Square D QO Panel Recall
Some people have heard there is a Square D QO panel recall. These are good panels. I specify and provide them for clients all the time.
I have gone to the Schneider Electric (Square D) website and found the recall is based upon "The wire binding screw within the lug body could potentially not be torqued properly to the Plug-on-Neutral bar."
I don't believe I can drop a picture here. Go to my website and I will post an image there. Kingrexelectric.com. There are 2. One on each side of the panel.
Use a T20 Torx wrench and check the screw is tight. In the next day or so I will get the actual torque.
I assume most people won’t have a calibrated torque wrench. Try and turn the screw with a hand driver such as in the image. If it feels tight and won’t move it is fine. If it starts to screw in, continue until it lands tight, and then use firm force to set it in place. I use 2 hands and nudge it tight.
This is a very safe panel. It is one of the best affordable panels for audiophile to use. Especially when the ground and neutral is changed to copper. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Rex
Kingrex Electric
Many states and municipalities allow a home owner to pull a permit and perform electrical installations on their own. It is reasonable to assume many will check the screw on their own. The information I am trying to provide will help a homeowner and contractor. A senior engineer at SqD is having to ask around the company to know what the policies and procedures are. Nothing is published. At this point my guess is they have non. |
@kingrex said:
"Reconditioning" defined by 2020 NEC, no. Replace the interior with a new one yes. But not because of Nec 408.8 (A). Not the way I read it and the Art 100 definition of "Reconditioned" anyway... I ran across this article doing a search. Actually I found a few articles on the subject that say the same thing. National Electrical Code | Reconditioned equipment - Eaton
Maybe the lug. Agree not the neutral rail bar. If the rail is burned/damaged the interior is toast. There is no repairing it. I wonder if Schneider will pay for the labor to pull the old interior and install the new one? There will be several man hours involved. Add labor if the main breaker is in the panel. Electricians in my area cannot break the seal and pull the meter. Only the Utility Co. can pull the meter and reinstall it. Time is money... Something that has not been mentioned in this thread or in the recall bulletin, other than a possible electrical fire inside the panel enclosure, is possible damage to 120V appliances and 120V electronic devices that are connected to the side with the bad neutral connection. There will be a VD, (Voltage Drop), across an arcing loose connection. The greater the arcing the greater the VD. (Basically a resistance in series in the circuit.) As you know only the unbalanced 120V L1 and L2 to neutral loads returns on the service neutral conductor to the utility power transformer neutral leg. The above arcing loose neutral connection is basically a loose service neutral connection between L1 and L2 connected 120 volt loads. The greater the imbalance of 120V L1 and L2 connected loads, connected to the neutral bar rail, the greater the voltage differences feeding the connected loads. Usually electronic device are fed over voltage and are damaged. As I am sure you already know. Jim |
I said:
EDIT: It should read: As you know only the unbalanced 120V L1 and L2 to neutral load current returns on the service neutral conductor to the utility power transformer neutral leg. |
