On Mon, 7 May 2012 21:49:40 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK
wrote:

If using the breaker as a switch is ok wrt what gets turned off, a
simple solution would be to wire a switch into the circuit as it
leaves the panel.

This could be worked into the circuit quite easily. If all the units
are on a single breaker....simple enough.

btw here is a link to QO trip curve

http://static.schneider-electric.us/...ature%20Circui
t%20Breakers/QO-QOB%20Circuit%20Breakers/730-3.pdf

Inrush current (the best results of my internet search) for neon
lights is about 3 to 5x higher than "running current".
Current of 5x rated breaker current will trip a QO in .6 secs.

Sounds like the inrush to the neons could have tripped the breaker.

cheers
Bob


Interesting!!!!!
Those are some hefty transformers on the neons, at least those old ones
were.

As far as using breakers as switches, I used to work for a company that
did maintenance for industrial buildings. One of them was a church, and
they used the breaker panel for turning off all the church lights every
day. In fact they taped the breakers that were not meant to be turned
off (such as the ones to the offices, and ones that had computers or the
furnace or AC). I thought that taping them would defeat their ability
to trip as needed. The thing is that the church actually had light
switches, but they were scattered all over the place, so it was easier
to just flip about 8 breakers to turn everything off.