"Refurbrished" QO GFI Breaker

[K8MHZ]

Seem like the 'refurbished' molded case breakers I'm finding out about since this thread started are new and unused. Just surplus, no box, damaged box, dusty, or shelfworn. It appears that the extent of the refurbishing involves a damp rag and some Armor All.

Refurbished sounds too much like Reefer Bushed to me.

I wonder how many came from down south pulled from panels QC'd by Hurricane Katrina??

 

[zog]

What does refurbishing mean? Do they clean the dirt of of the outside of the breaker? Do they cut out the rivets and clean the inside of the breaker? Do they take parts from several breakers and combine them to make a breaker?

I know of no organization that has refurbishing instructions for small molded case breakers like QO. The CPSC recommends that they be "cleaned and re-used".

Agreed, the only specs for recondiditioning (Not refirburbish) is from PEARL. You can find thier standards here. http://www.pearl1.org/download_PEARL_reconditioning_standards.htm

Otherwise, it is most likely jut an old breaker someone bought or stole, cleaned up a little but to look shiny and sold back to you. Lots of those junk dealers around and they sure are cheap.

 

[mxslick]

Thanks Zog for that link. If you click on low voltage molded case circuit breakers with solid state trip mechanisms, (most likely what a GFCI would fall under) the inspection proceedure is 12 pages long.

I seriously doubt that any of those "refurbished" breakers were inspected to that standard. The labor costs alone would far exceed the price of a new breaker.

Only the industrial breakers, desigend to be rebuilt, are ones I would trust or buy in refurbished condition. Any molded case breaker riveted shut and not intended to be opened should not be trusted if "refurbished."

 

[iwire]

I don't think either an AFCI or GFCI is a solid state rip mechanism.

I think that a solid state trip breaker is one that uses electronics to sense over current conditions in place of the mechanical thermal magnetic we see in typical breakers.

 

[mxslick]

I don't think either an AFCI or GFCI is a solid state rip mechanism.

I think that a solid state trip breaker is one that uses electronics to sense over current conditions in place of the mechanical thermal magnetic we see in typical breakers.

Bob, I agree that it wouldn't be a solid state rip mechanism. :grin:

However, can you elaborate on why you don't think AFCI/GFCI could be considered as a SS Trip? Since the electronics that sense the arc fault/ground fault(leakage) and then trip the breaker mechanism, I have to say that it most certainly would be a SS trip mechanism, even though the overcurrent would be thermal/magnetic.

Guess it's all a matter of semantics.

 

[iwire]

However, can you elaborate on why you don't think AFCI/GFCI could be considered as a SS Trip?

IMO The 'trip mechanism' is the mechanism that looks for over current / overload.

Inside a typical AFCI / GFCI you will still find a mechanical overload / over current mechanism and I do not believe those are mechanical trip parts are 'refreshable' even though they are packaged with some other electronics.

 

[jim dungar]

However, can you elaborate on why you don't think AFCI/GFCI could be considered as a SS Trip?

A GFCI is a thermal magnetic circuit breaker that just happens to have a shunt trip mechanism triggered by electronic components. Remove the electronics and you still have a circuit breaker.

A solid state trip breaker is nothing more than a manual switch if its electronics do not function.

 

[jim dungar]

Item 1211, in the link Zog posted, says (my emphasis):

NOTE:​

​

This standard pertains only to those breakers that can be opened for inspection, maintenance and part(s) replacement purposes. This standard does not pertain to residential riveted frame molded case circuit breakers and other such breakers.​

​

 

[zog]

Item 1211, in the link Zog posted, says (my emphasis):

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Right, because it would be a waste of time. The cost to actually recondition a small MCCB would be waaaaay more than what you can buy it new for.

Anyone selling these as reconditioned probally used the procedure Marc posted, wipe off with damp rag, post on ebay.

 

[hillbilly1]

Square D had a big recall on some bolt-in QOB GFCI breakers years back, hope that's not what there selling as refurbished. Never did hear what the problem was that they had to recall them. Seems like they were 20 amp double poles.