Square D HomeLine 40 amps Surge 2-Pole Circuit Breaker (2023)

FAQs

What is a 40 amp 2 pole breaker used for? ›

Product Details. The Square D by Schneider Electric Homeline 40 Amp Two-Pole Circuit Breaker is used for overload and short-circuit protection of your electrical system. This breaker is compatible with Homeline load centers and CSED devices. The ANSI-certified and UL-listed unit is rated for 120/240 VAC and 10,000 AIR.

Square D Homeline breakers are compatible with Homeline breaker boxes and CSEDs. Square D QO breakers are compatible with QO breaker boxes and CSEDs.

Square-D is the gold standard of panels. I prefer the Homeline series for their quality, economy, and versatility. I'm an electrical contractor and install homeline panels often.

The recommended size wire for a 40 amp breaker is 8 AWG.

8 gauge wire is rated for 40 amps, and it can safely handle up to 50 amps.

Small appliances like a can opener or a small fan - several. An electric stove takes 40–50 amps so that would be maybe one. Same with a clothes dryer.

Eaton's UL classified breakers are designed and tested to be both mechanically and electrically interchangeable with circuit breakers manufactured by General Electric, Thomas & Betts, ITE/Siemens, Murray, Crouse-Hinds, and Square D.

Square D and Cutler-Hammer are both made by Eaton, so most Square D breakers will be interchangeable with Cutler-Hammer panels.

Siemens Type QD circuit breakers are UL classified for use in specific Square D load centers in place of Square D QO circuit breakers (see listing on back). For easy reference, a panelboard compatibility list is provided with each circuit breaker.

Obsolete Square D & Schneider Electric breakers function perfectly fine, contrary to popular belief. In fact, they are merely parts at the end of the product life cycle.

The bottom line is that both Square D and Siemens are high quality brands that manufacture safe and reliable electrical panels for residential purposes. They both offer a range of panels that meet any household needs, so if you're trying to decide between them, keep in mind that the differences are not functional.

Do Square D breakers go bad? ›

The simple answer is that, YES, circuit breakers can go bad, so your suspicions may be well-founded. Just like any other essential device in your home (e.g. your water heater, HVAC system, etc.), circuit breakers can quit working properly. That said, don't begin replacing your circuit breaker just yet.

A QO Breaker is a “Qwik-Open” breaker from Square D. They are the fastest opening breakers in the industry and will open within one complete 60 Hz power cycle (1/60th of a second). In addition, they have a visual trip indicator, making it easy to tell when it is tripped.

Square D issued a recall on June 16, 2022, for approximately 1.4 million electrical panels manufactured between February, 2020, and January, 2022. Panels recalled are the “QO Plug-On Neutral” type load centers, both the indoor and outdoor versions.

RULES OF THUMB

“Twelve-gauge wire is good for 20 amps, 10-gauge wire is good for 30 amps, 8-gauge is good for 40 amps, and 6-gauge is good for 55 amps,” and “The circuit breaker or fuse is always sized to protect the conductor [wire].”

40 AMP Wire Size

For a maximum of 40 amps, you'll need a wire gauge of 8. Many electric cooking appliances require 40 amps such as electric cooktops.

A 30-amp circuit uses wiring that can only handle 30 amps of electricity, which means anything over 30 amps flowing through that circuit will cause the wires to overheat. So, a 40-amp breaker would potentially let unsafe levels of electricity course through that circuit and never trip until the flow exceeds 40 amps.

Never EVER swap a breaker for a larger amp. Extremely dangerous and could easily burn your house down. If turning on a space heater trips the breaker, there are other things on the circuit drawing current and you will need to shut them off to run your heater on that same circuit.

40-amp 240-volt circuit: 40 amps x 240 volts = 9,600 watts.

Who makes Square D? ›

Square D™ by Schneider Electric.

They should fit the Eaton panels perfectly, with no problem whatsoever. However, it still wouldn't be a CODE-approved installation.

Square D is a trusted brand that manufactures high-quality, reliable products. They are well-known for their top-rated circuit breaker panels and safety switches. Their products are easy to use and offer quality-driven results.

Their first enclosed safety switch was introduced in 1909. Soon after their renaming to Detroit Fuse and Manufacturing, the company adopted their famous logo — a capital "letter D" for Detroit, enclosed in a square. The logo was stamped on all Square D's switches and products.

Never place a different brand circuit breaker in a circuit breaker panel of a different brand. Contrary to the belief that they are all the same and will work in any circuit breaker panel, the fact is just the opposite. Circuit breakers may actually fit, but not properly.

QT breakers will not fit in a panel designed for QP breakers. The most notable difference is where the breaker connects to the main bar. QT breakers have a much shorter height. Don't quote me, but it may be possible for a QP breaker to fit into a panel designed for QT breakers, but definitely not the other way around.

The Square D Electrical Panel Recall

The electrical panels were overheating, causing fire hazards and potential thermal burns. These electrical panels were manufactured beginning in February 2020 and until January 2022.

The Square D QO, QOT, QO-AFI, and QO-GFI are plug-on type one-, two- and three-pole thermal-magnetic circuit breakers provide overcurrent protection and switching on ac and dc systems.

