# Square D



## ElectricalNut

What's the difference between square d's QO and Homeline panels and breakers? 
I noticed the QO breakers are about double the price, especially the arc fault ones. The 200amp main breaker panels were 40 dollars different.
I know square d panels are some of the best out there but why is there such a big difference between the two models they offer?


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## Jlarson

They have pretty much the same guts as far as I know. The QO's have the trip indicator and are 3/4" as opposed to the HOM's that are 1". With the QO's you can step up to bolt on styles, plus there are wider options in panels, and breakers available in the QO line.


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## MDShunk

The internal workings are the same... no doubt. The main difference is that HOM breakers are 1" breakers, and QO's are 3/4" breakers, so HOM panels are bigger. Also, the HOM breaker-to-bus connection is patterned after the old Westinghouse standard and is considered less reliable than the QO breaker-to-bus connection, which is unique to QO. Both panels use the same main breakers and other accessories. There are fewer "special" breakers available for HOM's, like shunt trips, VHO's, HM, EPD's, alarm contacts, etc., which makes QO better suited for light commercial.


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## ElectricalNut

I just wondered because I'm in the process of moving and might be redoing my whole service. I've always installed them but just noticed the price difference.
After putting in 20 breakers with a 5$difference it starts to add up. Especially when the arc fault breakers are 15 dollars difference. For my own house I'd like to have the best but I didn't think between the square d's there would be a big difference.


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## nrp3

I have Homeline in my house and the inlaw apartment and don't lose any sleep over it.


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## ElectricalNut

That's what I was thinking. Thanks guys


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## sbrn33

I believe the biggest diff. is that the Homeline is a residential grade aluminum buss panel and the QO is their top of the line tinned copper bus panel.
I would dispute the fact that the bus design is better though. Those QO's like to hop off the buss like no other.


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## ElectricalNut

Yeh I know what you mean. It's nice when you go into a panel to add a circuit ands half the breakers pop off


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## user4818

sbrn33 said:


> I believe the biggest diff. is that the Homeline is a residential grade aluminum buss panel and the QO is their top of the line tinned copper bus panel.


I thought the QO bus was aluminum as well? Hmmm...



> I would dispute the fact that the bus design is better though. Those QO's like to hop off the buss like no other.


Yeah, sometimes they just won't make strong contact. I was having a problem getting a 1-pole QO to snap in tightly so I kept trying different breakers -new, old, whatever it took. Nothing seemed to worked so I had to conclude it was a defective buss tab.


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## Jlarson

One thing I like about QO is where they put the neutral bar, with HOM its under the breaker terms.


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## sbrn33

Jlarson said:


> One thing I like about QO is where they put the neutral bar, with HOM its under the breaker terms.


That is kinda funny, because that is what I hate about the QO and love about the Siemens. I hate those neutral busses on the QO.
Different strokes for different folks


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## Roger123

sbrn33 said:


> I believe the biggest diff. is that the Homeline is a residential grade aluminum buss panel and the QO is their top of the line tinned copper bus panel.


Why do they tinned the copper bus?


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## rnr electric

sbrn33 said:


> I believe the biggest diff. is that the Homeline is a residential grade aluminum buss panel and the QO is their top of the line tinned copper bus panel.
> I would dispute the fact that the bus design is better though. Those QO's like to hop off the buss like no other.


 i agree, i would dispute it even further since the only thing that holds the rear of the breaker stable is a little white plastic piece that dry-rots and breaks off after 5 years


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## EJPHI

All Homeline panels have an aluminum bus.

Some QO panels have a copper bus. I think it is the reversable bus option which comes in copper.

Tin plating reduces oxidation.

EJPHI


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## Spark Master

I believe they both have plug on neutrals.


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## Meadow

Both Homeline and QO breakers are identical. The only difference is the buss connection method and the bars being AL. For the price and quality (QO guts) Homeline is a no brainer.


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## Meadow

rnr electric said:


> i agree, i would dispute it even further since the only thing that holds the rear of the breaker stable is a little white plastic piece that dry-rots and breaks off after 5 years



Arent all the QO clips metal now?


