Plastic Panel

[NJinspector]

Had a difficult time getting the panel cover on and off, but any other known problems with the plastic Square D panels?

thanks

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[Jim Katen]

Had a difficult time getting the panel cover on and off, but any other known problems with the plastic Square D panels?

thanks

Yes, they're difficult to get the panel cover on & off. (As you seem to have discovered.)

They also break easily, so don't even think about forcing them.

No other particular problems that I can recall.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Ben H]

Never seen one. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? Doesn't seem like much of a fire stop...

[Jim Katen]

Never seen one. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? Doesn't seem like much of a fire stop...

No, it's not much of a fire stop, but neither are the little blue Carlon boxes that are so ubiquitous nowadays.

Realistically, the enclosure only has to resist the initial bang, since there really shouldn't be any sustained flames going on in there. Some people will observe that, without a large, grounded, metallic box, there are likely to be fewer bangs anyway.

As I recall, these were somethign of a fad in the mid- or late- '80s.

I haven't seen one in the field for at leat 10 years.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Jim Port]

Those plastic panels were called Trilliant by Square D. Might have a hard time finding a replacement breaker.

Those blue plastic Carlon boxes have a 2 hour fire rating.

[David Meiland]

Bumping an old thread here. I saw a pair of these today, in a house built by an electrician in the early 90s. Is it possible to get breakers for these if you need them?

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[Jim Port]

From Schneider

http://www.schneider-electric.us/sites/ ... irect=true

[John Kogel]

From Schneider

http://www.schneider-electric.us/sites/ ... irect=true

Thanks, Jim. Here's the wording from Schneider:

"Square D no longer manufactures the TRILLIANT product line. ALL of the Trilliant replacement parts(covers, interiors, main breakers, boxes, etc) are Obsolete and no longer available, except for a very limited number of branch breakers. Check the system for availability for any branch breakers, an example catalog number is SDT120(single pole, 20amp). Contact Square D at 888-778-2733 for further information. The customer would need to consider replacing the complete load center with a QO or Homeline."

[Erby]

According to one of the plant managers here in Lexington, KY (whom I happened to run into at an inspection), the Trilliant line was an attempt at making their boxes "more attractive to housewives" back in the early 90s. Didn't go over very well so they went back to the "large metallic box".

I see several of them each year in house built around that time. Just had one last week. And yes, getting them back on can be a pain in the ass.

But, other being obsolete and hard to get parts for, there's nothing inherently wrong with them.

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