60 or 90 - choose

**Chris Weekly** · 04-06-2016, 01:42 PM

Main panel was a 200 amp, with a 2-pole sub-feed to the interior panel, SFD.
The 2-pole sub-feed breaker was 1/2 60 amp and 1/2 90 amp.
Mis-matched circuit breaker amperages was a 1st for me. I reported as needing correction...but what are the implications of use or safety?

**Jerry Peck** · 04-06-2016, 03:05 PM

What was the rating of the mains (bus) for the remote interior panel?
What were the ratings of the feeder conductors ('hot' and 'neutral' conductors)?

Both of all of the above should be at least the 90 amps of the larger breaker.

With one breaker being a 60 amp and one being a 90 amp, it is possible that the panel is balanced to put 30 amp on what would normally be the 'neutral' conductors, but, if this was done, it would no longer be a 'neutral', it would just be a 'grounded' conductor.

And, yes, as you suspected ... that ain't right and needs to be fixed.

Hopefully someone did that because they only had on 90 amp single pole breaker and one 60 amp single pole breaker on/in their truck/tool box and 'forgot' to come back and replace the 60 amp breaker with another 90 amp breaker.

Hopefully someone did NOT do the opposite and intend on the 90 amp being on a 60 amp rated panel or conductor ... hopefully ...

Maybe someone was dyslexic and thought they were both 90 amp breakers?

There were single pole breakers and not a manufactured made-together-double pole breaker, right?

If it was a made together double pole breaker, the factory needs to know and replace it.

**Chris Weekly** · 04-06-2016, 07:16 PM

If it was a made together double pole breaker, the factory needs to know and replace it.

Yes, it appears to be a factory made breaker. Its' weird, Harold!

**Mike Locurcio** · 04-07-2016, 08:22 AM

That's a factory installed handle tie. As far as I know, there are no single pole 60 or single pole 90 amp breakers. Why would there be? Finally, the lugs appear to be the same size. If the ratings actually corresponded to the overcurrent protection, the lugs would be different sizes. That's a DP 60A Eaton breaker with a typo.

**Chris Weekly** · 04-07-2016, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Mike Locurcio

That's a factory installed handle tie. As far as I know, there are no single pole 60 or single pole 90 amp breakers. Why would there be? Finally, the lugs appear to be the same size. If the ratings actually corresponded to the overcurrent protection, the lugs would be different sizes. That's a DP 60A Eaton breaker with a typo.

I follow the logic that it's a factory 2-pole, Mike. It must be a typo, right????? or??? do we take a magic marker to the thing to fix it? My vote is to replace it with one with proper labeling and markings to avoid confusion.

**Jerry Peck** · 04-07-2016, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Mike Locurcio

That's a DP 60A Eaton breaker with a typo.

Or is it a 90 amp breaker with a typo? (wrong handle installed)

Or is it really a 60 amp and a 90 amp put together by mistake?

I vote for the latter ...

... because if we presume that it is a 'typo' (wrong handle installed on the breaker) ... then how many '60' amp breakers are really '90' amp breakers with the wrong handles, and vice versa.

I would much rather presume that each breaker (half the double) is correctly made, and that two mismatched breakers were inadvertently assembled together.

Regardless, and as I said, the factory needs to know and replace the breaker.

They need to know so they can figure out what is what and what and why that happened.

**Scott Turner** · 04-08-2016, 10:07 AM

Appears to be two single pole breakers with a common trip added.

**david shapiro** · 04-08-2016, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Or is it a 90 amp breaker with a typo? (wrong handle installed)

Regardless, and as I said, the factory needs to know and replace the breaker.

They need to know so they can figure out what is what and what and why that happened.

Most certainly. It also seems questionable whether they would trip together. Handle ties only ensure that you can't through one without throwing the other, not the same as having an internal common tripping mechanism.

It would be interesting for the purchaser to know whether the jurisdiction has a re cord of a permit and a passed inspection covering the subpanel installation, presuming that there is a jurisdiction requiring permits and inspection. If so, it still doesn't make this installation right; if not, one can readily question the suitability of relying on the feeder, not just on its overcurrent protection.