SQUARE D TANDEM 15A SP Breakers

57_Hemi

Hey there.....

If all goes well in a few weeks it will be time for me to start running all my electrical in my basement that I 've started working on. I was just wondering if anyone out there has any Square D TANDEM 15amp single pole breakers installed? and if so how have they been performing?

The thing is I've completed the upper floor renovation last year and its now time to tackle the basement. Unfortunalety with only 1 spare left on my Square D 100amp panel I do not want to have to run a pony panel for 1 or 2 extra ccts.

Basement is small and will only require 2ccts (3 ccts MAX). So i figured I'd slap a 15amp TANDEM in the single spare spot and replace an existing 15amp breaker with another TANDEM. Therfore providing me with 4 cct's while only taking up 2 slots in my panel.

SOUND GOOD ??? Anybody out there have any problems with the Square D TANDEM breakers ?

TIA

Jim Port

Tandems can olny be used in that panel if the label tells you tandems can be used in it. Just because they may fit does not mean it is OK to use them. Panels will have a rejection rail to prevent their usage.

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Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

Proby

To add to what Jim said, you can buy expensive SquareD tandem breakers that will fit any panel, they are made for a specific purpose which is most likely not your situation. They cost about $45-50, so avoid those.

If you are able to use tandem breakers and do what you proposed, you will have a full panel and future upgrades will be limited. You can buy a SquareD Homeline 6-12 panel at Home Depot for $15.99 which will give you enough space for your basement and future upgrades. A nipple, a couple short pieces of wire, and a breaker is all you need to be up and running. Remember, tandem breakers cost about twice as much as the normal breaker so after so many circuits are added it would have been cheaper to just install a sub panel.

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Scuba_Dave

I have a tandem 15a & a tandem 20a in my pool cabana
Plenty of open spaces in the panel
Only reason they are out there is I had the breakers
No problems, they have been installed about 3 years

I'd go the sub-panel route myself
I added a 100a sub right next to my 200a Main panel

57_Hemi

Hmmmm....... Im up here in Toronto Canada and the cheapest 6-12 Square D sub panel I've come across was $50. The tandem breakers are $19.99 where as the regular 15amp breakers for my Square D panel are $10. Thats why I figured it would be a better solution.....(cost wise) Not to worried about future cct's as I just re-wired entire home less than a year back (when I completely gutted the place) and didnt come close to loading up on any circuit....it's not a big house at all.

BTW: If I were to install a Square D Homeline panel, I figure a double 60amp would be sufficient to feed the sub panel...........sound about right?

Thanks again everyone for the feedback.


cheers !

Scuba_Dave

I paid less then $20 for my tandems
...that was about 6 years ago

I'd do a 60a sub
I have a 100a panel in my pool cabana fed w/60a

Proby

There is two different lines of Square D, QO and Homeline. QO is the better line, but about twice as expensive. Homeline is perfectly fine, I use it a lot.

The 100A 6-12 sub panel is $31 for the QO and $16 for the Homeline
20A breakers are $5.50 for QO and $3 for Homeline
20A tandem breakers are $19 for QO and $10 for Homeline.

Those are Home Depot prices as well as what a typical off-the-street person would pay at a supply house.

Things might be different in Canada...?

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