Removing old breaker

[mshurtle]

Hello from southeastern Massachusetts and Happy Mother's Day! This might be a simple question, but I don’t want to break anything. Trying to replace this GFCI breaker. How do I physically get the broken breaker off of the bus panel? I’ve tried pulling and rocking up and down, but she’s not moving. Is the answer pull harder? Or is there some plastic tab that I have to push with a screwdriver kind of thing? Thanks y’all!

 

[Griswald]

Horizontal mounted breakers "rock" from the load end to unhook from a clip and the power bus, I assume the mounting is the same for yours.

Disconnect power first. Unscrew the wires at the bottom and lift kinda up and away and the breaker should pop off.

Installation is simply reverse, hook the new breaker onto the clip and rotate it down and in until it snaps onto the power bus. Then rewire and turn on the power.

It's easy.

 

[Newdude]

I'm sorry but I have to ask how you know the breaker is bad, but not how to remove it. It takes more skill to know how to troubleshoot and replacing a breaker is long covered by then.

 

[mshurtle]

I'm sorry but I have to ask how you know the breaker is bad, but not how to remove it. It takes more skill to know how to troubleshoot and replacing a breaker is long covered by then.

Haha very appropriate question. Our pool builder company was here opening the pool and did some initial trouble shooting etc. But since it was electrical and they were just doing the opening and moving on to the next, they suggested an electrician to replace the breaker. I've understood this to be an easy diy thing, and along the lines of replacing ceiling lights and switches etc which I'm comfortable doing. Especially since it's a weekend with no electrician in sight until maybe 3-4 days from now, this seemed like something I could try first, and if it works, great. If not, I still make the electrician call tomorrow. But like I said, I rocked and pulled/pushed relatively firmly with no luck, so just wanted to crowd source if there was some trick to this that wasn't obvious. We'll give it a more aggressive go with this reassurance it isn't rocket science. Thanks!

 

[JamesW]

To install, the breaker has a back hook that hooks over a tab and then you push the breaker back into the bus bars.

To remove, rotate the top forward and this will disconnect the top from the bus bars and then you can lift it off the hook.

You can grab it with some big Channel Lock Pliers if you need more leverage.

Make sure all power to the subpanel is off.

 

[JamesW]

Consider the hook the pivot point and rotate around that point.

The top is just friction fit.


_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The hook is at the red line in the below picture.

Pull the top forward and down rotating around the hook as a pivot point.

 

[JamesW]

In this picture, you can see the top bus bar points and the lower plastic tab hooks.

 

[Newdude]

But since it was electrical

Did they prove the breaker was bad, or just want you to spend $150 plus labor on 'it might work and its cheaper than a new pump' ?

Haha very appropriate question

Nobody is dying today from something stupid if we have anything to say about it.

James covered you above. Make sure the house breaker is off too and confirm the panel is dead with a handheld voltage detector.

 

[JamesW]

The busbar assembly can be replaced if necessary if you can find it.

124--00139A4-Pole Buss Bar Assembly

https://assets.gordonelectricsupply.com/datasheets/ts/Intermatic_00628_185_186_CAT.pdf

https://www.platt.com/p/1300973/intermatic/imt12400139a

 

[JamesW]

https://www.intermatic.com/Product/T21004R

https://www.intermatic.com/Product/124-00139A

 

[JamesW]

https://djuly1j3idynn.cloudfront.net/userfiles/images/inriver/original/188200_intermaticvendor1_pe25300f_technical_data_en.pdf

Note: I do not know this seller, so do your own due diligence on the seller.

124--00139A 4-Pole Buss Bar Assembly

124--00139A 4-Pole Buss Bar Assembly

beverlyhillslighting.com

 

[mshurtle]

We are back in business my friends! Indeed, I just had to pull and wiggle harder than I thought. I also took off the single pole breaker next to it first which gave me more grip and leverage, and off she came. New breaker popped right in and wire connections were piece of cake. The $$ for the electrician went to Mother's Day dinner instead. Thanks everyone!

 

[JamesW]

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