SquareD QO vs. Cutler Hammer BR?

[jim dungar]

The old specs (from 1990) say tin plated, but the latest brochure says "silver flash plated" http://www.eaton.com/ecm/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=34834

Interesting, the bus is plated but the breaker connection points appear to be bare.

 

[Sharpie]

Jim,

That is interesting. From the picture I can't tell if the silver is around the back where the copper is rolled. I have a CH loadcenter in a box at home. I'll look to see what it's like where the breaker makes contact.

 

[Sharpie]

Two days later....

Two days later....

I finally made it back to the computer. I looked at the bus connection on the CH load center. It appears that the entire bus is made of a thick sheet of copper, then flash silver plated, then cut/stamped to shape, then the "fingers" that the breakers connect to are rolled or folded in half so that when you look at it from the front you see the cut edge. On the surfaces that the breaker makes contact with, it does have the silver.

There you go. Mystery solved!

 

[220/221]

I have seen the bus stabs/breakers burn on both QO stlye and BR style.

I HATE how the terminals of the QO's are angled backwards. It makes it more difficult than it has to be to insert the wire.

 

[Sharpie]

120,

I agree. I don't like having them angled either. The only reason I can think of is to get to the terminal screws without taking the dead-front off (panel board, not load center).:roll: