Pushmatic Panels & Breakers - ARE THEY DANGEROUS?

Рет қаралды 50,784

3 жыл бұрын

This video covers the history of Pushmatic, ITE, Bulldog, Siemens panels that have been installed around the US for the past half-century. There seems to be a bit of argument out there on whether or not they should be replaced. What do you think?
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Pushmatic got it's start sometime in the early 1900's, but it is unknown exactly when. There are documents and drawings from Bulldog Electrical from the 30's that show at least product lines being developed around the Great Depression. When we really see a large boom with these panels is in the 1950's - most have the word "Pushmatic" on them, as well as tons of panels with the little "Bulldog" logo on the front.
ITE is another name that gets thrown around with both Bulldog and Pushmatic, because like most of these old-school brands, once they started selling they would get bought out and absorbed into larger companies...ultimately Siemens ended up owning all of these products, years down the line.
There's not a large dramatic story for Pushmatic, like there was with Federal Pacific. Nor was there as high of a failure rate of products like the Zinsco/Challenger lines. There were reported failures in the 80s that started coming out showing that a lot of the breakers would not show correctly whether they were tripped or still energized. Also since these breakers are grease fed, they started to get stiff over time, and became very difficult to push in. One other issue many found was that there was no magnetic trip mechanism, rather only a thermal one. All modern breakers have both a magnetic and thermal trip inside of them to assist with short circuits as well as overloads.

Пікірлер: 238

@JohnSmith-lw2bm 3 жыл бұрын

Pushmatic slogan, “we’re better than federal pacific!”

@adamlewellen5081 3 жыл бұрын

Only zinsco worse to dig into 50 years later...

@americandreamsicle1 3 жыл бұрын

🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣

@doninmichigan 2 жыл бұрын

I worked with both numerous times and they were absolutely right, I don't remember that slogan though. 😀

@petercampbell4220 Жыл бұрын

Very low bar for a company. Almost like sayig hey we guarantee that a fault will only burn down max 10% of the time, much better than fpe!

@brockwagner939 3 жыл бұрын

As far as old outdated breaker systems go, I always thought the pushmatic were pretty decent, especially the way they bolt to the busbar rather than just pinch it like modern systems.

@garbo8962 3 жыл бұрын

Had a ton of them in a large slaughterhouse. Even the pushmatic panels in damp cold boning & breakdown rooms held up.

@FishFind3000 2 жыл бұрын

Square d has a bolt on breaker option

@MichaelClark-uw7ex 2 жыл бұрын

I was an electrician for 45 years and the only problems I've ever seen with Pushmatics were when the bus screw was, loose, crossthreaded or stripped. Properly installed they were one of the best ever made because they had both thermal and magnetic overload trip and they bolt down to the busbars Even today, very few circuit breakers have both.

@doninmichigan 2 жыл бұрын

@@MichaelClark-uw7ex I agree, same assessment here, retired Master.

@MichaelClark-uw7ex 2 жыл бұрын

@@doninmichigan I was a Master then became a foreman. I've seen shit that would curl most people's hair and send them screaming into the night. Fortunately Pushmatic panels were not one of them.

@gpweaver 3 жыл бұрын

Our house had 4 panels (it's big). 2 FPE, 2 Bulldog. Estate sale, built in sections from the 1950s-1970s (then the old guy died) sigh. I spent the 4th of July after we closed on the house in the "bomb shelter", in the pitch black darkness, replacing the main panel before the insurance company did their inspection. Some of the wiring was definitely not code. 12 hours in a dank sub-basement with a flashlight in my mouth, wrestling with 2/0 and 3/0 wires. The only disturbing part was hearing footsteps every now and again.

@williammoyer9063 3 жыл бұрын

I like your assessments of FPE, Zinsco, and Bull-Dog. I think you're spot on on all three. Breakers, of any kind, that have never been flipped for 30+ years are waiting time bombs, imho. Nobody does it, but I think all home owners should flip on and off every breaker in the panel, annually. I stumbled across your feed today. I worked 35 years, in Silicon Valley, as a Union Electrician in all phases of the trade. I found myself working for a home lighting company that kept 3 to 4 Electrical Service Trucks busy in the Stanford University area of Palo Alto, in the mid 80's. That area was primarily built in the 30's to 50's. I replaced mostly FPE and Zinsco panels because of failures. Around that area I saw more Bull-Dog panels in small Commercial properties, occasionally in homes, but rarely, if ever, was I ever call out because of a bad breaker. Don't know if you've covered it in your U yet, but you might go over the different Types of stab breakers. How some are interchangeable and some look interchangeable, but aren't. The different types of Square-D breakers. If you haven't covered that, I apologize if you have, that is a topic many DIY'ers would find informational, imho.

