Replace 100A 2 pole main breaker in residential

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kylelee

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I got a Siemens main breaker was burned/ overheat . the metal parts of the breaker and
Bar both are carbonized, it cause some sparkles arcs . Could I just file the bar and replace a new breaker? Is it the contact good enough?


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When you file the bus bar, you're altering it and thus..... negating the NRTL listing.

Replace the panel and sleep well instead of trying to cheap out.
 
Forget listing, once the metal in the bus bar has been overheated - it will never be same again. Clean it up all you want, you will have failure at that same point again if you don't replace both the bus and the breaker.

Depending on circumstances you possibly may find other branch breakers have been compromised as well, though they may not look as bad - any discoloration of bus in other positions or jaws of other breakers - replace them too.
 
I got a Siemens main breaker was burned/ overheat . the metal parts of the breaker and
Bar both are carbonized, it cause some sparkles arcs . Could I just file the bar and replace a new breaker? Is it the contact good enough?


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Regardless if you clean it up, or replace the bar/breaker -
did you cure the overload or whatever was the original bad thing?
 
Regardless if you clean it up, or replace the bar/breaker -
did you cure the overload or whatever was the original bad thing?

If panel has continuous heavy loading - sometimes it is just time and heat of normal loading that got to it. Have had a few of those. Maybe not so common in a dwelling because there often isn't much for continuous loads, or the loads that are continuous are not very heavy of a load.
 
Regardless if you clean it up, or replace the bar/breaker -
did you cure the overload or whatever was the original bad thing?

i don't think it is overload. It just a small dwelling unit, the reason for that just the breaker didn't contact to bar not good


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i don't think it is overload. It just a small dwelling unit, the reason for that just the breaker didn't contact to bar not good


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All the more reason to replace the whole panel and breakers. The spring tension on the jaws of the breakers could have been compromised due to arcing.
As an aside...the innards are usually riveted to discourage home repair.

Reminds me of someone on another forum asking if he can repair a 30 amp RV plug whose ground pin pulled away.
He was thinking of using Gorilla glue and pushing the ground pin back in place.
 
I did see the jaws has been compromised. Indeed, the safest way is to replace the innards parts


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Depending on the age of the panel, replacing the interior is sometimes not code compliant. You would need the exact interior for replacement. If anything is different the entire panel needs to be replaced. The panel is listed as an assembly and things like cover fit and wire bending space have been included with the design.
 
Hopefully you are going the route of replacing it, but as to filing or sanding it down, that cannot work. You will NEVER get that bus or the mating surface of the breaker to be perfectly flat in order to attain the maximum surface contact area. So you have ALREADY seen the result of a poor connection, trying to file or sand it down will just result in a new poor connection. Waste of time and effort, and there is no fix that is more expensive than one that must be done twice.
 
I replaced my little 100 Amp panel 21 years ago. New panel with all new breakers.

All new connection (stripped new ends) and torque.

I have only had the cover off the panel once since then and that was to add a circuit.


The good thing about replaceing the panel and breakers is that you should get years of good service for very little time and money invested. This can also be said for the idea of pig tailing and replaceing all the old receptacles. Normally you get years of good service before you have any more problems.
 
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