Siemens MDP

[jmellc]

Working a small job where we are feeding a subpanel from a Siemens MDP. I've been round and round with the supply house about breakers. They finally got me the breaker & bus kit I needed. Then I put it together and see the KO plate for the breaker is narrower than plates on the other breakers. I had ordered a 10 inch blank plate and now need an 11 1/4 inch one. The bus is different than what is in it now and I had to preassemble it to be sure it would fit. the panel.

I told the boss, nothing simple about a Siemens MDP. Change any 1 detail and you have to change at least one other thing, sometimes more. Siemens is a good product but they seem to go out of their way to make it complicated.

I think most other brands of MDP are a lot simpler. I don't recall having to assemble bus kits for Square D or Cutler Hammer but I havne't worked on any of them lately. Other observations?

 

[George Stolz]

I think they are each their own special snowflake, each brand has their quirks.

By "special" I mean "hypertension-inducing" and snowflake could be roughly translated as "junk".

 

[ActionDave]

I think they are each their own special snowflake, each brand has their quirks.

By "special" I mean "hypertension-inducing" and snowflake could be roughly translated as "junk".

So, so true. Reminds me of an old George Carlin bit about your stuff is stuff but someone else's stuff is......

 

[jmellc]

It would be entertaining if it weren't costing us time and money. We needed a 60A 3ph breaker. I gave the model #of the MDP & after several days, supplier said a 200A breaker was smallest made for that panel. I said no, there were 125 and 150's in it. I gave model #'s on them, measurements on KO plates & blank plates. He called in the Siemens rep & finally gt what we needed. Even so, the bus is different from the others. These are about 11/4 wide, 2 similar ones to fit phs A & C, 1 odd one for B. Other bus kits are more like Smooth rods, what I've seen in most other Siemens MDP's.

Look closely at any Siemens eqpmt involved in your projects. May be OK, may be a headache.

 

[kwired]

So, so true. Reminds me of an old George Carlin bit about your stuff is stuff but someone else's stuff is......

IIRC he said something like "have you ever noticed that their stuff is ..... and your ...... is stuff".

It would be entertaining if it weren't costing us time and money. We needed a 60A 3ph breaker. I gave the model #of the MDP & after several days, supplier said a 200A breaker was smallest made for that panel. I said no, there were 125 and 150's in it. I gave model #'s on them, measurements on KO plates & blank plates. He called in the Siemens rep & finally gt what we needed. Even so, the bus is different from the others. These are about 11/4 wide, 2 similar ones to fit phs A & C, 1 odd one for B. Other bus kits are more like Smooth rods, what I've seen in most other Siemens MDP's.

Look closely at any Siemens eqpmt involved in your projects. May be OK, may be a headache.

I-line panels - been fairly consistent since the first one sold:happyyes: Plus they all accept 15 amp 1, 2 or 3 pole breaker up to whatever bus will allow on the max end.