@MichaelClark-uw7ex 2 жыл бұрын

In my 45 years as an electrician I have installed hundreds of Pushmatic panels and thousands of Pushmatic circuit breakers. Installed correctly they are one of the best circuit breakers ever made, because they are among the few that have both a thermal and magnetic trip and they bolt to the busbar instead of a spring friction connection. The only problem I've ever seen were in panels where the bus screw was cross threaded , stripped or loose.

@mattmalone524 Жыл бұрын

My house was built in 1960 and has a 250amp panel and 100 amp panel and I have all the original breakers in mine but one that I changed and I will NEVER change out this panel because they are that reliable.

@smooveking773 9 ай бұрын

wow ill keep it its hard to find the breakers and there expensive but my systems over 40 years and only one breaker went bad a few years ago now i got another bad one now

@ironmartysharpe8293 3 ай бұрын

@@mattmalone524 It's good to know that there are replacement breakers for the Pushmatic circuit breaker panel still available because this one friend of mine owns a laundromat and all of the panels in the building are Pushmatic and plus I love the design where the breaker is attached directly to the busbar with screws instead of spring clips , Plus to replace those panels would cost tens of thousands of dollars because he asked me one day If replacement breakers were still available for the Pushmatic circuit breaker panel and I explained to him yes but the replacements are more updated and made to fit the Pushmatic panel

@compu85 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve worked in buildings where the lights were hard wired to pushmatic breakers, and you just used them as the light switch.

@Hooftimmer 3 жыл бұрын

Well those were getting greased!

@garbo8962 3 жыл бұрын

Had a lot of the great pushmatic 15 & 20 amp circuit breakers used as switches back in the 1970's. Held up great. I reused my original pushmatic panel to the garage as a 60 amp sub panel. Like a timex. Over 60 yers old and still ticking.

@Hodado 3 жыл бұрын

I have not had a problem with my pushmatic panel or the breakers I’d be reluctant to swap it out,although I would agree that it should probably be inspected by a professional

@doninmichigan 2 жыл бұрын

I have seen that also in my career here in the Detroit area and suburbs.

@compu85 2 жыл бұрын

@@doninmichigan It was Michigan where I saw these panels the most - my first job in Adrian, my grandparents house in Hudson (built in 68), and the family cottage in Coldwater!

@jackbaird7363 7 ай бұрын

I think you are absolutely correct! I think you worded it wisely, and you are absolutely 100% correct. I've been doing electrical work for many many years, and I think if somebody runs across old pushmatic breakers, old zinsco breakers, any of the yesterday technology, they need to consider replacing the panel.

@djm5k 4 күн бұрын

I remember the church I grew up in had a Bull Dog pushmatic panel in the dining room in basement. The top five breakers were used to turn on/off the five rows of fluorescent fixtures in dining room and stage. Since these breakers were the only way to control these lights, they got quite a bit of use daily. My ten year old self always thought these breakers were cool looking, how they worked and sounded when pressed. If I were the only one in the dining room, I would often play with them and turn on/off different patterns of lights in the large room. The light fixtures were these 8’L X 2’W surface mounted fixtures that contained four F96T12 fluorescent lamps, and each fixture had four 2’ X 2’ plastic milk white drop diffusers, that I also really liked. This video brought back memories. I think the panel in the church had something like 20 total breakers in it, the majority of breakers used for plug, equipment, and lighting circuits in the other parts of basement. I would not be surprised if the panel is still there today!

