# Challenger load center



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

1. EATON BR should fit.
2. For a flush LC the majority of my upgrades have taken 6 to 8 hours. Usually the most time consuming part is trying to get the POCO there to pull the meter, and then waiting for them to come back once you have finished. Good luck trying to get your POCO to respond if there are power lines down due to storms in your area.


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Malywr said:


> Can I install EATON breaker I challenger load center? If not
> How much time would you estimate to replace residential in wall 200A single phase load center 32 ct? How many hours of work on side?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



EATON is the grandchild of Challenger more or less, and yes they are the correct breaker to replace Challenger breakers via Westinghouse was the correct breaker to replace Challenger, and now Eaton is the correct breaker to replace Westinghouse.


----------



## Malywr (Jan 23, 2018)

macmikeman said:


> EATON is the grandchild of Challenger more or less, and yes they are the correct breaker to replace Challenger breakers via Westinghouse was the correct breaker to replace Challenger, and now Eaton is the correct breaker to replace Westinghouse.


If I relocate one breaker and install Eaton 2 pole will that be safe if buss has no signs of deterioration or corrosion 
Or I should just recommend replacing it and don’t do work if owner don’t agree on replacement 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Most guys here are going to say change it out. The bus on Challenger panels was prone to melt downs, I can attest to that myself. You make money from changing out panels. If the load is small, I don't see harm in leaving it alone and using an Eaton breaker to take care of your current issue. You make the call.


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> Most guys here are going to say change it out. The bus on Challenger panels was prone to melt downs, I can attest to that myself. You make money from changing out panels. If the load is small, I don't see harm in leaving it alone and using an Eaton breaker to take care of your current issue. You make the call.



There seems to be no edit here. Ok , not prone, more like some of them melted down. The majority never had problems .


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

macmikeman said:


> There seems to be no edit here. Ok , not prone, more like some of them melted down. The majority never had problems .



Yes there is--- See those 3 dots on the right side of your post. Click it


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

macmikeman said:


> There seems to be no edit here. Ok , not prone, more like some of them melted down. The majority never had problems .


Click on the three dots to the right to EDIT.


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

macmikeman said:


> EATON is the grandchild of Challenger more or less, and yes they are the correct breaker to replace Challenger breakers via Westinghouse was the correct breaker to replace Challenger, and now Eaton is the correct breaker to replace Westinghouse.


And the BR series was Bryant, which was a division of Westinghouse prior to them being acquired (And promptly destroyed) by Hubbell.


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Quickservice said:


> Click on the three dots to the right to EDIT.


Are you my echo?


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Are you my echo?


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Are you my echo?


I DO need to do a better job of reading ALL the replies before I quote someone.


----------



## Dark Knight (Jan 6, 2016)

As far as I know nothing fits the challenger panels. The bolt pattern on the Eatons is different - either a straight L vs a slanted L or the L goes a little lower on one then the other. I can’t remember off hand.


----------



## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Quickservice said:


> And the BR series was Bryant, which was a division of Westinghouse prior to them being acquired (And promptly destroyed) by Hubbell.


Westinghouse dropped the Bryant name in favor of their name, & sold the Bryant wiring devices to Hubbell, when Westinghouse Electric decided to sell all their industrial lines after buying the CBS TV network, Eaton bought most of their Electrical assets, & folded it into their Cutler-Hammer subsidiary.


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

Norcal said:


> Westinghouse dropped the Bryant name in favor of their name, & sold the Bryant wiring devices to Hubbell, when Westinghouse Electric decided to sell all their industrial lines after buying the CBS TV network, Eaton bought most of their Electrical assets, & folded it into their Cutler-Hammer subsidiary.


After writing that, I wondered if anyone would remind me that Hubbell only acquired the wiring device side of Bryant.


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Dark Knight said:


> As far as I know nothing fits the challenger panels. The bolt pattern on the Eatons is different - either a straight L vs a slanted L or the L goes a little lower on one then the other. I can’t remember off hand.


The op's question regarded the BR line of breakers- plug in not bolt on. The discussion was not about bolt in breakers. Yes Challenger made bolt in breakers and panels. Yes they also were the defacto BR series line manufacturer's for a while - about a decade as I recall. I still have a few 10 count boxes of Challenger double pole 30's and some Challenger single pole 15's and 20's in my shop. I use those to replace defective Challenger BR breakers on service calls. Secret silent electric strikes again................


----------



## Dark Knight (Jan 6, 2016)

macmikeman said:


> The op's question regarded the BR line of breakers- plug in not bolt on. The discussion was not about bolt in breakers. Yes Challenger made bolt in breakers and panels. Yes they also were the defacto BR series line manufacturer's for a while - about a decade as I recall. I still have a few 10 count boxes of Challenger double pole 30's and some Challenger single pole 15's and 20's in my shop. I use those to replace defective Challenger BR breakers on service calls. Secret silent electric strikes again................


Ah, I see. I’ve never seen a plug on Challenger panel here. Just bolt on, residential and commercial. And the breakers are impossible to find except for the small stash I have cuz I refuse to throw stuff like that away. That’s almost a guaranteed panel swap when I run into one.


----------



## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Pre-Westinghouse ownership of Challenger, their panelboards used bolt-on breakers that would physically fit GE THQB, I doubt they were tested to do so though, only knew it fit when I found a Challenger in a GE Panelboard, if my memory serves me correct the Challenger name was not used in Canada, they were known as Commander.


----------



## Dark Knight (Jan 6, 2016)

Norcal said:


> Pre-Westinghouse ownership of Challenger, their panelboards used bolt-on breakers that would physically fit GE THQB, I doubt they were tested to do so though, only knew it fit when I found a Challenger in a GE Panelboard, if my memory serves me correct the Challenger name was not used in Canada, they were known as Commander.


Oh yes, you are right. That’s what I’m thinking of. Carry on.


----------



## Malywr (Jan 23, 2018)

macmikeman said:


> Most guys here are going to say change it out. The bus on Challenger panels was prone to melt downs, I can attest to that myself. You make money from changing out panels. If the load is small, I don't see harm in leaving it alone and using an Eaton breaker to take care of your current issue. You make the call.


Customer agrees to replace panel but decide to keep all challenger breakers. Lol.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Malywr (Jan 23, 2018)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

That'll buff right out.


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

Malywr said:


> Customer agrees to replace panel but decide to keep all challenger breakers. Lol.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I had a homeowner who refused to let me change out her FPE panel, I told her to be sure to keep her smoke detectors up-to-date.


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

Malywr said:


> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Reminds me of the time when I was working for a SH and the contractor called me to an apartment project. The electrician had left the covers off all of the load centers and the painter came along and spray painted all the walls including the interiors of the load centers. The GC asked me if the Bryant aluminum buss could be cleaned with a wire brush. I told him no way... once the zinc coating was compromised the breakers would sit there and sizzle. He didn't believe me and had the painters clean all the LC's. You guess it... it was no time before disaster struck in virtually every apartment! I always wondered if I had told him to dope up the buss with Noalox if it would have helped... probably not.


----------