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## te12co2w

A year ago I attended a open house at a supply house. Area SQ D rep was there. I asked him what the difference was. He said that the trip characteristics are the same for each breaker. The only difference is the red flag when the breaker trips.


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## Tiger

I've installed QO for a number of years. The buss bar is copper. The plating improves durability, according to their .pdf, I assume to reduce oxidation. There is quite a bit of insulation around the buss bar, not the typical completely exposed buss bar. Neutral bar screws backed out.

I find the Qwik-Open to be true. In my old remodeling days I would occasionally cut live wires. I would then assume, wrongly, that the breaker had tripped. In those cases of still-live-after-short wires, the brand was always something cheaper than QO.

Edit: One of the main reasons to go with QO is that orange indicator. Some people just can't see tripped breakers without the indicator. Ever called for a tripped breaker which was a simple overload? Choice is to run the call for free and lose money, or charge a minimum and lose an occasional customer.


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## backstay

Tiger said:


> I've installed QO for a number of years. The buss bar is copper. The plating improves durability, according to their .pdf, I assume to reduce oxidation. There is quite a bit of insulation around the buss bar, not the typical completely exposed buss bar. Neutral bar screws backed out.
> 
> I find the Qwik-Open to be true. In my old remodeling days I would occasionally cut live wires. I would then assume, wrongly, that the breaker had tripped. In those cases of still-live-after-short wires, the brand was always something cheaper than QO.
> 
> Edit: One of the main reasons to go with QO is that orange indicator. Some people just can't see tripped breakers without the indicator. Ever called for a tripped breaker which was a simple overload? Choice is to run the call for free and lose money, or charge a minimum and lose an occasional customer.


CH breakers come with trip indicators too.


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## micromind

backstay said:


> CH breakers come with trip indicators too.


CH - CH isn't very popular around here, but I've never seen the trip indicator. It's a good idea, especially given that these breakers don't have a center trip position. There's no way to know if it's off because it was turned off or because it tripped. 

With the new indicator, it's obvious.


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## MTW

micromind said:


> CH - CH isn't very popular around here, but I've never seen the trip indicator.



Same here. It's actually extremely rare to the point where I can count on one hand the number of CH-CH panels I have seen in dwelling units over the years. In fact, my main supply house which is a CH distributor de-listed all the CH-CH stuff from their website. :001_huh:

As for the trip indicator, I believe they added that as a design improvement fairly recently.


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## Southeast Power

I have CH in my house and they are rock solid.
I think they are better built than QO.


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## papaotis

i used my first eaton panel last week(eaton makes ch now) and i cant explain it but i almost felt dirty:001_huh:


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## Chris1971

MTW said:


> Same here. It's actually extremely rare to the point where I can count on one hand the number of CH-CH panels I have seen in dwelling units over the years. In fact, my main supply house which is a CH distributor de-listed all the CH-CH stuff from their website. :001_huh:
> 
> As for the trip indicator, I believe they added that as a design improvement fairly recently.


I saw the trip indicator on the CH-CH last year.


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## papaotis

i have seen the trip on some ch's but dont recall when or how old they were. i think the main difference in qo and hom is the size and price! stockholders making it big on the tried and true line!:whistling2:


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## MTW

Chris1971 said:


> I saw the trip indicator on the CH-CH last year.


 story bro.


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## Chris1971

MTW said:


> story bro.


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## guest

MTW said:


> story bro.





Chris1971 said:


>



Don't start with this crap again or you will both be gone for a loooooggg time. :whistling2:
























And yes I am serious.


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## 99cents

sbrn33 said:


> That is kinda funny, because that is what I hate about the QO and love about the Siemens. I hate those neutral busses on the QO.
> Different strokes for different folks


Agree. Neutral connections with QO are kind of silly. Siemens is incredibly simple.


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## burnout

Can you get 3 phase panel with arc fault neutral bar?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## burnout

In square D I mean. 


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## Meadow

.......http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/circuit-breaker-diagram.gif


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