Broken Double Pole Breaker (or seperated?)

[blazenut]

1) Do you guys think that this was a double pole breaker that was "seperated" to function as two seperate single pole breakers? It was installed as two seperate single pole breakers. Is it even possible to do such?

2) What is a ballpark estimate for adding a main disconnect to a panel (or before a panel)?

Thanks guys.

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[Les]

Cory,

1. look at the device and think it through. Have you ever seen couple of breakers that have a awg12 bare wire thru the toggle lever? those are broken.

2. Too regional to guesstimate. Around here - maybe $400 plus what ever other repair/upgrade.

[Jim Katen]

1) Do you guys think that this was a double pole breaker that was "seperated" to function as two seperate single pole breakers?

I don't know, but it's possible. If you were to pry a Cutler Hammer tie bar off, that's the pattern of breakage that you'd see.

It was installed as two seperate single pole breakers. Is it even possible to do such?

If you took a 2 pole breaker and broke the tie bar off, it would still be a two pole breaker. The common internal trip mechanism would still cause both sides to trip at the same time. To find out for sure, you could open the panel and remove the breakers. If they come out in two sections, they're single-pole breakers. If they come out in one assembly, then it's a two-pole breaker with broken handles and a missing tie bar. You could also try tripping it. In your role as a home inspector, it's probably a bad idea to do any of those things.

2) What is a ballpark estimate for adding a main disconnect to a panel (or before a panel)?

Impossible to say without seeing the job. In my area, without further information, I'd have to give a range between $90 and $4,000.

And for today's spelling hint, the letter "a" appears twice in the word separate. I could *never* remember this one until someone gave me the following helpful mnemonic: There's "a rat" in separate.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[blazenut]

Thanks for the detailed answer Jim. I really do appreciate it. And yes, I know, I'm a Horrible speller. I grew up on spell checkers. When are we going to get a spell checker for this forum?

[ghentjr]

We already have one. Name is Jim.

[John Dirks Jr]

There is a spell checker.

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[msteger]

I seem to find quite a few 240 v circuits with improper breaker handle ties (mostly a piece of copper wire or a nail) and I call 'em out all of the time. Definitely looks like someone did something in the 1st photo.