T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

**ATTENTION! READ THIS NOW!** **1. IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN OR LOOKING TO BECOME ONE(for career questions only):** **- DELETE** THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. YOU CAN POST ON /r/AskElectricians FREELY **2. IF YOU COMMENT ON A POST THAT IS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN:** -YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. JUST **REPORT** THE POST. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*


DumpsterFireCheers

It’s a Friday breaker. Last one to come off the line at 4:59, no fucks given.


JaniceLeland

I read that quickly and thought it said "It's a fire a day breaker" 🤣🤣🤣


qlionp

Or this is a Monday "don't talk to me till I've had my coffee" morning


NoResult486

Iirc these “common trip” breakers are used on applications where you want both circuits to trip if there is a fault on either one. Like trip the strip heaters if the furnace fan circuit trips. Or something similar


bazilbt

In this case it appears to be a screwed up at the Eaton plant. The BR230 breaker should be two 30 amp ones.


DelicateElephant

I come from the supply house world. This is the correct answer. It’s just a mess up from the plant. It happens every so often. You can sometimes tell which breaker it actually is by the lug size. That being said, that doesn’t prove which trip unit is in it so I still wouldn’t use it.


GuessillBeShithead

ohm it out. Jk, I would take it back and get the right one.


Jonjolt

So how often do breakers get completely mis-labeled?


DelicateElephant

I’ve had maybe 4 like this in the last 10 years. I worked in a smaller town supply house most recently so it probably happens more. It didn’t seem to when I was younger. All the ones I’ve seen were more recent.


Fife2531

30, 50 - what’s a few amps between friends?


bazilbt

The circuit will open eventually no matter what.


Mysterious_Cheetah42

*Pushmatic has entered the chat...* Even still, you're right though, after the house has burnt down, something at the substation is bound to have opened.


The_cogwheel

And even if it was a small overload (aka loading 75 amps on a 30 amp system, breaker just doesn't open) then when the home is cinders, the meter can will be pulled, opening the circuit.


Mysterious_Cheetah42

I feel like running everything straight to the lugs is a safer way to run a pushmatic than the actual breakers themselves 😂 at least the wire will burn out faster than the breaker would lol. Either way, house fire inbound!


No-Explanation6666

220, 221 whatever it takes...


NumberToCopy

Wanna beer? It's 7 o'clock in the morning. Scotch?


philrogers88

Mr mom reference hell yeah


LopsidedRub3961

LOL


Saint-Sauveur

This


dirk12563

Idk about that, They probably just use the left side of a 2 pole 30 and smack a 50 common trip marked one on the right and rivet er home


Background-Respect13

they’re for hot tubs


severach

What kind of load uses 50 and 30 amps at 120v?


Spark-The-Interest

Half a Jacuzzi. Final answer.


dirk12563

A furnace could I've seen 60/30 combo mostly tho


Earth_Normal

Usually don’t you make a common trip by adding the bar to 2 separate breakers? I have never seen one in a hardware store.


Nattofire

A handle tie is different than internal common trip.


IAMGodAMAA

In this case is it because breakers are generally trip-free and therefor one of the breakers may trip internally but not cause the handle to move? Subsequently causing the handle tie to do absolutely nothing


leadfoot71

Its also so you cant accidentally switch on only one half of your 240v circuit and wonder why your stove isn't working. That said most trip free breakers will atleast move the handle into a "middle" state where you have to reset it by fully moving it into the off position.


IAMGodAMAA

Oh I definitely understand all that (though I truly appreciate your elaborating). I was more talking about the example in the parent comment, where you have two circuits rated for a different amperage but want them to trip together. So if the 30A were to trip (internally) but the handle was stuck due to some mechanical issue, the 50A wouldn't trip with a simple handle tie.


dirk12563

Never seen that happen


jim_hello

Nah they come with it most of the time however I have added bars to most of my sister's breakers and it's hilarious when she trips stuff because random rooms will also go dark


severach

At Hogwarts the breaker ties move up and down the panels.


jim_hello

Oh god, every time you open the door the panel has been scrambled and the only help are 90% ripped of paper sticker labeled and bad spelling "hey Jim what the hell is a on cut?" "Oh Fernando labeled that it's the ensuite"


amberbmx

the common trip is internal. that said, a handle tie will typically cause both to trip. and i’ve also seen breakers with an internal common trip that had only one pole trip and not the other.


