Replace a 12VDC breaker - physical

[hpeer]

I have a 15 amp Airpax Circuit breaker in my panel that has gone bad. I have a spare replacement breaker.

BUT....I can't figure out how to get the darn thing out.

The new breaker seems to have a slot in the case on the OFF face, I presume that's to idiot prof the install, so it can't go in backwards. The old breaker is loose. I thought maybe I could tilt it and it would release but that doesn't seem to be happening. There are identical breakers on either side of it. I loosened them but no joy.

This is a standard type factory made panel. I can't recall the panel mfg. but it's a common one.

Any special tricks?

[smac999]

the normal bluesea / Carlton style breakers have 2 screws on the front of the panel. and then you'll have to remove the bus bar from the whole row of breakers in order to remove it. since they are all ganged together on one side.

the Bep panels are a little trickier as they have plastic cosmetic pieces on the front of panel that need to come off first.

not sure what you have.

[hpeer]

Found my documentation, Paneltronics.

I wrote them last night and they replied early this AM. They confirmed what you said, that you need to remove the buss bar for the entire column.

That makes it a much more complicated job as that row of 8 is right against a bulkhead when the panel is swung down, very little room for my hand let alone a screw driver.

The good (?) new is I swapped wires to a different breaker and the problem followed, so it's not the breaker.

The bad news is it seems to be something with my fridge. It's throwing a low voltage alarm. It seemed to go away if I operated the breaker a couple of times and would then operate properly for some time, maybe days. So I guessed the breaker had a high resistance contact. Apparently not.

Thanks for your info.

[DeepFrz]

hpeer, clean and check every connection in the wiring to your fridge. Low voltage alarms are quite common and occur, mostly, because of inadequate wiring. According to the refrigeration gurus on the forum the best wiring would be directly from the battery, through a fuse/breaker of course. Keep the wiring as short as possible and up-size the wires at least one size.

I hope this helps.

Perhaps this problem should be moved to a new thread on refrigeration?

[hpeer]

Thanks Deep. I'll just let this thread die here. I got my breaker answer and the low voltage problem is so intermittent I need to figure out some more before I even know what to ask.