@Fender96 2 жыл бұрын

I used to replace a lot of these back in the day working as an electrical apprentice (looking back, I really wish I would've stashed the old breakers). The house I've lived in now for 9 years has a 200A pushmatic panel that was installed in 1980. Haven't seen a need to replace it yet. I even had enough spare slots to add a new 60A/240V run to my garage a few years ago. From what I've been able to tell from studying mine is that these panels do appear to be really well-designed. The busbars are very solid/hefty, and as others have already said, the way the breakers bolt directly onto them is actually pretty nice. My panel even came with an adhesive insulator strip on the back of the panel cover which is positioned so that it sits directly over the main lugs to prevent them from accidentally contacting the cover should you forget to screw the lug screws in all the way. That's some pretty solid engineering in my opinion. The only thing I've never liked about these panels though is the lack of a single main breaker to act as a disconnect for all power in the house. Mine has two 60A double-pole breakers a few positions down on either side which act as mains to all of the circuit breakers below them. Basically it's a split-bus system where the upper busbars end at these breakers and the lower busbars are fed from them. The lower busbars can therefore be easily de-energized from these two breakers. But this also means that the upper circuit breakers are "above-disconnect" if you will, and the busbars that they are bolted to are always hot. Therefore if you ever need to swap out/replace any of THESE breakers, then the only way to de-energize this part of the panel is to go outside and pull your electric meter out of the meter socket (unless you have an external disconnect of course). And this is a MUST DO because a screwdriver + an unsteady hand + an unprotected main busbar = some truly ass-kicking arc flash!

@xHadesStamps 7 ай бұрын

Ours is a single-bus panel, and it has a single main breaker (only 100A, though). Still need to pull the meter to replace that one, of course

@stepside2839 4 ай бұрын

I have a similar one. 200amp service with the main outside. Installation was approximately 1969 - 1970 as an all electric Gold Medallion home. I’ve never had a problem, but I do push the pushmatics breakers occasionally to make sure they are still working properly.

@_ClericalError_ 3 жыл бұрын

Have a like and a comment based strictly on the WD-40 spray craziness at the end of the video. I laughed, I cried, and my heart was moved with compassion. 10/10

@jerrydelgado343 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!! I have 2 pushmatic panels and am in process of updating the breakers only for now. Will eventually update the panels and have learned most from your videos. I’m an automotive tech by trade for 22 years and switching my mind from D/C to A/C and working with 110/220 volts vs 12v has been a challenge. Keep up the fantastic work.

@hughbrackett343 3 жыл бұрын

I had these in a house I lived in. We replaced some breakers that would trip way below their rated current. Never had a problem with any not opening immediately for a short. As I recall sometimes when you turned off a double-pole only one side would open, but at least the indicator still said ON. I got into the habit of *always* testing with a meter at an early age. Eventually the service was upgraded and the whole panel replaced. That must have been an interesting job because the wires in the old type AC in the house were as brittle as dried sticks.

@matthunter1424 3 жыл бұрын

I have a pushmatic panel in my 1960s los angeles house. I can 100% confirm the on/off flags don't work. Not only that when you cycle them on/off does the flag not change but the "handle" sometimes doesn't pop out in the off position. I had a breaker that if turned off you'd have to spend some time to cycle it on/off just right to get it to stay on. I also have a 20A circuit that is happy to run all day long with two 1875W hair dryers running (how do I know?? 2 of 3 bathrooms are on one circuit!) Needless to say I'm replacing the service. But hey, at least it's a copper buss!!! Thank God they don't build them like they used to!!! This house is 2500 square feet, has no 240V breakers, and has only six 20A branch circuits, and two 15A lighting circuits. Guess no one ever thought we'd actually use electricity! lol.....

@rleeAZ 3 жыл бұрын

The science labs at my high school had pushmatic panels in the 70's. I know the ones in the physics lab got exercised regularly, and got tripped regularly.

@btrswt35 3 жыл бұрын

Seriously thanks for the video. My parents have a house they built back in the early 1980's and never knew what they were called or even where replacements could be got.

@Mark-eu4di 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Justin but you forgot to mention (especially do it your selfers) that you cannot service push-matics without killing the main as your screwing into a live buss.

@skiball83 3 жыл бұрын

I do it all the time. Just be carefull and use insulated screw drivers.

@doninmichigan 2 жыл бұрын

You have to know what you're doing, as an electrician. Wouldn't advise it for a homeowner.

@SudburyMan 3 жыл бұрын

NO.. HE DIDN'T!!! Thank you so much for making this one ❤️❤️❤️ I recently took one out of service and it was still working "flawlessly".

@AandNDanceAndGames 3 жыл бұрын

My house had a 100amp pushmatic panel and I ended up upgrading it to a new 200amp service. Wasn't confident in the breakers holding up with the plans I had for the house. The upgrade was worth the money for sure

@StayNPray Жыл бұрын

Thinking about doing this. How much did it cost?