Another thing to consider when working with Square D breakers is that some of these breakers can safely be double tapped. This is when one screw or terminal inside of a panel connects two conductors. Only Square D and Cutler Hammer design circuit breakers this way, but not all of their breakers look this way.

The Square D by Schneider Electric Homeline 20 Amp One-Pole Circuit Breaker is used for overload and short-circuit protection of your electrical system. This breaker is compatible with Homeline load centers and CSED devices.

Which company circuit breaker is best? ›

Siemens is one of the top electrical panel brands and many professional electricians will recommend it. The quality of the materials used, the durability and strength of the panels, but also their flexibility make them a top choice for many households.

Square D is a manufacturer that makes both QO and Homeline style circuit breakers. QP is a Siemens style circuit breaker.

The average lifespan of a circuit breaker is about 30 to 40 years. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't check your breakers every once in a while. There are several signs to watch out for that can help you get ahead of a broken or outdated circuit breaker. How do you know if a circuit breaker needs to be replaced?

Every time you turn your breaker off and on again, it sustains a little damage. Over time, that adds up, and if it becomes too damaged, it can become an electrical hazard. While you will have to flip your breaker occasionally, it is best to avoid this practice whenever you can.

Power Surges and Spikes

A common occurrence in electrical components, voltage surges and spikes often cause an electrical circuit breaker to fail.

Homeline is the "price competitive" model from SquareD, QO is the higher quality panel. The difference is probably mostly due to historical reasons given all the consolidations in the electrical manufacturing industry.

A second miniature circuit breaker line is sold under the brand name Homeline, marked "HOM". Introduced around 1988, they lack visual trip flag of the "QO" series, cost one- third to half less, and are physically not interchangeable with "QO" breakers.

B Curve means the MCB trips between 3-5 times full load current. It is mainly used in residential applications where loads are resistive e.g. lighting fixtures, domestic appliances with low surge Levels. C Curve means the MCB trips between 5-10 times full load current.

Resolution: The 40 - 125 A Homeline breaker lugs are all rated at 75 degrees C.

What are the bad breaker panels? ›

FPE and Zinsco panels are considered hazardous specifically because their breakers fail to trip as intended, or they trip and fail to disrupt the power flow as intended.

Federal Pacific panels, for example, are a well-known type of non-insurable circuit panel. Though they may function for years, they eventually start to fail, and their breakers may no longer trip properly – causing a fire hazard. The circuit could be overloaded, and the breaker would never trigger.

Reports on CPSC Notices Regarding Counterfeit Square-D Breakers. The counterfeit Square-D circuit breakers, shown here, were made in China, and were sold through Scott Electric Co. The recall notice issued by Scott was reported by the US CPSC in November 2006.

Double pole breakers are made of two single pole breakers attached with one trip mechanism. Double pole breakers protect two wires and typically supply electricity for large, 240-volt appliances, such as clothes dryers and water heaters. Ratings for double pole breakers can range from 15-200 amps.

Its not 80 amps. It's just 40 amps through 2 legs of split phase power. Each hot leg is breakered in the event of a overcurrent or short to ground or neutral.

40-amp 240-volt circuit: 40 amps x 240 volts = 9,600 watts.

Double-pole breakers: Provide 240 volts, 20-60 amps and have two hot wires that share one neutral wire.

A single pole breaker is typically used with 120-volt circuits, 15-20 amps. They are constructed with one hot wire and one neutral wire. A double pole breaker is primarily used with a 240-volt circuit, 20-60 amps and consists of two hot wires.

40 AMP Wire Size

For a maximum of 40 amps, you'll need a wire gauge of 8. Many electric cooking appliances require 40 amps such as electric cooktops.

This is acceptable. The only manufacturers that make circuit breakers that are designed to hold two conductors are Square D and Cutler-Hammer, but not all of their circuit breakers can be double-tapped.

Is using 2 20a breakers the same as 2 pole 40a? ›

Nope. It means that two 20 A breakers are ganged together to protect a circuit using two hot wires.

“Twelve-gauge wire is good for 20 amps, 10-gauge wire is good for 30 amps, 8-gauge is good for 40 amps, and 6-gauge is good for 55 amps,” and “The circuit breaker or fuse is always sized to protect the conductor [wire].”

We need to get the next size wire: #6 AWG wire. This wire has a 65A ampacity and can handle 60 amps quite easily. That's why we use #6 AWG wire for 40 amp service 100 feet away. We also use #6 AWG wire for 40 amp service 150 feet away.

According to Table 250.122, the circuit equipment grounding conductor for a 40A overcurrent device will be 10 AWG (10,380 circular mil), but the circuit equipment grounding conductor for this circuit must be increased in size by a multiplier of 1.59. Thus, you must use an 8 AWG grounding conductor (Chapter 9, Table 8).

You can safely swap in a new breaker of the same size. It's unlikely to make a difference, but it will eliminate that as a variable.

If it says 40A, then a 40amp breaker will be required, but the supply cable has to be sufficient to take that type of load. Sometimes you can get away with a smaller cable and circuit breaker, by allowing for diversity, you may get away with a 32A breaker.