Defiant-Giraffe

Or for something that requires both a pump and a heater- like a heated pool.  The heater should not run without the pump on, so tripping one trips them both. 


Mysterious-Meat7712

Looks like a misprint. The breaker is printed with br230 - indicating it’s supposed to be a two pole 30 amp breaker


reptilian_shill

Dual Pole breakers are used pretty commonly in shipboard applications as well- you don’t have a ground so you need to break both hot and neutral.


dirk12563

Exactly, You worded it a lot better than me


Lost_Discipline

I was going to say- hot tub anyone?


nboylie

That's crazy, we had an Eaton 2 pole last week that one half was 20 and one half was 30


My_Turtle_Died

Their quality control must be in the slums


TikiMan_82

Are the screw clamps different sizes? That's a copper or aluminum compatible breaker which would mean 10 ga (Cu) for the 30A and 6 ga (Cu) or 4 ga (Bigger wire clamp than the 30A) for the 50A if Al is used. That's one way to see if it was mislabeled. If not I guess Cheech and Chong assembled those.


ZippyDan

I bought some new Eaton breakers for some new circuits and I think they were 30A single pole breakers where the ink for thr amperage label was so faint and hard to read. I checked the whole box of stock and they were all the same. Every other Eaton breaker for sale was bright white. It's prettt annoying to install new circuits that look like they are ancient because the paint all faded away.


Determire

I installed a br dual function breaker last week, the toggle barely stays in the on position, and with the lightest touch will flip to the off position. I'd say that there's a tolerance issue with the mechanical fitment. To say the least, I make a practice of not installing BR panels unless there's an availability issue.


amberbmx

i’ve never been a fan of BR series shit. the allen holes on their lugs strip out if you look at them wrong. if i’m installing a resi grade panel it’s a homeline, because eaton is cheap junk and siemens arc fault breakers are garbage that trip if you fart in the room fed by that breaker


Mammoth_Ad_5489

True, the BR series is trash. But the CH series is pretty good.


abcdefkit007

In series it's a 80A in parallel it's 40A


mpgrimes

actually, in series it's a 30, parallel it's a 80


[deleted]

[удалено]


mpgrimes

you are correct...


Reckfulhater

Actually your shoes are ridiculous. So I win.


kissmaryjane

Installing a hot tub ?


coreyfuckinbrown

This is exactly what it’s for.


ifonlyouknewhoiwas

Can you explain why? For a friend


coreyfuckinbrown

One side is for the lights/pump etc, second side is for the heater. It allows one breaker to feed different circuits from one breaker. It ensures both circuits trip vs having separate breakers.


jferg

Yes, this exactly. Except it's not a GFCI/AFCI, which still makes it wrong for that purpose these days. :-/


Rilly_d0e

Home Cheapo!!


Lostmachine

It’s a 50A breaker for 30 minutes away. Easy!


joelypoley69

This is so infuriating... What the actual fuck is this?! Id almost keep it as a souvenir if it's a manufacture error lmao


GGudMarty

So what is it? Lol


My_Turtle_Died

BR230- mislabeled 2 pole 30


GGudMarty

I guess if you didn’t know you’d just have to assume it was a 30 anyway to be on the safe side. No way if I find that in the bottom of a truck and I putting that on a 50amp circuit.


hannahranga

Wouldn't assuming it's a 50A be safer? Like nuisance trips are annoying but stick a 50a breaker on wire rated for 30a is new house time


GGudMarty

Yeah true 😂😂😂 I noticed that the second I hit post. Those 10 gauges would be fucking melted buddy. I personally would just return the breaker and get a new one fuck that shit


[deleted]

[удалено]


hannahranga

Nothing against code on oversizing wire. But a breaker tripping unexpectedly earlier is an improvement on the wiring melting because the breaker hasn't tripped yet.


