QO vs HOM - worth the price?

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I've been on board with the Siemens panels for a while now. IMO they've been leading the tech with AFCI breakers now having a tandem AFCI breaker. In addition they have freindly feed back in the breaker to determine the trip reason, easy to see if it was a GF, SC, AF, or OL, when you reset a tripped breaker. Also since the shortages, presumably from the pandemic, seems to have a better supply.
Next best has been the BR because of the shorter AFCI/GFCI breakers compared to the CH or SD.
 
I've always been a QO fan. I've never seen one go bad. They are built tough and reliable. However, to me it feels like they are starting to show their age and limitations on what they can do with a 1/2 wide slot. As other's have pointed out, they get around this by making the electronic breakers longer, which creates other issues.

As far as boycotting SqD because of their push to SPDs (I didn't know they were the one...), I don't have anything except anecdotle evidence, but since starting to install SPDs, I feel like I'm seeing less failures of equipment (ie, GFCIs).

For example, at my camping property, I was getting at least 1 failure of something after every electrical storm, a GFCI, a motion light, etc, etc. Since installing an SPD there, I haven't had any failures whatsoever.

Lately I've been installing Leviton panels. I know they are shunned by many old crotchity electricians here, but they are reasonably priced, haven't failed me, and they've been available throughout this Covid Crap, without price hikes.
 
VirutalElectrician said:
I've always been a QO fan. I've never seen one go bad. They are built tough and reliable. However, to me it feels like they are starting to show their age and limitations on what they can do with a 1/2 wide slot. As other's have pointed out, they get around this by making the electronic breakers longer, which creates other issues.

As far as boycotting SqD because of their push to SPDs (I didn't know they were the one...), I don't have anything except anecdotle evidence, but since starting to install SPDs, I feel like I'm seeing less failures of equipment (ie, GFCIs).

For example, at my camping property, I was getting at least 1 failure of something after every electrical storm, a GFCI, a motion light, etc, etc. Since installing an SPD there, I haven't had any failures whatsoever.

Lately I've been installing Leviton panels. I know they are shunned by many old crotchity electricians here, but they are reasonably priced, haven't failed me, and they've been available throughout this Covid Crap, without price hikes.
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There was a man that was observed banging 2 sticks together. When asked what he was doing, he said banging the sticks was for keeping elephants away. The observer said, "I don't see any elephants anywhere"!
Did the sticks work, or was there no elephants?
 
Little Bill said:
There was a man that was observed banging 2 sticks together. When asked what he was doing, he said banging the sticks was for keeping elephants away. The observer said, "I don't see any elephants anywhere"!
Did the sticks work, or was there no elephants?
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Elephants waited for man to stop in one place with those water-witching sticks.

With no surge protection (SPD) at fuse box, AFCI outlets are impedance protected at end of home runs, they last a lot longer, nuisance trip less, and work as they should, exposing carbonized devices downstream, or bad bus stabs upstream.
 
Little Bill said:
There was a man that was observed banging 2 sticks together. When asked what he was doing, he said banging the sticks was for keeping elephants away. The observer said, "I don't see any elephants anywhere"!
Did the sticks work, or was there no elephants?
Click to expand...
We could test, I could shut the breaker off to the SPD and see if anything fries over the summer, if you're willing to cover the replacement costs for this experiement.
 
VirutalElectrician said:
We could test, I could shut the breaker off to the SPD and see if anything fries over the summer, if you're willing to cover the replacement costs for this experiement.
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During high winds, and peak summer heat, utility excursions have nuisance tripped my clients Leviton AFCI & AF/GF outlets inside the dwelling.

In my high-density urban area the utility waits for old transformers to fail, and only replaces their equipment by attrition, so open neutrals & broken lines wreak havoc on any integrated circuits built into circuit breakers. 5 years is about the max life for most AFCI or GFCI breakers without SPD.

While surge protection may reduce device destruction from over-voltage, I doubt SPD hides arcing signatures from utility lines, overheating transformers, or a neighbor's bad HVAC, much less for AFCI breakers with no impedance protection from the branch circuit home run.
 
readydave8 said:
never seen a QO breaker go bad? I have, probably not often, maybe as often as Siemans or CH, not as often as Bryant or GE

usually "bad" as in won't reset, even when removed from panel box
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I guess I take that back. I do remember having to replace a failed 15a GFCI QO breaker. In it's defense, the outlet it was connected to was one of these
1667923741046.png

lying in 3 feet of water in a crawl space connected to a sump pump. I guess after being forced reset several dozen times by the customer, it decided it had enough.
 
VirutalElectrician said:
I guess I take that back. I do remember having to replace a failed 15a GFCI QO breaker. In it's defense, the outlet it was connected to was one of these
View attachment 2562824

lying in 3 feet of water in a crawl space connected to a sump pump. I guess after being forced reset several dozen times by the customer, it decided it had enough.
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I wonder why. POS. 🙄
 
growler said:
I agree.

And the really bad thing is that after you spend the extra money to get the QO panel it is doubtfull that anyone will actually notice. I don't even think it helps your (future) social credit score.
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But QO is one of the best breakers out there. I have replaced fewer of them than any other type.
 
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