Thread: Service Disconnect question

Have never seen this before and not quite sure what to make of it. I know the pictures are a little hard to see, but the bottom right portion of the breaker appears to have been slightly burned. Does this represent a concern, and if yes, how much of a concern, and does anyone know what might cause this.

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I'd recommend the main be replaced.

It 'looks like' something inside took a big hit, and may have even burned out the overcurrent protection mechanism. That might still serve as a 'disconnect', yet it might no longer provide any 'overcurrent protection'.

By the time they pay an electrician to 'properly investigate and test' that old main disconnect, it would cost less to just replace it.

If you hear back that an electrician said 'it's okay, it probably still works', I would respond with 'show me the test results stating what level it tripped at ... or did you *just look at it*? "Probably" does not cut it. Here's what we'll do, you put this screw driver between there and ground, put a clamp-on ammeter around the screw driven, and, as you touch the screw driver to ground, read the current it trips at as it arcs and welds your screw driver to ground.'

I'm quite sure the electrician will go for that test.

Jerry,

You are too much. Thanks for the input. Bythe way, do you think this happened as the same time.

Are we going to see you in Boca in two weeks??.

Bill

Originally Posted by william siegel

Bythe way, do you think this happened as the same time.

If that's on the inside the dead front cover ... maybe, but I doubt that thing would carry enough current to cause that main to look like that, unless ... that was fried frog's legs embedded onto the terminal.

Are we going to see you in Boca in two weeks??.

Not in Boca, but in Orlando in December. I'll be in Gainesville visiting friends that weekend (in two weeks).