Square D QO120CAFI QO 20A Arc Fault Breaker

The breakers were in the SQ box and looked and work like new. If you have an older SQ D this is the only way to add Arc fault protection and meet the new code. These are longer than the regular breakers and it can be a tight fit if there is a lot of large gage wire in the box. You must also remove the white neutral wire from the neutral terminal and reroute it to the arc fault breaker and then connect the white wire from the breaker to the neutral box terminal. You must be sure you have the white wire that is the mate to the wire hot wire on the breaker. If you don't have electrical knowledge and experience DON'T try to do this

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I purchased two of these breakers to replace existing breakers during an electrical project. They were easy to install, worked perfectly from the beginning, and have continued to perform exactly as expected. I have heard stories of unexpected trips, but I have not experienced this even once (while running many power tools, plugging and unplugging items frequently, etc.). When I begin work on additional electrical circuits, I will be buying more of these!

Arc Fault Circuit Breakers for Square D QO Load CentersThis review is for non-electricians...I installed 18 one-pole AFCIs and 4 two-pole AFCIs in a 30-year-old house with a Square D QO load center and three QO sub-panels. I also replaced an old 12-space sub-panel with a Square D 24-space Plug-On Neutral Load Center.Pros:– breaker quality appears to be outstanding, but realistically, a customer has to trust Square D to have met design specs and for these breakers to last. The lifetime replacement warranty is a testament to the manufacturer’s confidence of quality.– these differ in appearance from standard (non-AFCI, non-GFCI) circuit breakers in that they are MUCH wider, have a test button, the white & black circuit wires attach directly to the breaker – non-plug-on breakers also have an integral 18" coiled white wire to be connected to the neutral bar. Plug-on breakers don’t have that coiled wire.Con:– Some electric motors (e.g., tools, vacuum cleaners) cause these breakers to trip. Most of my electric tools run fine on an AFCI, but some don’t. The trip can occur the instant the device is turned on, or after a short while. Some will run most of the time but will occasionally trip the AFCI breaker. These are false trips, and Square D needs to fix this issue. Their warranty is useless when the replacement breaker also trips. One star off, as this defect renders it impossible to meet the new AFCI code in all rooms if you have Square D load centers.Other:– If the breakers are to be installed in your main panel, which typically can’t de-electrified, you need to be comfortable working with hot wires nearby. If not, hire an electrician. If working on a sub-panel, consider cutting power to that sub-panel before beginning work. AFCI breakers are about as simple to install as a light switch. Square D “plug-on neutral” breakers are easier/quicker to install and result in less wiring clutter within a panel, since they lack the pig-tail white neutral wire – BUT, they only work in a Plug-On Neutral Square D Load Center.– If buying a new Square D load center, get the plug-on style since plug-on or non-plug-on Square D breakers work in them. The difference with the plug-on style load center is in the black breaker assembly where the circuit breakers attach; i.e., the outer breaker snap rods are steel (rather than plastic) and electrically connected to the neutral bar.– While you have a load center cover off, you might want to re-tighten all neutral hold-down screws and existing breaker hold-down screws, as they may have loosened over time. Loose connections can result in arcing.– In my State, no electrical permit is required for a homeowner to replace circuit breakers, light switches, receptacles, light fixtures, etc.– Remove the load center cover to determine if there are any multi-wire circuits (MWC), before ordering AFCI breakers. (See comments for details.) Single pole AFCI breakers trip if installed on either half of a MWC; i.e., MWC circuits require two-pole AFCI breakers.– Upon installation or soon thereafter, an AFCI breaker may trip – see comments for resolution options.Summary:All 22 QO AFCI breakers worked fine, except as noted above. Should one go bad in the future, Square D has that lifetime warranty on the product.A wealthy Maryland family was killed in an electrical house fire recently. Their home was built prior to county code requiring sprinklers or AFCI circuit breakers. That fire convinced me that it was time to add arc-fault protection to our home’s breaker panels.

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works

Meets electrical codes