@BartSimpson-nr1dy 3 жыл бұрын

I’m 62 years old and worked for an electrical - design engineering firm; you made the absolute best recommendation to replace the old and out dated technology. Push/Bulldog made a good product in the day but so much better stuff on the market now. Nice video just keep the cussing down. Sometimes my kids like to watch your videos

@Birdmacher 3 жыл бұрын

Fuck all that

@AllTrac7200 3 жыл бұрын

@@Birdmacher agreed fuck that. Like they aren't hearing worse things on TV and in movies.

@larrylawson5172 3 жыл бұрын

I agree with Bart. I might like to use these videos to educate scouts or FFA kids or some teachers might use these videos in a class. But you can't. Yes the kids have heard all the words before. That is not the point. You must pay attention to what the parents might say. But more importantly is the professional respect and decorum that you should have for your students. You must know your audience.

@BartSimpson-nr1dy 3 жыл бұрын

Larry Lawson - I appreciate your position and support. It would seem Americans have turned into a bunch of crude, dulled, unsophisticated commoners. I think it hi time Americans turn the page and return to better social etiquette. I worked for an engineering firm and over my vast 40 year career, I heard only one individual speak inappropriately. Polished, sophisticated and well educated people rarely act so common in front of an audience. Enough said!

@Birdmacher 3 жыл бұрын

@@BartSimpson-nr1dy Do excuse me, Your Majesty, I didn't realize we were in the presence of the Elite. Let us all contain our bad words (and farts) lest we appear too common and the Queen disinvites us from her garden party! You're spare parts, bud.

@johnshome8443 9 ай бұрын

What a great and informative video. I have one of these in my house dated back to 1963... and I need to replace some of the breakers..... thank you very much for this overview and history. My breakers and panel have the same Bulldog and ITE on it.

@gregorylyon1004 Жыл бұрын

My parents home has a Pushmatic panel even still today. It was built in 1959. I don't like it but it does work fine.

@johnstancliff7328 3 жыл бұрын

Federal Pacific, Zinsco and ITE pushmatic are all discontinued and are now pricing out at over $75.00 per single pole breaker... plus the fact that they are not to current code, I'd be pulling the panels out and upgrading them . for the cost of 1 breaker, you can get a whole new panel that's updated... its not worth saving those old systems....

@FishFind3000 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t see any panels with breakers for $75

@nickcheatle3927 3 жыл бұрын

Hey brother love! Got the cup this weekend!! Love it.

@markturner7229 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you on the pushmatic info. Update sounds reasonable. I personally would never spray a breaker though. I’ve had a few breakers that would not reset, but most I run across work

@garbo8962 3 жыл бұрын

Hsd 2 piece of crap ge junk 400 amp 600 volt breakers that would not reset after working on chillers. Had to use a heat gun to get them to turn on. Was told that grease inside of crap ge breakers dries up after so many years. They were located in a climate cintrolled area that was always around 72 degrees.

@daveharness70 3 жыл бұрын

I just replaced my pushmatic (ITE Siemens) panel in my 1970's built shop. I was wanting to add a 50 amp breaker and run a line for a welder and I realized that I had an issue. During the removal I noted at least one area where the breakers were getting hot. I had some issues with the panel in the past, but it wasn't all the panel's fault. The wiring was less than desirable, using multiple 12-2's to run 220 heaters etc. instead of running the right wire....but perhaps that was the correct way back then...? Glad to have it updated though.

@arisacharya4895 3 жыл бұрын

Can you create a playlist on your channel on this series thanks. We appreciate the work you invested into the series

@MrMaxyield 3 жыл бұрын

Another informative video... Never clickbait 🐂💩 Always concise and on point...🔥💯✅

@gamingandvloging1117 3 жыл бұрын

Love the vids man

@treeguyable 3 жыл бұрын

Dang, took my old Fed Pac panel, and the glass fuses, to the scrap yard 20 yrs ago. Wish I knew you as a little kid, and you would one day collect them. My house was built in 63. Re-did ALL the the electrical, top to bottom, front to back, everything from the meter forward, brand new. What a job. But.... Sure feels good.

@nathaniel1766 2 жыл бұрын

6/5/2022: Great video!!! My house has Pushmatics, have only had to replace one in the 17 years we have lived here, but since this house was built in the late 1950s, I deeply respect your experience and opinions on updating an electrical panel and emphasis on safety! One "complaint" though...YOU DIDN'T USE ENOUGH WD-40...MORE, MORE, MORE!! I'm rolling, LOL!!!

