I have never seen an electric panel like this. Can someone please advise on and/or direct me about it.
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks,
Mike
Mike, from Google:
" Pushmatic Home Electrical Panel
Instead, the breakers are rectangular buttons you must “push” to activate or deactivate. While the Pushmatic panels are not a huge fire hazard , they are a very old panel that is obsolete after the company went out of business." 
Here’s how I used to document them.
Observed panel is a Bulldog Pushmatic. This is an older design panel/breaker which may be prone to some idiosyncrasies that the owner should be aware of.
- Some older Pushmatic circuit breakers use a thermal breaker trip design with no electro-magnetic trip mechanism. Modern breakers incorporate both electro-magnetic and thermal tripping mechanisms, increasing safety and the likelihood that they will function properly in the event of an severe overload or short circuit.
- Operating difficulty: The design of the breaker is such that, over time, they may become stiff and difficult to operate or reset.
- State of breaker On-Off may be unreliable: Pushmatic breakers have an indicator flag showing whether the circuit is on or off. On some old Pushmatic breakers, this on/off flag may fail and stay fixed in either position, potentially giving a false indication of the state of the breaker
- Some insurance companies may consider the Pushmatic design obsolete & require replacement.
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No recommendation?
I did not attach recommendations to each and every observation. The reports were long enough as-is. Rather I put the following in the preamble to reduce redundancy.
The state promulgated report form, also included the following
ITEMS IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT DO NOT OBLIGATE ANY PARTY TO MAKE REPAIRS OR TAKE OTHER ACTIONS, NOR IS THE PURCHASER REQUIRED TO REQUEST THAT THE SELLER TAKE ANY ACTION. When a deficiency is reported, it is the client’s responsibility to obtain further evaluations and/or cost estimates from qualified service professionals. Any such follow-up should take place prior to the expiration of any time limitations such as option periods.
That’s not to say that others should follow what I did. If anyone wants to use my verbiage, they should adapt it to their own reporting style.
Did clients question you as to whom to get (plumber? electrician? waterproofing contractor, etc…)? since you left it up to them to decide.
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They often asked for advice and still do after retirement. They are always welcome to contact me. Generally, they had competent agents to advise them and we often had dialog about how they might handle it during the walkthroughs.
I take the perspective that no house is perfect and it’s not feasible to try to make them so. I provide information to enable my clients to make informed decisions and what to consider in setting priorities. I’m a resource that is fully available to them in that process, but I don’t attempt to set their priorities or make their decisions.
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Thanks Chuck!
Mike - With no pictures of the interior, it is not possible to confirm, however it also looks like it is a split bus panel. Be sure to confirm and advise them of the need to turn off ALL labeled red buttons/breakers to kill power to the house. I will call this out with a split bus panel.
Thank you all, that was very helpful.
Split bus.