Several breakers are available for you to choose which are compatible with the Cutler-Hammer panel. There are low voltage, medium voltage, high voltage, thermal voltage, and magnetic circuit breakers.
Scroll down to find everything you want to know about breakers and cutler hammer panels.
What breakers are compatible with Cutler hammer panels?
Cutler-Hammer has been a part of Eaton Group Since 1978. Predominantly as both the panels and breakers are from the same Company. The most compatible breakers are Eaton breakers. Moreover, you can use other breakers such as Square D Breakers, Westinghouse Breakers, Cutler hammer breakers, etc.
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Generally, the compatibility mainly depends on whether the panel is suitable for several breakers and can those breakers fit in them or not. The high-end residential usage panels are the Cutler hammer CH series, and the BR series panels are also considered to be sound systems.
The good thing about the Cutler-Hammer panel is that this brand is the only brand with a tan coating and the best combination of both copper and silver. Which made these panels stand firm against any sort of heating issues.
Cutler hammer panels can be mounted in the family room or the basement area. However, the Cutler-Hammer is owned by Eaton, so both the Cutler and Eaton breakers are highly compatible with this panel.
As mentioned earlier, both Eaton and Cutler breakers are compatible with each other’s electric panel as the manufacturer for both the Company is the same. Also, Westinghouse, Square D is owned by the same owner as cutler hammer.
So, these four brands’ products are interchangeable.
If you have any doubt about the product’s warranty or version compatibility, it would be better to contact the manufacturer for further information before installation.
Are these breakers compatible with Cutler hammer panels?
Several compatible breakers are available in retail stores. The compatibility of the standard breakers found in stores with cutler hammer panels is discussed below.
Eaton breakers:
Cutler-Hammer panels are highly compatible with Eaton Breakers as Eaton is the manufacturing brand of Cutler-Hammer. Cutler hammer is owned by Eaton Corp. So, Eaton Breakers can be used simply in Cutler-Hammer Panels.
Siemens breakers:
Siemens breakers can be used in a cutler hammer panel only if the cutler hammer panelboard is designed using the way of Bryant electric, BR.
On the other hand, in CH panels, you cannot use other breakers rather than Cutler-Hammer or the associated brands such as Eaton, Westinghouse, and Square D.
Square D breakers:
Square D and Cutler hammer are manufactured under the same brand, The Eaton Corp. You can use square D breakers in the Cutler-Hammer panel. Here, the cutler hammer CH series is as good as Square D’s QD series.
On the other hand, the BR series of Cutler hammer is like Square D’s HOM series. Square D is also a product of Eaton Corp. So, these two breakers can be used interchangeably.
GE breakers:
The CH series is more conservative in the cutler hammer, as they can only fit the cutler hammer breakers. In the BR series, other breakers can be fit if listed.
So, GE breakers do not certainly fit in cutler hammer panels, but they will work only if the breakers are listed for the panelboard.
Westinghouse breakers:
Westinghouse is also a sub-brand of Eaton Corp. That means Westinghouse is also manufactured under the same brand but in a different name. Westinghouse breakers are entirely compatible with the Cutler hammer panel.
Bryant breakers:
Bryant used to be a sub-brand for Westinghouse. And Westinghouse is now a sub-brand for Eaton Corp. Cutler-Hammer is also a sub-brand of Eaton. So, these are some of the brands which work under the same hood.
Bryant breakers can easily be used forCutler-Hammer that is, Bryant breakers are compatible with the Cutler-Hammer.
Murray breakers:
Murray breakers are compatible with cutler hammer panelboards. Also, Murray Breakers are physically interchangeable with cutler hammer breakers. This means Murray breakers can be fit inside of the Cutler-Hammer panelboard.
How do you know if a breaker is compatible with the Cutler hammer panel?
It is hard to memorize the compatibility of all the breakers out there. Breakers have more or less the same design, so it gets even more frustrating to identify compatible parts.
Here are some of the factors you can follow to check a breaker’s compatibility with a cutler hammer panel.
The brand is the first thing you need to see:
When replacing a new breaker with the old one, you should make sure that you pick the right brand for the right panel. There are several brands for the Cutler-Hammer, which are the same product but in a different name.
If several options are available, it would be best to choose the product as the panelboard’s requirements or brand.
But you will have the best outcome if you can use cutler hammer circuit breakers with the cutler hammer electric panelboard.
Fit or Not:
If you brought any circuit breaker, you must see if the breaker can be fitted inside of the panel or not. After choosing the same brand’s product, it is one of the most essential requirements.
There are several models for different types of circuit breakers. And not all the breakers are the same sized and for the same functions. If the size is not perfect, then the circuit breaker will not fit inside of the panel.
On the other hand, if the circuit breaker is functional only in low voltage, the circuit may not be functional for high or medium voltage.
So, both the functionality and size matter. Because one brand can manufacture similar types of different products.
Listed Company can be installed:
For the BR series, Cutler-Hammer can install different brands breakers. However, for the CH series, only Cutler Hammer breakers are compatible. Here, some of the brands are listed with the panelboard that can be used as well.
For example, you can use Westinghouse breakers in Cutler-Hammer breakers. On the other hand, you cannot use siemens breakers that cannot be used efficiently in cutler hammers.
See If the circuit breakers are interchangeable or not:
Before purchasing, see if the breakers are interchangeable with other breakers. For Cutler-Hammer breakers, you can interchange them with three different brands: Eaton Breakers, Westinghouse Breakers, and Square D Breakers.
Are all cutler hammer breakers interchangeable?
No, all cutler hammer breakers are not interchangeable. However, you can use some of the cutler hammer breakers interchangeably.
Some brands under the Eaton Corp. can be interchangeable with cutler hammer breakers. These brands are Eaton corp., Westinghouse electric corporation, Square D Company. The mentioned brands are directly manufactured under the same parent brand.
Also, Bryant Breakers is a sub-brand of Eaton Group, and Murray Breakers are also highly compatible with cutler hammer breakers.
The different brand comes with a different name but with the same functionality. Here Cutler-Hammer’s CH series is the same way as Square D’s HOM series. However, cutler hammer breakers can be replaced by mentioned brands.
Are cutler hammer and Eaton breakers the same?
Yes, Cutler hammer was owned by Eaton back in 1978. Since then, Eaton corporation has been manufacturing Cutler Hammers. So, Eaton and Cutler-Hammer are the same brands. The only difference between them is the name.
Eaton is the mother company of all the sub-companies such as Square D, Cutler-Hammer, and Westinghouse. So, these brands are the same as each other.
That’s why cutler hammer can easily be interchanged with Eaton breakers. Also, Eaton breakers can be used in cutler hammer panelboards.
Are cutler hammer panels safe?
Yes, cutler hammer panels are safe to use in most cases. However, some of the old-designed cutler hammer panelboards can be found in relatively older houses. One of them is called Challenger, which was manufactured under the name of Cutler hammer company back in 1988.
The decades-old cutler hammer panels are not as good as well-manufactured panels that nowadays maintain all the safety measures. They can easily cause electrical mishaps.
Identify older Cutler Hammer Panels for your safety and replace them with safe and advanced new cutler hammer panels. Contact a professional when indulging with unknown electrical components.
Final thoughts
Cutler-Hammer is one of the oldest players in the industry as cutler hammer is a sub-brand of Eaton group. Almost all types of breakers from the Eaton company are highly compatible with the Cutler-Hammer. Moreover, some listed brands can also be used in the Cutler-Hammer panel.