@rockymtnjeepgeek 3 жыл бұрын

I found this channel getting ready to replace my entire service specifically because my house has pushmatic and you're spot on. These things are dangerous!!! I have to do it in steps, first getting service replaced with 200A and new panel and then setting the pushmatic as a subpanel while I bleed off circuits with new wiring. These things suck so bad. Have had false on, false off, and humming until you jiggle it a bit. Thanks for the insight of all your videos.

@randyransio7870 3 жыл бұрын

Hi from the caribbean, great videos, good info.

@jameskaten8291 3 жыл бұрын

During their heyday, Pushmatic panels & breakers were the best quality equipment on the market. They were solid and reliable - certainly more so than any of their contemporaries. They also sold for a premium; if someone installed one, that person believed in spending more for quality. Don't be too harsh on them because they only used a thermal trip mechanism - that was the standard of the time; later Pushmatics incorporated both thermal & magnetic trip mechanisms because that's where the industry was moving. It's like criticizing an old car because it didn't have disc brakes. Likewise, they had a low current interrupt rating - I believe 5,000 amps - that was standard across the industry at the time. Problems with these breakers were far and few between. In general, they were dependable workhorses. All of that being said, these things are old. They stopped manufacturing them in the early 1990s (I remember my local supply house still had some in stock in 1992), so the very youngest ones out there are 30 years old and most are far older than that. Any panel from the '50s has probably had it - anyone remember Frank Adams panels? Newer panels & breakers aren't nearly as solid as the old Pushmatic stuff (is there any modern panel with bolted breaker connections?), but their engineering is light years ahead. If you have an old Pushmatic panel that's starting to act up it's time to respectfully replace it.

@AllTrac7200 3 жыл бұрын

Replaced a couple last month. Both had breakers that stuck and wouldn't turn off. The bussing on both had signs of over heating. With how old they are I think it is best to just replace.

@Sparkeycarp 3 жыл бұрын

I personally hate working on them. If I have to change one breaker I will shut down the power to that panel if possible. I hate the design of these with the exposed hot buses. Also the breakers are a pain to remove. You are right they do not get exercised and therefore I replace the whole panel. Plus the other reason you mentioned no magnetic trip. If that bi-metal strip has to heat up to trip, what other area in the circuit is heating up? I tell my customers these things and they usually agree to replace it. Same for Zinsco.

@olinsrc3841 3 жыл бұрын

Yep had a problem with my main breaker getting sticky. Pushed it in to the on position and the whole right side leg was dead. Then pushed it to off and the right side still had power!! 😲😲😲 Eventually I got it to work by exercising it in and out a few times😨 lol!! But yes I'd consider these pushmatics very dangerous! Always check with meter to make sure there is no power and it's truly OFF!! Before attempting to work on one of these units for sure!!

@doninmichigan 2 жыл бұрын

If you're not one please call an electrician before attempting to work on a panel like that so you don't kill yourself or burn your house down.

@jessefield3147 3 жыл бұрын

I just changed out a Pushmatic today and replaced it with an Eaton BR. As long as the breakers are functional I tell homeowners they are fine, just don't touch them and extend because it's expensive finding a good Pushmatic breaker. Ntm there isn't many options short of setting a sub panel to use AF breakers.

@hcic8738 4 ай бұрын

Man, that ending with the whole WD-40 thing, absolutely sold me on changing the panel 😂😂😂 (F***ing Hilarious)

@feyrband 2 жыл бұрын

I've still got 1 in an old cinder block milk house running my well pump and very elementary woodshop. Another still runs the silo and grain belt. Just replaced a 70 year old transfer switch with a CT in it because it stopped working with the meter for some reason.

@brandong6244 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome thanks bud. Super useful in my area

@jimanderson4495 3 жыл бұрын

I agree. Replace if not in good shape. Thanks Dustin.

@petercampbell4220 Жыл бұрын

It is nice to see some that someboby did it right back then. Failing indications, and a few failing to function on manual opening. With a product older than most of the electricians out there that is excellent. We have ITE switchgear from the 50`s, and square d MCC`s at work. Age related problems but quality stuff. And with the transite arc shields and AMW wiring right up tp 500 mcm not getting upgraded.

@monteglover4133 3 жыл бұрын

Most 50 year old breakers are getting sketchy

@marcusepsilon9600 3 жыл бұрын

We are in the process of remodel a home, which had not one, but two of these panels. There had been an electrical fire, which was caused by one of the breakers failing to trip. Our electrician discovered most of the breakers would not turn off.

