RogerT wrote:
I had a problem in electric service panel in a home that I own. One
of the breakers kept tripping. When I checked it out, the breaker
was basically fried and when I took it out it looked like the breaker
pictured in the link below:
http://www.terrylove.com/forums/show...839&viewfull=1

And, just like the description of the problem in the link, in my case
the other breaker that attached to the same hot lug(?) was also
damaged. I replaced both breakers and moved both down to a new
location where the hot terminal of the bus bar wasn't damaged. An
electrician had to do the same thing with another breaker in the
past, and he had to move that one too because hot lug to which that
breaker was connected had melted.
This time, when looking at the whole panel, it appears that the
breakers are all old and there are some signs of rust or corrosion on
the breaker screws etc. I am assuming they are just old and maybe
there was dampness in the basement and the humidity was starting to
corrode things.
My initial plan is to replace all of the breakers with new ones,
which I can easily do.

But, my real question is whether it is possible or practical to just
replace the hot bus bar at the same time since the old one has heat
damage at a few places. Unless this is something fairly easy to do,
I would probably have an electrician do it.

Assuming that the part is available, is replacing the hot bus bar a
fairly easy thing for an electrician to do? If so, the reason that I
would want to have that done rather than get the whole panel replaced
is that everything else in the panel appears to be fine. The main
breaker had already been replaced by an electrician in the past, so
rather than having to have all of the wiring removed and start over
with a new panel, it seems like just replacing the hot bus bar and
circuit breakers would solve the problem and save a whole lot on the
cost and time involved in doing the fix.
The service panel is a 100-amp Challenge brand panel with probably 30
circuits. I know Challenger is no longer in business and was bought
by Cutler-Hammer (now Easton Cutler-Hammer, I think). And, I know
that Cutler-Hammer circuit breakers are the replacement for the
existing Challenger BR breakers that I have. But, whether a
replacement hot bus bar part is available, I don't know.

So, again, my main question is: Assuming that the part is available,
is replacing the hot bus bar a fairly easy thing for an electrician
to do?

Another vote for replacing the panel. Parts should cost around $300 and if
your hand fits a screwdriver, you can complete the job in an afternoon.

If you decide to go that route, check back here for detailed advice and the
steps to take.