened by circuit resistance before you get to those miniature breakers used on branch ciruits.
 
Grouch1980 said:
Hi all,
What's the approximate cost difference when you have 10k AIC breakers versus 100k AIC breakers.

For example (let's include the cost of the panel too):
One 42 pole panel with 10k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 22k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 42k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 65k AIC?
One 42 pole panel with 100k AIC?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I don't think you can make such a cost comparison very easily. The cost of this kind of thing varies widely from manufacturer to manufacturer and from distributor to distributor. There is also huge variations in the discount levels distributors and manufacturers assign to different customers.

I don't buy a lot of panelboards but my experience when buying them is that you can often get them cheaper at one of the big box stores than at your local distributor.
 
petersonra said:
I don't think you can make such a cost comparison very easily. The cost of this kind of thing varies widely from manufacturer to manufacturer and from distributor to distributor. There is also huge variations in the discount levels distributors and manufacturers assign to different customers.

I don't buy a lot of panelboards but my experience when buying them is that you can often get them cheaper at one of the big box stores than at your local distributor.
Click to expand...
You not finding anything at big box store that will fulfill the need for more than 10kA branches and 22kA mains if that is what you needing.

even many supply houses won't have anything different in stock, unless maybe they happen to have some industrial clients that frequently need those items.
 
kwired said:
even many supply houses won't have anything different in stock, unless maybe they happen to have some industrial clients that frequently need those items.
Click to expand...

This is one reason I like using series ratings for branch circuits in panels boards with less than 400A bussing. It is hard enough to get people to use the correct manufacture much less a higher AIC breaker.
 
kwired said:
You not finding anything at big box store that will fulfill the need for more than 10kA branches and 22kA mains if that is what you needing.

even many supply houses won't have anything different in stock, unless maybe they happen to have some industrial clients that frequently need those items.
Click to expand...
I agree. Anything above 10ka is not going to be found in bulk. But for most cases, those are going to be the majority of CBs actually needed.

Most of the panelboards I use are for 120/240 power distribution within a control panel. It is sometimes very handy to do it that way as opposed to a bunch of DIN rail mounted breakers, although it takes up a lot of space the DIN rail mounted breakers don't.

Most 3 phase breakers I use are individual MCCB and usually they are 65 kAIC these days. The cost has come down on these compared to MCCBs with lesser AIC ratings. I think that is because other than the "cheapest possible" type specs, most people these days are asking for 65 KA SCCR, whether they need it or not. It is just simpler to ask for that because often they don't know at the time of P.O. issuance what it really needs to be.
 
jim dungar said:
This is one reason I like using series ratings for branch circuits in panels boards with less than 400A bussing. It is hard enough to get people to use the correct manufacture much less a higher AIC breaker.
Click to expand...

Yes very good point. Most all of the jobs I work on, If a panelboard needed 22k or whatever branch breakers, theres about a 99.5% chance that anyone in the future changing or adding a breaker will just throw a 10k in there.
 
Grouch1980 said:
Hi all,
What's the approximate cost difference when you have 10k AIC breakers versus 100k AIC breakers.

For example (let's include the cost of the panel too):
One 42 pole panel with 10k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 22k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 42k AIC breakers would cost?
One 42 pole panel with 65k AIC?
One 42 pole panel with 100k AIC?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I had a good relationship with a siemens gear guy, and it was pretty cool one time I was in his office and he was throwing different things into the pricing system. We were looking at things like the cost of a single 200A distribution breaker when bought with a panelboard, and different AIC breakers. It would take some digging through my emails to give you all I got, , but I can provide you this:

I was quoted $20.92 each for 108 siemens QPH120 which is the 22k version of their standard single pole 20. So has you can see it is such a huge increase, it is much better to design around series ratings and use 10k branches. As I just said in another thread, and Jim alluded to, you can easily get a series rating form 100k down to 10k for under 400 amp frame sizes. The problem arises if you have 400A or larger distribution with the branch panel close enough to not drop that fault current down enough, you will likely have to use the "H" series breakers.

Here is one more. This is a 1200A MLO I-line:

Panel with 1 3pole 300a breaker $2250.00

Panel with 6 3pole 300a breakers $5900.00
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top