@nics-systems-electric 3 жыл бұрын

Great video man 👍

@brandonstarr1427 3 жыл бұрын

The shop i work in was built in the early 50s and has a bunch of Bulldog busducts, just kind of interesting hearing that name mentioned since I hadn’t heard the name before and hadn’t seen it anywhere else

@hankkline7300 2 жыл бұрын

One dangerous item I have found with Pushmatic breaker panels is that some used metal blank-ups in them. If you weren't VERY careful, they wouldn't clip in correctly and would go in to short on the bus. The other problem is if your screwdriver slips off of the straight slotted screw connecting the breaker to the bus, and you are trying to do it live (NEVER) You will need a new screwdriver at the least, and a seeing eye dog at the worst after it shorts out on the bus bar.

@Zip22Zip Жыл бұрын

We had one of these panels in a building we were renting. One of the breakers got weak and we were going to move the outlets and circuit to one of the other breakers. The empty slots had metal covers over them and when they started to remove one it slipped and shorted and there was no main to the panel to be found. When it stopped it had welded itself to the panel.

@mdrudholm 3 жыл бұрын

My house, built in 1961, had a 100A Pushmatic panel. Never had a problem with it. Pretty sure the breakers had both magnetic and thermal trip modes. Replaced it a couple years ago when I went to 200A service.

@marcberm 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, I watched all the way through the spaztic WD40 b-roll at the end. 😉

@samspade5648 3 жыл бұрын

When I come across these Pushnatic panels 3-5 times a month, I will give the customer both the panel replacement quote and a breaker replacement quote. In the end the decision is normally dictated by the home insurance company. Some accept updated breakers, but most will drop the homeowner if they don't modernize...

@sleepyancient6655 3 жыл бұрын

Fun fact: WD40 dries out bearings and such. If you want lubrication, stuff like Fluid Film and Silicone lubricants are better.

@vitron01 2 жыл бұрын

True the WD stands for water displacement.

@CompleteToiletGarage 3 жыл бұрын

Freshly rebuilt breaker at the end! Clean one owner, only used on sundays!

@bentone23 3 жыл бұрын

I have a pushmatic panel in my 1962 home. I have replaced half of the breakers already. Connecticut Electric makes new breakers for these panels. My main breaker wouldn’t turn back on on a Sunday! Lucky I found an electrician who had one on his truck. I replaced it and a few others that stopped operating. Never trust that energy is removed unless tested.

@teenagehustle8577 3 жыл бұрын

It’s a banger video and I didn’t even have to watch it

@DanAtEXIT 2 жыл бұрын

Stab Locs and Federal panels are still found around here and I bring it up on the walk throughs with my clients- RUN AWAY (or better yet change it out or no sale).

@brocinco Жыл бұрын

My home was built in 1957. I have 4 pushmatic breakers that say off when they are on. And my ac breaker just broke and it's 106 all week here. 😭 Going to replace my panel with leviton tomorrow.

@nickg1307 3 жыл бұрын

Retrofitted a 200 amp Bulldog Pushmatic in a hospital infrastructure upgrade I was on.

@jontopham2742 3 жыл бұрын

How did that selective coordination work out for you

@brucelogan 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Dustin, I really dig your videos. The WD 40 segment at the end made me laugh out loud.

@jsmc2104 2 жыл бұрын

My 200 amp Pushmatic was installed in '74 and has never had a single issue

@samuelcrossland1101 3 жыл бұрын

I like the point of exercising circuit breakers, and wd 40 not a proper repair. I had to replace 2 200 amp breakers at a customer's house because they would not turn off. And holding the handle down and tapping it with hammer to get it to open makes you really question if it would trip if it needed to.

@cq1030 2 жыл бұрын

I just moved into a home built in the late 40s and I believe has the original Pushmatic panel. 70 years and going. But we looking to replace ASAP.

@utah133 3 жыл бұрын

I have a Pushmatic panel in my house, ca. 1941 and one in a rental house ca. 1952. Each house also has another newer panel added later. Kind of a kludge.

@kevinpoore5626 3 жыл бұрын

Well I guess that's where I'm lucky I've seen a lot of the type breakers that you have talked about that are garbage but I've never heard a pushmatic I've replaced a bunch of zinc offs or however they pronounce it but never that one lol keep it grounded :-) :-)

@julybear8019 Жыл бұрын

Never trust the flag indicator on a pushmatic. You can usually spot a tripped breaker by looking at the buttons from the side as the tripped one will stick out more than the others, then confirm with a tester. I've replaced all but the main on my home because after 30-40 years of service its just - well worth doing.

