Hello all,
I've recently come across an installation of Challenger panel and breakers in a building about 30 years old. The breakers were the type that have a small hanger type clip on either side that clips onto the bus bars. You could combine two thin breakers by interlocking the two and create a full size. These clips apparently weren't very good at retaining their tension onto the bus bars and eventually caused arcing and pitting. Eventually the breaker itself would fail and damaged bussing would require replacement of the whole panel.
My question really is, have these types of breakers ever been recalled or proven to have any kind of latent defect similar to what happened with the Federal Pacific breakers or is it simply an issue of old equipment going bad.
I've heard that theses types of breakers failing quite often and someone even went as far as to say there was a recall. I have not been able to find any proof of that. Might any one out there be familiar with these breakers/installations and point me in the right direction? Thanks a ton!
I've recently come across an installation of Challenger panel and breakers in a building about 30 years old. The breakers were the type that have a small hanger type clip on either side that clips onto the bus bars. You could combine two thin breakers by interlocking the two and create a full size. These clips apparently weren't very good at retaining their tension onto the bus bars and eventually caused arcing and pitting. Eventually the breaker itself would fail and damaged bussing would require replacement of the whole panel.
My question really is, have these types of breakers ever been recalled or proven to have any kind of latent defect similar to what happened with the Federal Pacific breakers or is it simply an issue of old equipment going bad.
I've heard that theses types of breakers failing quite often and someone even went as far as to say there was a recall. I have not been able to find any proof of that. Might any one out there be familiar with these breakers/installations and point me in the right direction? Thanks a ton!
