Good Zinsco Replacements

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peter d said:
Yes, they are the same physical size. I stopped using Square D because of the AFCI's. I got sick of dealing with them.
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Ever considered looking into a NQ panelboard? 20 inch wide cabinet will leave you with a lot or wiring space. I haven't wired a new dwelling for at least 3 to 5 years, but do have one that is coming up next spring. I am considering getting a price on one with breakers and any other Square D items I may need all on same small job order just to see how that turns out compared to buying the usual loadcenter and other items. Other times I have purchased QO breakers on a small job order and actually seen an itemized price the breakers were nearly a give away item, but those were always on a little larger projects as well, one panel for a average dwelling may not come out so well, but at same time they wouldn't have to knock much off the AFCI's to make a big difference.

One drawback is they don't have plug on neutral in the NQ panels that I am aware of.
 
kwired said:
Ever considered looking into a NQ panelboard? 20 inch wide cabinet will leave you with a lot or wiring space. I haven't wired a new dwelling for at least 3 to 5 years, but do have one that is coming up next spring. I am considering getting a price on one with breakers and any other Square D items I may need all on same small job order just to see how that turns out compared to buying the usual loadcenter and other items. Other times I have purchased QO breakers on a small job order and actually seen an itemized price the breakers were nearly a give away item, but those were always on a little larger projects as well, one panel for a average dwelling may not come out so well, but at same time they wouldn't have to knock much off the AFCI's to make a big difference.

One drawback is they don't have plug on neutral in the NQ panels that I am aware of.
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I've worked with a few NQ panels in a commercial setting and they are nice, but it's way overkill for the vast majority of resi work that I do. I also don't have an account with a Square D distributor so I don't have access to preferred pricing, and you need to be on a buying program anyway. I did know of one large EC I met who told me he pays under $3 for a QO single pole breaker and $17 for a QO AFCI, but he does huge volume with Square D including a lot of commercial gear packages. For us small potatoes guys, there is no way we can touch that kind of pricing. So obviously yes, they do give away the residential breakers while they make the money on the gear and large frame breakers.
 
peter d said:
I've worked with a few NQ panels in a commercial setting and they are nice, but it's way overkill for the vast majority of resi work that I do. I also don't have an account with a Square D distributor so I don't have access to preferred pricing, and you need to be on a buying program anyway. I did know of one large EC I met who told me he pays under $3 for a QO single pole breaker and $17 for a QO AFCI, but he does huge volume with Square D including a lot of commercial gear packages. For us small potatoes guys, there is no way we can touch that kind of pricing. So obviously yes, they do give away the residential breakers while they make the money on the gear and large frame breakers.
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You go to a distributer?
 
peter d said:
I've worked with a few NQ panels in a commercial setting and they are nice, but it's way overkill for the vast majority of resi work that I do. I also don't have an account with a Square D distributor so I don't have access to preferred pricing, and you need to be on a buying program anyway. I did know of one large EC I met who told me he pays under $3 for a QO single pole breaker and $17 for a QO AFCI, but he does huge volume with Square D including a lot of commercial gear packages. For us small potatoes guys, there is no way we can touch that kind of pricing. So obviously yes, they do give away the residential breakers while they make the money on the gear and large frame breakers.
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Primary supply house I buy from is a Square D distributor. I do get a better price then anyone that just walks in off the street - but not on all items. I also may not get as good of a price as those that purchase in higher volume then I do. If I put in a small job quote request with nothing on it but QO loadcenter and QO breakers - I get the same price I usually do, that it the best price they will give me. If the job has 50 loadcenters, then I might get a better price just because of the volume, haven't done a job with a lot of loadcenters for a while so not sure what would happen today. NQ is only affordable for my pricing with them if you order panel and breakers on a small job quote. Then you throw in a bunch of extra items you know you will use on that quote just to get them at a good price. Most of the time you don't know what you paid for an individual item though as they just give you a lump sum price for everything on the quote.

Recently I did have one job quote with a 400 amp fused disconnect a QO loadcenter, and necessary branch breakers for the job. Total quote was only a hundred bucks or so more then if I just bought the 400 amp disconnect without them running it through Square D for pricing. If I would have bought the loadcenters and breakers without the disconnect though they wouldn't have been any less then without the small job quote.

It is a little bit of a pain, but that is how Square D likes to sell things, by the job or large lots.

I can buy a I line panel with several breakers in it for a lot less then if I buy the breakers alone - so if I need several breakers, even just two or three in some instances, I order them with as small of a main lug panel as possible, and discard/recycle the panel.
 
kwired said:
Primary supply house I buy from is a Square D distributor. I do get a better price then anyone that just walks in off the street - but not on all items. I also may not get as good of a price as those that purchase in higher volume then I do. If I put in a small job quote request with nothing on it but QO loadcenter and QO breakers - I get the same price I usually do, that it the best price they will give me. If the job has 50 loadcenters, then I might get a better price just because of the volume, haven't done a job with a lot of loadcenters for a while so not sure what would happen today. NQ is only affordable for my pricing with them if you order panel and breakers on a small job quote. Then you throw in a bunch of extra items you know you will use on that quote just to get them at a good price. Most of the time you don't know what you paid for an individual item though as they just give you a lump sum price for everything on the quote.

Recently I did have one job quote with a 400 amp fused disconnect a QO loadcenter, and necessary branch breakers for the job. Total quote was only a hundred bucks or so more then if I just bought the 400 amp disconnect without them running it through Square D for pricing. If I would have bought the loadcenters and breakers without the disconnect though they wouldn't have been any less then without the small job quote.

It is a little bit of a pain, but that is how Square D likes to sell things, by the job or large lots.

I can buy a I line panel with several breakers in it for a lot less then if I buy the breakers alone - so if I need several breakers, even just two or three in some instances, I order them with as small of a main lug panel as possible, and discard/recycle the panel.
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Good to know, but since I do a lot of resi anyway, I'll reiterate that Square D AFCI's have really turned me off from using them. But on the commercial end of things, it's pretty much all I want to use.
 
peter d said:
I have no idea, I don't buy from a Square D distributor and I stopped using Homeline anyway. I've switched to Murray and Cutler Hammer BR.
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I can get a much wider variety of products and at competitive pricing to big box stores at my Square D distributor on Homeline as well as QO items.
 
I didn't notice any AFCI type breakers in that home depot page. Doesn't code require AFCI if breakers or circuit is modified? Pls supply section..
 
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