# 3 phase bolt in Siemens panel



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

I am doing a job right now that has a seaman's 3 phase bolt in panel. I need to use several single Pole and to pull GFCI breakers. Trying to find less expensive breakers then Siemens Or a less expensive supplier. My question is what other brand names bolt in style breakers will work in a seaman's panel and/or any advice on less expensive suppliers?


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

Are you an electrician? Please fill out your profile. Tnx


----------



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

Yes I'm an electrician sorry didn't fill out the profile yet will do located in Minneapolis


----------



## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

You need to match the breaker to the panel since Siemens has two types of bolt-ins. You can't sub a different manufacturer. If it's 15 or 20 amp, why not a GFCI receptacle or dead front?


----------



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

Spec for the job GFCI will be protecting the entire Circuit


----------



## 3DDesign (Oct 25, 2014)

side_job_bob said:


> I am doing a job right now that has a seaman's 3 phase bolt in panel. I need to use several single Pole and to pull GFCI breakers. Trying to find less expensive breakers then Siemens Or a less expensive supplier. My question is what other brand names bolt in style breakers will work in a seaman's panel and/or any advice on less expensive suppliers?


What's the model number of the Siemens breakers you need. I deal with one of the largest Siemens suppliers.


----------



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

Will have to get back to you my partner has a picture on his phone but isn't answering me


----------



## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

Pass the popcorn please...


----------



## cdslotz (Jun 10, 2008)

What model Siemens Panelboard is it? P1/P2/P3/P4/P5/P6/C1/C2......?


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Sad excuse for a troll.


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Fill out your profile troll.


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

side_job_bob said:


> Trying to find less expensive breakers then Siemens


You'd probably be violating the panel listing.




side_job_bob said:


> Spec for the job


This shouldn't be a surprise then.


----------



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

Decided just to bite the bullet and buy the Siemens breakers Just didn't count on $1200 worth of breakers when I did the bid


----------



## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Please take a few minutes and fill out your profile Bob.
Thanks


----------



## telsa (May 22, 2015)

NEVER quote 'weird' materials without getting supply house quotes.

Weird in this sense means anything you don't touch all the time.

LOW production run items go for INSANE mark-ups -- as they have to set the assembly line up... and all the rest... to produce VERY few units.

Meaning, that it's costing you a bundle, and yet the SH and NEMA player are actually not making that much money. (!)

You KNOW an item is 'weird' when your SH has to order it in from national distribution -- usually based in Memphis, TN, BTW. ( It's also the national hub for FedEx. )

ANYTHING that has to come from Memphis or 'the factory' is custom or semi-custom.


----------



## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

seaman's panel . . . . . . .arrrrrrr, matey.



tie im to the yardarm !


torpedoes be damned !


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

wildleg said:


> seaman's panel . . . . . . .arrrrrrr, matey.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Shiver me timbers, let's make him walk the plank! :shuriken:


----------



## Ctsparky93 (Sep 17, 2016)

side_job_bob said:


> Spec for the job GFCI will be protecting the entire Circuit



All the gfci bolt on breaker are expansive. Just remember it for future reference. Another one is square d I line panels with some of the kaic rating are stupid expansive. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

side_job_bob said:


> I am doing a job right now that has a seaman's 3 phase bolt in panel. I need to use several single Pole and to pull GFCI breakers. Trying to find less expensive breakers then Siemens Or a less expensive supplier. My question is what other brand names bolt in style breakers will work in a seaman's panel and/or any advice on less expensive suppliers?


Buy one three pole breaker, set a sub panel and then buy whatever cheap crap you want to throw in it.
Or,
Make sure it's a BLF120 and search EBay. They have plenty of them there.
Or,
Order a panelboard from a Seimens distributor full of the breakers you need. You might be surprised at how much you can save buying a panelboard and either installing it or caniblizing the breaker out of it.
Or,
Call a place like Edison Electric Surplus. Or Breaker and Controls.
Those places can be a gold mine for those kind of breakers.


----------



## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

Southeast Power said:


> Buy one three pole breaker, set a sub panel and then buy whatever cheap crap you want to throw in it.
> Or,
> Make sure it's a BLF120 and search EBay. They have plenty of them there.
> Or,
> ...


If you guys are anything like most EC's I know, we all have about 100 BL breakers laying around. I think I threw out 100 of them a couple years ago cause I had no room for them anymore. I still have 2 complete BL panels in the loft, full of breakers. Probably throw them out in a couple years also if I don't use them.


----------



## cdslotz (Jun 10, 2008)

side_job_bob said:


> Decided just to bite the bullet and buy the Siemens breakers Just didn't count on $1200 worth of breakers when I did the bid


Did you not know the brand/model and breaker type to put into your estimate?

....or did you just plug a number?


----------



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

My business partner just plug the number will you just started last year and this is our 1st kitchen


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

side_job_bob said:


> Decided just to bite the bullet and buy the Siemens breakers Just didn't count on $1200 worth of breakers when I did the bid


Amazon has 3 pole Siemens for about half price of my supplier, not counterfeit either. Unless I am ordering gear I go there first now.


----------



## side_job_bob (Nov 6, 2018)

Thanks for your prompt response everyone


----------



## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

sbrn33 said:


> Amazon has 3 pole Siemens for about half price of my supplier, not counterfeit either. Unless I am ordering gear I go there first now.



We found a couple different breaker resellers in the last couple years that have made it much more bearable when buying an otherwise expensive 3 pole breaker, one a time.


They're reasonably priced when you buy a new panel full of breakers. But then you call back to order one more, and the supply house hammers you on price. 



That's a hard sell for some customers, so that's where the breaker surplus dealer has made our job a lot easier when quoting projects adding circuits. Or replacing breakers that go bad.


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Cow said:


> We found a couple different breaker resellers in the last couple years that have made it much more bearable when buying an otherwise expensive 3 pole breaker, one a time.
> 
> 
> They're reasonably priced when you buy a new panel full of breakers. But then you call back to order one more, and the supply house hammers you on price.
> ...


I almost always order my 200 amp I lines through a broker. Sq-d just ****s you on those babys.


----------



## sparkee13 (Aug 29, 2018)

Cow said:


> We found a couple different breaker resellers in the last couple years that have made it much more bearable when buying an otherwise expensive 3 pole breaker, one a time.
> 
> 
> They're reasonably priced when you buy a new panel full of breakers. But then you call back to order one more, and the supply house hammers you on price.
> ...


We always stress to the customer how much more it'll cost them when they wake up halfway through the project about something and we have to order one or two additional breakers. That being said, our supplier will usually go back to Square D and add it on to the original quote. Not sure how that works exactly, but most of the time they are able to do that, so it doesn't end costing an insane amount. It obviously depends how much time passed since the gear was all ordered... 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


----------



## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Helmut said:


> If you guys are anything like most EC's I know, we all have about 100 BL breakers laying around. I think I threw out 100 of them a couple years ago cause I had no room for them anymore. I still have 2 complete BL panels in the loft, full of breakers. Probably throw them out in a couple years also if I don't use them.


We just got so tired of keeping breakers and have all kinds of problems with used breakers we just trash them all.
I do have a few "trophies" that were ordered by mistake that I have been keeping but, I know they will never find a home. Im in denial about them.


----------



## Kawicrash (Aug 21, 2018)

Helmut said:


> Southeast Power said:
> 
> 
> > Buy one three pole breaker, set a sub panel and then buy whatever cheap crap you want to throw in it.
> ...


 I wonder if they are BQ as opposed to BL.
The BQ's are less common and more expensive.


----------

