Comments on: when is it time to replace a breaker box.

By: Warren914

Warren914 — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Talk to another electrician, it seems this guy is trying to soak you. His price is outrageous. Circuit breakers are reliable and last a very long time. Breakers just don’t wear out. While there will invariably be failures in any given item, I think what he is telling you is stretching the truth.
Having a couple of spare breakers is not a bad idea. Replacement of a faulty breaker is very simple even for a novice.

By: William B

William B — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

he is full of crap,
did he go to rip off school .
tell him he needs to go back to school,

By: sensible_man

sensible_man — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Unless you are using the breaker switches as an on/off switch, they don’t “wear” out. While there can be natural failures in any product, it normally doesn’t happen in breakers. If there is arcing, it could be loose wire.

By: jakeb

jakeb — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Breakers rarely wear out. Just keep a couple extras for the future if one or 2 does go bad. I know of many 40 + year old homes with the original breakers.

By: Jim W

Jim W — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

It depends on the brand. Some of the top quality makers like ITE and Square D last for years, others like FPE last a few years, some have been so unreliable, no top professional will use them. Bulldog was one of those. If the arcing is in the connection from the buss to the breaker, it’s time to replace the whole thing and use a top brand, Breakers are about $7-$20 each depending on the brand and ratings. A panel is less than $100, a days labor is about 8x$100 so I find the guesstimate to be about fair for many markets. If you have a midnight type contractor, who will warrant the work if something goes wrong. The professional craftsman spends 4-5 years to learn the trade and has a family to support and must allow for call backs if something goes wrong. As expensive as it seems now, paying the price for a peofessional is cheaper than a fire or a funeral if something goes wrong.

By: btcbill

btcbill — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

ahhh yes the old.”bad breaker” ploy. this guy is a hack and should not be trusted to perform electrically sound work. talk to someone you trust to find the name of a real electrician. ask to see their certification, if your state requires one. a certified journeyman electrician is financially and criminally responsible for their work