Square D Model 6 MCC pilot light trim breakage

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majorminotaur

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Buffalo, NY, USA
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Electrical Engineer
Hello all. We've got a whole bunch of Square D Model 6 MCC's that were installed in 1998 with pilot light devices that basically have a flawed design. The trim that holds the lens in snaps into place. Well, 20 years later and the plastic is fragile and when you pull off the trim to replace the lamp, the plastic tabs break off. I'm being told that they don't make this plastic piece anymore and are trying to sell me a replacement for the whole assembly for $50+ a pop each parts plus not an insignificant amount of labor to change them all out. The plastic piece itself can't be particularly hard to manufacture, so here I am thinking there has to be an easy solution to this and I can't be the only one facing this issue. Does anyone have any experience with this problem? If so what was the solution? Does anyone stock these parts still? Get a plastic manufacturer to create new ones custom? Knuckle under and pay thousands of dollars to replace? Thanks in advance.
 
I understand that $50 isn't that expensive...but the labor to replace them would be. It's probably take someone a solid month, whereas replacing the plastic bezel pieces would take maybe a day (and they could re-lamp while at it). I was thinking some enterprising manufacturer might have picked up the torch that square D dropped, but if I'm the only one asking for it obviously the demand wouldn't be there. I figured it was worth a try to see if it was a problem others had encountered in the past and had a solution for.

I like the 3D printing idea. I'm going to contact a local 3D printer and see if it's something they could make reasonably economically.
 
Catalog number for these pilot lights?

Most of what they have had in the 30mm K line of products hasn't changed a whole lot over the years, if you have something no longer available it must not be from this line.
 
majorminotaur said:
Hello all. We've got a whole bunch of Square D Model 6 MCC's that were installed in 1998 with pilot light devices that basically have a flawed design. The trim that holds the lens in snaps into place. Well, 20 years later and the plastic is fragile and when you pull off the trim to replace the lamp, the plastic tabs break off. I'm being told that they don't make this plastic piece anymore and are trying to sell me a replacement for the whole assembly for $50+ a pop each parts plus not an insignificant amount of labor to change them all out. The plastic piece itself can't be particularly hard to manufacture, so here I am thinking there has to be an easy solution to this and I can't be the only one facing this issue. Does anyone have any experience with this problem? If so what was the solution? Does anyone stock these parts still? Get a plastic manufacturer to create new ones custom? Knuckle under and pay thousands of dollars to replace? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I feel for you. Any reason you cannot just cut a bigger hole with a hole punch and put a different light in there? I suggest you use an LED bulb this time so it never has to be relamped again.
 
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