On May 29, 2:13*pm, dpb wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:
In article , "Mike Marlow" wrote:
allen476 wrote:

So he was curious and asked why. I told him the wire is wrong, the
breaker is wrong, and what about connectors and staples. The breaker
was the only one they had that would fit a Cutler-Hammer panel. Told
him that you can't mix brands, that you need a Cutler-Hammer breaker.
Well, that part is wrong. *He can mix brands just fine, as long as the
breaker will mount in the box. *No requirement for a CH breaker, depending
on the box he's using.

Actually, there *is* such a requirement. Even though a Cutler-Hammer breaker
will fit, and function, perfectly in a Siemens box, for example, it's still a
Code violation to use it -- because the CH breaker wasn't tested in, and
therefore isn't listed for use in, a Siemens box, and it's a Code violation to
use any electrical device for a purpose for which it's not listed.

But, that doesn't mean the breaker the customer had wasn't a
replacement-brand breaker manufactured for the purpose by another
manufacturer.

Many of the original CH breakers are now obsolete and only third-party,
NOS, remanufactured or other replacements are available.

Upshot is, insufficient evidence to say unequivocally the selected
breaker wasn't ok for the panel; overly restrictive to say that only a
CH-manufactured breaker can go in a CH panel. *It has to be made as a
replacement and listed as a replacement for the panel, true, but it
doesn't have to be manufactured only by CH.

--

All of CH breakers are readily available. They have 2 types, one is
there residential/light commercial (They look like a Siemens,GE,Square
D Homeline breaker) and then the commercial/industrial division (They
have a reddish beige handle and look like a Square D QO series breaker
on the bottom).

There was a company that made interchangeable breakers but they have
gone out of business. Basically though manufacturers are not going to
spend the extra money having their breaker UL listed for another
manufacturers panel. The last one I remember that did that was
Westinghouse and they are no longer around.

Allen