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Hi Jeff & REwrenches; I haven't talked to a single PV installer that is happy with that breaker post. I'm sure plenty more have broken off those breaker studs, thinking that they should behave like a normal breaker. Most have just shut up and thought they were to blame. Neither Outback nor Carling have any maximum wire size limit for that breaker, so apparently you can land a 250 MCM cable without a problem. ;-) Neither torque nor appropriate wire size and lugs are listed on the breaker like most other UL listed breakers. Midnite Solar once again is the only outfit honest enough to admit there could be an issue, and come up with a solution. First, they provide a light weight lug with their breakers, and 2nd, their 90 and 100 amp breakers have a sturdier post type. This post is available from Carling for the smaller breakers, if you special order it. This isn't rocket science: the cross section of the metal tab is the equivalent of a #8 wire, so both electrically and mechanically, that's the appropriate max wire size for that breaker. Considering we've been breaking these tabs off for almost 10 years, it seems its about time that they fixed the problem. They just shouldn't sell that breaker with that weak post type for any applications over 50 amps.  Note:
post is not twisted, but bent from landing #4 wire. This resulted
in a week delay, and another unpaid 2 hour round trip to fix.
(Outback or Carling care to cover my costs?)My 2012 resolution: Quit losing money fixing other companies' problems Ray Walters NABCEP Certified Installer BS Mechanical Engineering First Install: 1986 On 12/27/2011 5:26 PM, Jeff Yago wrote: Not only have I snapped off my share of rear studs on these DC breakers, but have you noticed how the large 175 and 200 amp breakers have this large "batt" handle molded onto this very flimsy strip of a plastic lever arm going inside the breaker? I have a whole box of these that were broken off in shipment or during installation.I keep getting the feeling that all solar manufacturers have given up the smaller off-grid and battery backup solar market and are only concentrating on the large module and grid-tie commercial market. Just saying..................... Jeff Yago DTI Solar _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org |
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