In the last three months I have found 3 GE PowerMark panels with a Cuttler-Hammer style date code. I have seen several of these in the past, but until Citizens really got picky on the dates of the panels, I did not get concerned about the age of the panel.
Yeah, I was thinking Bryant and Cuttler-Hammer.
Eaton also owns Bryant, so most Bryant breakers will be compatible with Cutler-Hammer panels.
and:
Bryant electrical breakers are no longer available in the market, but Eaton Cutler-hammer breakers make for good substitutes, especially if you use load centers from Bryant.
Since they are officially linked, Eaton or Cutler-hammer breakers can be Bryant circuit breaker cross reference. Bryant used to be a subsidiary of Whitewesting until Cutler-hammer (now Eton) purchased Whitewesting.
https://www.galvinpower.org/what-circuit-breakers-are-compatible-with-bryant/
Even if several brands of circuit breakers fit your breaker panels, you shouldn’t install them in your panel. They may look very similar in appearance, but they probably have several differences like the mounting process, the busbar connection, and more.
All panels and circuit breakers are only perfectly suitable when they come from the same brand.
Even if you can fit another company’s breaker on your panel, its grips may loosen over time. This may cause trouble in your electrical system. It is necessary to replace a circuit breaker in your panel with the same brand to prevent any electrical malfunction.
However, using the same brand still poses another problem: obsolete parts. That said, don’t panic if you face this problem; you don’t need to replace your entire electrical system right away.
Upgrading your electrical system will most definitely cost you a lot of money. You can consult with a professional to determine the most trusted-recommended circuit breaker brand to fit your old load center perfectly.
Moreover, look at your old circuit breaker and see if it is specified as a UL-classified product. Many UL breakers are interchangeable and tested and approved for use with different panels.
Another good thing for a UL-listed breaker is that it was tested under extreme conditions. It ensures that the design meets or exceeds safety standards.
Watch this video made by Circuit Breaker Wholesale. It will provide you with information on why circuit breakers aren’t interchangeable.
See video…scroll down:
https://www.galvinpower.org/what-circuit-breakers-are-compatible-with-bryant/
The BR stood for Bryant, the load center line that was part of Westinghouse, Bryant also made wiring devices under that brand, Westinghouse later put their name on the load centers, & sold the wiring device line to Hubbell, Westinghouse bought the Challenger Electrical Equipment Corp., & blended them, using the Challenger panels for the BR line, & having Westinghouse breakers listed for Challenger, & dropping the Challenger breakers, except the Zinsco mains, Eaton bought the Westinghouse electrical business & merged it into their Cutler-Hammer subsidiary, renaming it Cutler-Hammer BR, for number of years until they renamed everything Eaton, to this day Eaton BR is listed for Challenger panels.
Unless Eaton built panels for GE, their modular metering was rebranded Cutler-Hammer, it was weird seeing a Cutler-Hammer CHB breaker (now obsolete bolt-on C-H breaker) branded as a GE THQB bolt-on. It is not unheard of, I have a Siemens branded, but Eaton built 100A double pole, double throw, safety switch, commonly used as a manual transfer switch, so it is not unheard of.
Not referring to breakers just the date code labels inside the panel. I have had three in the past several months that were dated from 2000-2019 with the Cuttler-Hammer style date labels inside the panels.
[> Blockquote Cutler-Hammer load centers use a five-digit date code that’s at the bottom of the data sticker inside the box at the side. First digit identifies which plant manufactured it, second digit is the year, third and fourth digits are the week, and last digit is a code for the decade. So the second and final digits are the ones you want to look for. To decode the last digit:
+ is 1980 – 1989
= is 1990 – 1999
& is 2000 – 2009
! is 2010 – 2019
@ is 2020 – 2029
# is 2030 – 2039
$ is 2040 – 2049
So the F251& code shown above means that it was manufactured in 2002 (2nd year of the 2000 to 2009 decade), on the 51st week.](How do I determine the age of a Cutler-Hammer electrical panel?)
