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My uncle told me to always use the same brand for breakers and panels, but I just had a job prove him wrong.
He swore by it for twenty years, saying mixing brands would cause nuisance trips. Last month in a 1980s house, I had to use a new Eaton breaker in an old Square D panel because the supply house was closed. It's been running a garage subpanel for three weeks now with zero issues. I'm starting to think the 'must match' rule is more about habit than code. Has anyone else mixed brands on an old install without problems?
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the_evan7d ago
Well, there goes twenty years of electrical dogma. Next you'll tell me you can mix wire nuts from different boxes. I guess the real nuisance trip was the fear we had along the way. My old boss would have a fit if he saw a Siemens breaker smiling back from a Cutler-Hammer panel. But hey, if it works and it's safe, maybe the only spark is from our own stubbornness.
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kim_smith6d ago
Wow, I used to be that stubborn too!
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alice_wilson736d ago
Ever try swapping a breaker in a pinch? Had a Square D go bad, only had a GE on the truck. Checked the listing, it was cross-listed for the panel. Put it in, been fine for three years now. The code book matters more than the brand name on the box. Sometimes you just have to trust the listing and move on.
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