Wrex
Member
Well all of a sudden last night (when it was high humidity no less) the breaker in my living room tripped.
So I went to the basement and to the panel (a 1980s Crouse Hinds) and the breaker was in the off position. When I went to flip it back on I felt next to no resistance.
I immediately flipped the main and removed the breaker from the panel and I found this:
Its a Bryant BR120.
When the breaker was removed the buss bar clip came right out of the breaker's body.
The neighboring breakers also got the same treatment thanks to the melting plastic.
Well I replaced all of the affected breakers and everything is ok now. Suffice it to say I replaced all of the Bryant breakers (identical to this one) in the box as a precaution.
But this concerns me what caused this melting?
I remember about a week back I did feel some abnormal heat from the breaker in question however I just ignored it (what a mistake).
Was there an overload and the breaker didn't trip?
Bad internal contacts?
Bad contact with the buss bar?
I must admit when I felt the switch I thought it was a simple mechanical failure.
So I went to the basement and to the panel (a 1980s Crouse Hinds) and the breaker was in the off position. When I went to flip it back on I felt next to no resistance.
I immediately flipped the main and removed the breaker from the panel and I found this:
Its a Bryant BR120.
When the breaker was removed the buss bar clip came right out of the breaker's body.
The neighboring breakers also got the same treatment thanks to the melting plastic.
Well I replaced all of the affected breakers and everything is ok now. Suffice it to say I replaced all of the Bryant breakers (identical to this one) in the box as a precaution.
But this concerns me what caused this melting?
I remember about a week back I did feel some abnormal heat from the breaker in question however I just ignored it (what a mistake).
Was there an overload and the breaker didn't trip?
Bad internal contacts?
Bad contact with the buss bar?
I must admit when I felt the switch I thought it was a simple mechanical failure.
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