GE Panels

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Jim W in Tampa said:
Yes they will recognize the name , but is that a plus or minus. They do not exactly hit the market as quality. Feel sorry for anyone that would let this make the differance in buying a home.
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Because you're aware of the differences between the brands... most homebuyers wouldn't be. It's all about brand recognition, and ANYTHING that makes a buyer feel more comfortable is a plus when it comes to selling. Realize that developers usually have little to crow about other than to parrot the building codes they're forced to comply with anyway.
 
I like GE, especiallly the copper Buss that they put in their panels.
Siemens also uses a Copper Buss.

In my opinion, they're as good or better than any of the rest, especially the Square D Homeline, which has a Aluminum Buss...:mad:.

Some people apparently don't like GE period.
I'd be interested in a good reason for their dislike, like a specific example of a past problem.
Most of the complaints that I hear about GE always refer to the way that GE manufactures the Main Breaker in their residential panels.
I've never seen or experienced a problem with this style breaker.

Just my opinion
steve
 
I love GE! I get more service calls for bad GE breakers than I do for SqD and CH combined:D

It wouldn't be my first choice for a gear line by a long shot, but the entire line is not bad. I don't like the 120V bolt-in breakers or the resi breakers, but most everything else is on par with the other manufacturers in my opinion.
 
Only think I don't like about GE panels is how the mini breakers go in. Have to pay more attention to what slots are open and such. Not as easy as a BR panel. All the home grade panels are cheap. Pull one off the shelf and put it in. It don't really matter much.
 
hillbilly said:
I like GE, especially the copper Buss that they put in their panels.
Siemens also uses a Copper Buss.

In my opinion, they're as good or better than any of the rest, especially the Square D Homeline, which has a Aluminum Buss...:mad:.

Some people apparently don't like GE period.
I'd be interested in a good reason for their dislike, like a specific example of a past problem.
Most of the complaints that I hear about GE always refer to the way that GE manufactures the Main Breaker in their residential panels.
I've never seen or experienced a problem with this style breaker.

Just my opinion
steve
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Copper or aluminum busses are available from most of the big name panel manufactures, and this includes Siemens, Square D QO, or home line, CH.
I agree that the aluminum busses seem to have a higher failure rate, but I have also noticed that almost all of the time it is where the panel has been located in a elevated moisture area such as basements, laundry rooms, or out doors. In dry areas they hold out just fine.
You get what you pay for I guess?

But back to the original OP question:
The only problem I ever found with a GE panel involved the half space breakers and the very small contact to the buss they made, I had to replace a few because the buses was burned.
 
All current makes of panels have been cheapened up, Gould Inc. started the trend when they bought I-T-E Imperial Corp. & introduced the plastic interiors so common today, GE, SQ D (the finest cheap plastic crud you can buy today) all followed. Murray & Bryant/Westinghouse/Cutler-Hammer BR panels are the bottom of the the manure pile IMO, followed by GE & SQ D Ho line, which leaves SQ D QO, Siemens & the C-H "Classic" the last decent residential / light commercial panel on the market.
 
norcal said:
Murray & Bryant/Westinghouse/Cutler-Hammer BR panels are the bottom of the the manure pile IMO, followed by GE & SQ D Ho line, which leaves SQ D QO, Siemens & the C-H "Classic" the last decent residential / light commercial panel on the market.
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Murray and Siemens are one and the same now, so I don't see how Siemens could be a better product than Murray. :-?
 
peter d said:
I like GE panels (the aforementioned copper bus and galvanized can) but I'm not a fan of the breakers. A live cable cut with linesmans makes a much bigger bang and flash on a GE breaker than Square D or Murray. :D
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I know that you know that has nothing to do with the quantity of the breaker but the available short circuit current at the point you messed up.
 
peter d said:
True, but I'm still convinced that Square D's do trip the fastest.
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Maybe because Square D breakers are thermal magnetic, not thermal only like some of the competition. The magnetic part should cause it to trip faster on a short circuit than a thermal only breaker would.
 
jdsmith said:
Maybe because Square D breakers are thermal magnetic, not thermal only like some of the competition. The magnetic part should cause it to trip faster on a short circuit than a thermal only breaker would.
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Just to throw my two cents in I have no problem at all with GE panels. Have used them lots of times. Have also used SD and don't have a preference.

Also I agree with iwire the SCA could have been drastically different between times peter cut a live cable cut with linesmans.

Of course maybe peter is such a great tech that he has done extensive research on the subject:D Joking.:D
 
Twoskinsoneman said:
Also I agree with iwire the SCA could have been drastically different between times peter cut a live cable cut with linesmans.
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Here's how I know...I cut through live NM cables twice, in the same house. :roll: The first time the cable was on a GE breaker - a loud bang and a lot of sparks ensued. The second time it was a cable coming from a Sq D Homeline breaker. It made a very small arc and almost no bang at all.


Twoskinsoneman said:
Of course maybe peter is such a great tech that he has done extensive research on the subject:D
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I always seem to do that research with brand new pliers. :roll: Hence why I coined "Kleins Law" - The probability of cutting through a live cable is inversely proportional to the time in service.
 
peter d said:
Here's how I know...I cut through live NM cables twice, in the same house. :roll: The first time the cable was on a GE breaker - a loud bang and a lot of sparks ensued. The second time it was a cable coming from a Sq D Homeline breaker. It made a very small arc and almost no bang at all.




I always seem to do that research with brand new pliers. :roll: Hence why I coined "Kleins Law" - The probability of cutting through a live cable is inversely proportional to the time in service.
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Nice! I like that.
 
peter d said:
I like GE panels (the aforementioned copper bus and galvanized can) but I'm not a fan of the breakers. A live cable cut with linesmans makes a much bigger bang and flash on a GE breaker than Square D or Murray. :D
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And STILL doesn't trip the breaker. I have seen 15A GE breakers hold 115A, so much all the lights in the house dimmed out, for several seconds and never trip.

The larger breakers used in power plants aren't much to write home about, either.
 
GE makes a good product.

As with many others here, I have my own preference. One day, when I finally decide to change out my trusty old Zinsco split-buss panel, I will go with a Square D type QO or Cutler Hammer type CH panel. I will leave the GE sub panel in my garage.
 
Well I like both Square D and CH, really can't say that I don't like GE. If had my perference I probably go with Square D, of course I think Pushamatics are my all time favorite. :)
 
Pushamatic? They bolt in (okay, they attach with a screw, which is to say a lot about vs push ons ), no messing around for these guys!
 
Durring my time working I've seen a good number of faulty breakers. Square D OQ is the type I've had to replace the most of. Followed by Crouse Hinds main breakers (total service change at that point) and FPE. Then ITE/siemans/murray. GE seems to me to be in line or just a bit better than the ITE/Siemans quality.

Only ever saw one bad Cutler Hammer BR type breaker and one bad CH type breaker. Considering how much people talk up SQD QO and bash Cutler's BR types, I find much more trouble with the QO's. Having seen as many Sq D QO's go bad as I have I can't have too much faith in them. It is hard to see SqD in a positive light when my 1st hand experience tells me otherwise. Still I love SQ D meter stacks.
 
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