@mikenorton7262 2 жыл бұрын

1:47 : "..when these things started to really pop up..." That's a great pun!

@ericwotton2046 3 жыл бұрын

Only time I've removed them was during remodeling and we needed arc faults.

@chrismader3689 3 жыл бұрын

One of our guys was trying to short a circuit to find a breaker on a pushmatic and blew the transformer fuse.

@xHadesStamps 7 ай бұрын

Never had an issue with our ITE-branded panel (which does not have the issue of being grease-fed, and does have a magnetic-trip mechanism for sure in at least one, as it's a GFCI breaker). Older Bulldogs, however, I'm not so sure about, simply because they're that old. I honestly wish new panels were made, as well as AFCI-equipped Pushmatics, as I absolutely *hate* the toggle-lever type

@MinecraftPro97k 3 жыл бұрын

4:50 Never heard that one before 😁

@Shadi2 3 жыл бұрын

Inspectors will flag these panels as a "Safety Issue" regardless of condition, so that will affect your resale value/negotiations.

@xHadesStamps 7 ай бұрын

There are also a lot of unqualified inspectors out there

@garbo8962 2 жыл бұрын

Pure bulls hit concerning Push magic circuit breakers. Best breakers are ALWAYS bolt on's. Had over a thousand push magic circuit breakers at my first job. We only had problem with top single poke breakers going bad due to they were located in a 38 degree damp boning room that got washed down 5 nights a week. Water would enter panel and destroy top breaker after a year. Have a 100 amp 60 year old pushmatic sub panel in my garage. Breakers tripped every time I overloaded a circuit or had a dead short.

@pdxfunk Жыл бұрын

We have a pushomatic panel in our house, installed in 1960 and the breakers actually all work great and trip just fine, no stickage. I bet it has to a lot with the climate of the install (high humidity etc). Either way, i'd love to replace it and get a whole new panel, but I'm not gonna spend that kind of $$ right now. This panel seems to be just fine IMO.

@dannykukuc7091 3 жыл бұрын

Just started a job today and was working on one of these panels, what a coincidence. 😂

@FerralVideo 3 жыл бұрын

I'm just a DIYer, but I would approach a Pushmatic like any "very" old panel - you have a risk of failed or unreliable breakers. I've got some 30 year old Siemens-ITEs and some unknown age *QO's* that're unreliable. I would only recommend a panel swap, as you noted, if more modern features are needed or wanted.

@belacortsac2891 2 жыл бұрын

Recommend replacement of the entire panel or service. I think you’re better off updating and bringing the electrical service to current code requirements.

@kenbrown2808 3 жыл бұрын

short answer: they were state of the art when they were new, but they're 50 years old. if it's in good condition, and you don't need to work on them, status quo is acceptable. if you need to do work, anyway, go ahead and upgrade. if it's not in good condition, it will be cheaper to upgrade.

@kyles9320 3 жыл бұрын

I JUST had a customer asked if my company sold them! No way!

@rogeliohernandez2606 2 жыл бұрын

How do you tie, and pull wire # 2 witt a fisher type?

@JCR43221 2 ай бұрын

I can se both sides and with the exception of exercising i will say Bulldogs are still a decent product in 2024. Ebay has been a valued source for replacements. Ps Thank you for this excellent video.

@iliketakingshowers 2 жыл бұрын

I have one of these panels that I'm not going to replace. The breakers all work. I don't have an electrician figured in the budget right now. I might just replace the breakers like you suggested. Can I just replace the metal panel cover? Is that available anywhere? It has like a million layers of paint on it and the screws.

@timothyhaughey1934 2 жыл бұрын

I Have found cross thread condition on pushmatic breakers you have to start the screw straight so you have full contact on buss

@thatguyontheright1 Жыл бұрын

My house has pushmatic breakers, and it's begun to have issues where it will trip and not break the circuit by popping open. Might be a good idea to change it out

@UnknownProductions0 3 жыл бұрын

I got hit by a pushmatic breaker. Partner pushed it off so I was like alright cool (not knowing it was a pushmatic lol) and found out it was live right after 😂

@davidlabrosse9661 2 жыл бұрын

I have old pushmatic brakers with aluminum wire. A couple of them look like they are off. It tripped me up when we first moved here. Its an apartment so I'm not going to just swap them out.

