Square D Plug-on-Neutral panel Recall Date: June 16, 2022
When working in a trade like home inspection you need to keep up all the time with the latest building news. Thanks to Charles Buell for bringing this to our attention.
A few days ago the Consumer Protection Safety Commission released this statement:
Square™ D QO™ Plug-on-Neutral Load Center
CPSC.org
(also known as, Load Centers, Breaker Boxes, Electrical Panels)
This equipment “can overheat, posing thermal burn and fire hazards.”
What is a Plug-on-Neutral panel?
A plug-on neutral removes the need to have a pigtail wire connecting to the neutral bar.
“The main advantage of a plug-on-neutral circuit breaker and panel over typical designs is that you save time. Instead of requiring a pigtail connection to connect your breaker to the neutral bar, it uses a clip that mounts directly to it.
That means the plug-on-neutral breaker installation could be as much as ten times faster over ordinary AFCI and GFCI breakers.
A plug-on-neutral breaker panel is also compatible with standard circuit breakers. So even if you don’t use special AFCI or GFCI breakers on all your circuits or want to reuse your old circuit breakers with pigtails, you’re free to do so.”
www.galvinpower.org
Square D has been making quality electrical equipment for decades, this is new information for me. I will always be on the lookout for these panels installed from February 2020 – January 2022. Be sure to have any suspect panel checked out by a licensed electrician.
What should you do if you have one of these electrical panels?
All purchasers and installers should immediately contact Schneider Electric to arrange to have the recalled load centers inspected by trained electricians to determine if replacement or repair is required. This inspection and any resulting replacement or repair are free of charge.
Consumers can find the catalog number and date code on indoor load centers inside the door of the panel.