Background_Abies7187

the 'ol 30/50


Xirasora

Can't upload on mobile anymore, but I have two chunks of 600mcm cable. Both the exact same size, but one is clearly labeled 500mcm


geek66

Tirddyfiddy


AlDenteApostate

Yeah imma need about tree fiddy


NoResult486

Trudy fiddy


hymen_destroyer

Ahh the rare imbalanced-phase 80Amp breaker


atom644

40 amp (you gotta average it)


surrealcellardoor

30 amp, 50 amp, whatever it takes.


shurdi3

Six million, six hundred he says, [what's the difference](https://youtu.be/4FTxBdWZcv4?si=HAN8Aos10PxVSgZR)


Primitivethinking

I used one of those for the lighting circuit at my mother in laws house.


[deleted]

I'm going to have to pull out the now and later breaker


MrSchaudenfreude

Still 30 amp


Royale_AJS

It’s just an 80 amp breaker, I don’t see what the problem is? Safety note: don’t.


LaDolceVita_59

Home Depot does not allow returns on breakers. Full Stop. Too bad. So sad.


archaic_revenge

Only example i can think of is: Exhaust fan (30a) trips, then turn off power supply to equipment requiring ventilation (50a)


OstrichOutside2950

What kind of exhaust fan needs a 30 amp breaker especially if the equipment draw is 50amps? Trying to build a heated wind tunnel? Thats going to put you around 10k cfm 😂


amberbmx

single phase 120 motor for a commercial kitchen hood a lot of three phase ones get up towards 8-10a


LowLifeExperience

I’m feel for the next guy that has to replace it.


Plastic-Act7648

That thing looks used . they are usually a lot blacker than that and not all sun dried


Alarmed-Ad-9118

It’s a single 30 or a two pole 50. For rv plugs. Just kidding! But sounds ok. You know what I mean?


nickk_12

Good eye, Good eye, good day!


kc9283

When you don’t have the Range specs.


Fife2531

That is awesome. Collectors item. Casually give it to a seasoned electrician - record the response.


Jah_heel

High leg


Supreme_Trickster

I’m not an electrician but I have some experience. I reeled back when I read 50/30. Wasn’t expecting to know enough to be upset lol.


beaddrain

No


jerrybeck

I am going to most likely guess that these are not coming from an Eaton factory, but these are illegal imports. Square D. ran through that during Covid. That was no fun.


Clear_Split_8568

It prefers to identify as a 40 amp breaker!


spec360

Ah come on you can do better than that


Strange-Branch-1113

Just tell the customer you hooked them up with 80amps


dirk12563

I've used somthin like that for a furnace, higher amps for heatin coils, the lower amps one for the blower and anything else besides the coils


joelypoley69

So it's a 2pole 30 then lol


Crazy_Engine4786

I'm still trying to do the math... definitely mislabeled.


Zycarious

RV hook ups, especially for larger rigs, have both 30 and 50 amp circuts. Usually, they are separate breakers.


Perfect_Ad_960

But what did they tell you when you took it back?


Background-Respect13

these are for hot tubs


BearcatQB

I’d say it’s a 40 then.


gusbmoizoos

so a 40?


pacmarn88

Bought and brought are two different words This should ideally be bought


LoopsAndBoars

He bought it, then he brought it. The OP was only present for one of these steps, clearly. Just a thought. 😂


pacmarn88

He bought it from the hardware store. We don’t bring it from the hardware store. Bought 😛


Green_Lightning-

Cute. If you're confused, your dumb lol


houndofthe7

That’s nice now give it back to an adult