@ghostface4072 2 жыл бұрын

I live at a apartment complex close to 3,000 units 80% of the property still have pushmatice panels .

@mwpahl38 2 жыл бұрын

Question: Can you use a Pushmatic "Main" breaker as a standard breaker? I have a 100A main laying around, but a new double pole 100A is 170 bucks..

@ElectricianU 2 жыл бұрын

Probably not.

@doninmichigan 2 жыл бұрын

I always thought the Pushmatics, although somewhat funky, were a pretty solid design, much better than the nightmare FPE's of the same era.

@wizard3z868 3 жыл бұрын

the ones i have come across tht are bad seem to either never want to turn off with out a lot of force because of dried up grease and or corrosion or they will not reset because of worn springs or broken push buttons. corrosion seems to be the big problem i advise pple to replace. never heard of any not tripping like fpe or zinsco

@randymathews3348 3 жыл бұрын

Saw one once, told em to rip it out

@aguyandhiscomputer 3 жыл бұрын

I have an ITE Pushmatic panel with breakers sitting in my basement. Wonder if it's worth anything right now.

@scottiesguns 3 жыл бұрын

The brand new breakers are actually pretty affordable... I thought I was sitting in a goldmine cause I have a 5 gallon bucket full of bulldogs 😂

@aguyandhiscomputer 3 жыл бұрын

@@scottiesguns Rats 🙂

@kenbrown2808 3 жыл бұрын

not really. any good electrician keeps all the sound breakers from panel upgrades, just to have spares available.

@miket5506 3 жыл бұрын

Personally I believe that once a panel turns 20 years old you should rip it out, throw it out, and replace it along with all its breakers. If said panel is in a climate controlled area its entire life then 30 years is OK. I've got a janky looking ITE panel in the electrical room in my building (circa 1986), but the breakers in it are fully compatible with Square-D. The breakers in it are starting to physically sag, so I need to try re-seating them; if that doesn't work I'm putting an EATON Pow-R-Line panel in there.

@miket5506 3 жыл бұрын

@K lake didn’t know about that lead time! Thanks for the heads up! I’ll reach out to my contacts and see what they have. One of them does a lot of data centers and exclusively uses EATON, so I’m pretty sure he’s got some laying around.

@miket5506 3 жыл бұрын

@K lake I hear ya. It’s a priority to me as the maintenance guy and an electrical guy…but not a priority to the board of directors. If the panel fails and arcs all over the place they’re gonna be a little upset about that $10k insurance deductible vs. a couple thousand for a new panel installation lol

@MrBirdnose 3 жыл бұрын

The 1964 house I rent still has the original General Electric panel on the outside of the house. Took me forever to find it the first time I had a breaker trip -- I'd never seen one before that wasn't indoors.

@binaryglitch64 Жыл бұрын

Pull them and send them to me... some day when I finally get around to starting that Electrical Museum I've been wanting to start... for a couple decades now, lol.

@binaryglitch64 Жыл бұрын

(I'd want enough to maintain them over time)

@mackfisher4487 3 жыл бұрын

Any data on the "Edison base plug fuse circuit breakers" that Bussmann puts out Of course we need to update but some customers! Yes type S-fuses are probably a safer choice but again some customers.

@kenbrown2808 3 жыл бұрын

they are UL listed, and they are safer than having the customer stick a penny behind the fuse after you go.

@claytonmiller63 10 ай бұрын

Dustin, you are half your age, and I have been doing electrical work for over 64 years. My father was a firm believer in Square D from the XO Breaker panels and the Cutler & Hammer panels that were copied off of Square D. To tell you a little bit about Bulldog Electric and Bulldog panels.. Trumbull Electric was located on Trumbull in Detroit, Michigan. The insignal of the panel was the Bulldog that's how it got its name. They were used mainly in commercial sites. Then Bulldog realized that if they did some advertising and pushed, they could get into the residential market. Then, they were sold off to ITE and named Push a matic breakers. When ITE obtained Trumbull Electric, they made the breakers cheap, and the springs were weaker and developed all their problems!!! The original breakers were bolt on the buss bar and great panel. After ITE got them, they started to go downhill real fast!!! As for Federal Pacific, panels are pure junk, just like Zinco panels, too!!!! I am still a master electrician to this date. I have been licensed since 1972.. Clayton Miller Detroit, Michigan.