[kogashuko]

I am currently installing new wiring for an air handler and condenser unit. I got a 50 amp breaker and a 30amp breaker with respective wire from lowes. Well I wired the box today and popped in the breakers. They click in not quite as tight as the others and they appear slightly tilted outwards. The old breakers seem to have a slightly longer slot for the hot bar to slide into. Not much but maybe a couple of milimeters. They seem to lock in place, I can see the metal connector on the breaker making contact with the hot bars. The frame around the box also fit back on fine around them. However, the two breakers seem tilted slightly not like the rest.

Is this a problem, or is this just what happens when you mix new and old stuff?

 

[secutanudu]

Are you sure you got the correct manufacturer and model breaker to fit your panel? What type do you have?

 

[kogashuko]

Good question... they were the ones sitting on the shelf with all the others at lowes.

 

[kogashuko]

Ok the panel is square D and the breakers are cutler hammer or something.

Doing a little searching on the lowes website answers my question.

 

[secutanudu]

You need to get the proper breakers for your panel, that's why they don't fit correctly.

Square D makes two types, QO and Homeline. They have both at Lowe's.

 

[kogashuko]

Yeh, after I looked at the box and then the breaker I remembered seeing both there.

Granted I probably wouldnt have much trouble with the current ones with the air handler in the summer since it uses very little power. However, unless I want to heat my house by burning it down around me in the winter I need to fix it.

 

[secutanudu]

Granted I probably wouldnt have much trouble with the current ones with the air handler in the summer since it uses very little power.

Completely untrue... Loose connections cause heat, doesn't have anything to do with how much power is being drawn. At least I don't think so.

 

[kogashuko]

The connection wasnt lose it just didnt have much contact with the hot bar. Kind of like a small thin wire, you talk on the phone over a small thin wire but it you try to power a toaster it will melt.

At least that is what I was thinking when I posted it.

Today I went to lowes and got the correct breakers. Unfortunatly, they didnt have a 50amp breaker. But since the breaker that is in the air handler is a 40 amp I whould be fine. I would rather trip the one in the breaker than under the house.

 

[secutanudu]

So you put in a 40A and a 30A in your panel? Proper brand? Should be ok, i'd think.

 

[NJMarine]

40 and 30 amp should be fine providing that the mfg has it listed for the equipment. The 40 amp must be feeding a electric heat air handler, so does the mfg state that a 40 can be used.

 

[kogashuko]

It gives a stupid chart with different sizes and breakers that dont exist. Bottom lines is that the heat strip has a breaker built into that. When you install the heat strip into the air handler the main wire running into the unit plugs into the 40 amp breaker on the heat kit. So, it doesnt matter what size wire or breaker I put into the panel because it will always trip at 40.

And yes I put the propper brand in now and they fit fine.