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Electrical service panel door mismatch...how to fix? lgerhardx 03-03-2007
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Posted by on March 3, 2007, 6:20 pm


Hello all.

The past owners of the older home which I live in now had tried
'fixing' things throughout the house (most notoriously venting a
bathroom exhaust directly into a sealed attic space...*sigh*). One of
these problems which I am now trying to undo involves them mismatching
the electrical breaker box and the panel that covers it.

The box itself takes some odd-looking, older toggle (push in, push
out) breakers, square in shape. The panel cover has the knockouts
knocked-out for the newer, wide rectangular breakers.

I was warned when I purchased the house that this would have to be
fixed, because it is dangerous--there is a major gap between the
actual little square breakers and the holes from the knockouts for the
other type of breaker.

Basically, my question is this: can I get *just* the panel for the
existing breaker box? I'd rather do that if at all possible, instead
of incurring the additional expense of having to replace all of the
breakers to put in a totally new system.

Can anyone point me to a place where I can get just the cover? BTW, I
can take pix, if that would help. Thanks so much in advance!! :)


Posted by RBM on March 3, 2007, 6:27 pm


Sounds like you have an old ITE/Bulldog/pushmatic box and breakers. Inside
the panel it may have a model number, but the likelihood of getting a cover
for an obsolete panel is pretty low. You'll probably wind up having to
replace the entire panel with breakers



> Hello all.
>
> The past owners of the older home which I live in now had tried
> 'fixing' things throughout the house (most notoriously venting a
> bathroom exhaust directly into a sealed attic space...*sigh*). One of
> these problems which I am now trying to undo involves them mismatching
> the electrical breaker box and the panel that covers it.
>
> The box itself takes some odd-looking, older toggle (push in, push
> out) breakers, square in shape. The panel cover has the knockouts
> knocked-out for the newer, wide rectangular breakers.
>
> I was warned when I purchased the house that this would have to be
> fixed, because it is dangerous--there is a major gap between the
> actual little square breakers and the holes from the knockouts for the
> other type of breaker.
>
> Basically, my question is this: can I get *just* the panel for the
> existing breaker box? I'd rather do that if at all possible, instead
> of incurring the additional expense of having to replace all of the
> breakers to put in a totally new system.
>
> Can anyone point me to a place where I can get just the cover? BTW, I
> can take pix, if that would help. Thanks so much in advance!! :)
>



Posted by Terry on March 3, 2007, 7:02 pm


On 3 Mar 2007 15:20:42 -0800, lgerhardx@hotmail.com wrote:

>Hello all.
>
>The past owners of the older home which I live in now had tried
>'fixing' things throughout the house (most notoriously venting a
>bathroom exhaust directly into a sealed attic space...*sigh*). One of
>these problems which I am now trying to undo involves them mismatching
>the electrical breaker box and the panel that covers it.
>
>The box itself takes some odd-looking, older toggle (push in, push
>out) breakers, square in shape. The panel cover has the knockouts
>knocked-out for the newer, wide rectangular breakers.
>
>I was warned when I purchased the house that this would have to be
>fixed, because it is dangerous--there is a major gap between the
>actual little square breakers and the holes from the knockouts for the
>other type of breaker.
>
>Basically, my question is this: can I get *just* the panel for the
>existing breaker box? I'd rather do that if at all possible, instead
>of incurring the additional expense of having to replace all of the
>breakers to put in a totally new system.
>
>Can anyone point me to a place where I can get just the cover? BTW, I
>can take pix, if that would help. Thanks so much in advance!! :)

They make plastic spacers that just snap in empty breaker slots.

You might be able to find something like this at an electrical supply.

You might also be able to make some metal ones.

A picture always helps.

Posted by on March 3, 2007, 7:10 pm


> On 3 Mar 2007 15:20:42 -0800, lgerha...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >Hello all.
>
> >The past owners of the older home which I live in now had tried
> >'fixing' things throughout the house (most notoriously venting a
> >bathroom exhaust directly into a sealed attic space...*sigh*). One of
> >these problems which I am now trying to undo involves them mismatching
> >the electrical breaker box and the panel that covers it.
>
> >The box itself takes some odd-looking, older toggle (push in, push
> >out) breakers, square in shape. The panel cover has the knockouts
> >knocked-out for the newer, wide rectangular breakers.
>
> >I was warned when I purchased the house that this would have to be
> >fixed, because it is dangerous--there is a major gap between the
> >actual little square breakers and the holes from the knockouts for the
> >other type of breaker.
>
> >Basically, my question is this: can I get *just* the panel for the
> >existing breaker box? I'd rather do that if at all possible, instead
> >of incurring the additional expense of having to replace all of the
> >breakers to put in a totally new system.
>
> >Can anyone point me to a place where I can get just the cover? BTW, I
> >can take pix, if that would help. Thanks so much in advance!! :)
>
> They make plastic spacers that just snap in empty breaker slots.
>
> You might be able to find something like this at an electrical supply.
>
> You might also be able to make some metal ones.
>
> A picture always helps.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I'll take a picture and post either tonight or tomorrow, thanks
everyone.

How hard would it be for me to shut off the main breaker, have the
power company pull the meter, and me swap meticulously from this old
box to a new one, if I have to replace everything? Is it something
that a somewhat-savvy individual can do and then get an electrician to
inspect, or am I flirting with disaster?

Thanks again for the input!


Posted by RBM on March 3, 2007, 7:41 pm


You may be flirting with disaster. Depending upon the size of the panel and
the particulars of the rest of your service, it may be a three or four hour
job, plus the materials. I'd call a few licensed electricians and get prices



>> On 3 Mar 2007 15:20:42 -0800, lgerha...@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >Hello all.
>>
>> >The past owners of the older home which I live in now had tried
>> >'fixing' things throughout the house (most notoriously venting a
>> >bathroom exhaust directly into a sealed attic space...*sigh*). One of
>> >these problems which I am now trying to undo involves them mismatching
>> >the electrical breaker box and the panel that covers it.
>>
>> >The box itself takes some odd-looking, older toggle (push in, push
>> >out) breakers, square in shape. The panel cover has the knockouts
>> >knocked-out for the newer, wide rectangular breakers.
>>
>> >I was warned when I purchased the house that this would have to be
>> >fixed, because it is dangerous--there is a major gap between the
>> >actual little square breakers and the holes from the knockouts for the
>> >other type of breaker.
>>
>> >Basically, my question is this: can I get *just* the panel for the
>> >existing breaker box? I'd rather do that if at all possible, instead
>> >of incurring the additional expense of having to replace all of the
>> >breakers to put in a totally new system.
>>
>> >Can anyone point me to a place where I can get just the cover? BTW, I
>> >can take pix, if that would help. Thanks so much in advance!! :)
>>
>> They make plastic spacers that just snap in empty breaker slots.
>>
>> You might be able to find something like this at an electrical supply.
>>
>> You might also be able to make some metal ones.
>>
>> A picture always helps.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> I'll take a picture and post either tonight or tomorrow, thanks
> everyone.
>
> How hard would it be for me to shut off the main breaker, have the
> power company pull the meter, and me swap meticulously from this old
> box to a new one, if I have to replace everything? Is it something
> that a somewhat-savvy individual can do and then get an electrician to
> inspect, or am I flirting with disaster?
>
> Thanks again for the input!
>



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