What does QO stand for?


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Old 02-21-11, 12:31 PM
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What does QO stand for?

What does QO stand for? I've wondered this for years.
 
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Old 02-21-11, 12:55 PM
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QO series of products from square D. Means Qwik-Open protection. The trip reaction is within 1/60th of a second.

Mike NJ
 
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Old 02-21-11, 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by lawrosa
QO series of products from square D. Means Qwik-Open protection. The trip reaction is within 1/60th of a second.

Mike NJ
The QO is a quality product, but today I think of it more like "Quik-Open" your wallet! QO used to always be a little more expensive, but today they are closer to 3 X most other brands. I don't think the quality is that much better than their competition.
 
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Old 02-21-11, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by CasualJoe
The QO is a quality product, but today I think of it more like "Quik-Open" your wallet! QO used to always be a little more expensive, but today they are closer to 3 X most other brands. I don't think the quality is that much better than their competition.
I just bought a small panel, and standard breakers are not that much more than the others. Gfci's otoh, WOW!
 
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Old 02-21-11, 07:26 PM
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They make a Homeline series that is less expensive I think. I dont know if you can mix and match. I think the load centers are different.

Not sure. The pros would know.

Mike NJ
 
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Old 02-21-11, 07:56 PM
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You cant mix and match Homeline and QO.
 
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Old 02-26-11, 01:10 AM
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The QO seriés are 3/4 inch wide while the Homeline seriés is a full inch wide so they are not interchangeable so keep that in your mind.

It the same thing with couple other breaker manufacters as well they do make 3/4 inch and full inch verison but I know other manufacter do make skinny half inch single pole and one inch two pole breakers { not my favour items ugh.,, will discuss that other time }

Merci.
Marc
 
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Old 02-26-11, 08:55 AM
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QO's are double the price of HOMELINE, although they have the same guts.
 
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Old 02-26-11, 10:04 PM
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Do you have any data to support the assertation that QO and Homeline are the same? All of the literature put out by Square D (such as the obviously different trip curves) supports that they are completely different product lines.
 
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Old 02-27-11, 04:59 AM
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I've actually heard that somewhere.
 
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Old 02-27-11, 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by ibpooks
Do you have any data to support the assertation that QO and Homeline are the same? All of the literature put out by Square D (such as the obviously different trip curves) supports that they are completely different product lines.
I actually had a Square D rep tell me they were the same too (about the time Homeline was brought out), but considering the price difference, I don't see how they could be. If the trip curves are different, they would definitely not be the same inside the molded cases. Homeline was first brought out to be a competitive line for the residential market. It's not likely they would repackage a premium product and sell it so much cheaper.
 
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Old 02-27-11, 04:36 PM
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Almost every house in my area has QO, so I do not know why sqd needed to start homeline.
 
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Old 02-27-11, 10:01 PM
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I have actually heard and see the guts between the HOMELINE seriés et QO seriés and I did took one each apart myself and both have same guts however there is couple diffrence between the two one is the handle design and the indentaction window with orange flag but everything else is the same but the mounting bracket is different as well.

The HOMELINE seriés did show up not too long after failed Trinait seriés breaker plus load centre { they are pretty unuseal design IMO I like it but not too many electricians like it for some reason some claim it too " European " style.

Merci.
Marc
 
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Old 02-28-11, 05:37 PM
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The HOMELINE seriés did show up not too long after failed Trinait seriés breaker plus load centre { they are pretty unuseal design IMO I like it but not too many electricians like it for some reason some claim it too " European " style.
could you post a pic of that?
 
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Old 02-28-11, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Justin Smith
Almost every house in my area has QO, so I do not know why sqd needed to start homeline.
That's simple, to be competitive. 30 years ago QO series panels and breakers were just a little more expensive than the competition, but today QO products are a lot more expensive. I think it was the late '80s when Schneider Electric bought Square D and brought out the Homeline series as a competitive residential line. Today's residential market is cutthroat and bids are awarded on the basis of nickels and dimes difference in bids. It's hard to be a low bidder when your service equipment is at least twice the price of your competitor. You can talk about quality all you want, but it's a hard to argument to make when even the aluminum bus cheapy panel meets code and is also U.L. Listed.
 
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Old 02-28-11, 05:52 PM
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You can talk about quality all you want, but it's a hard to argument to make when even the aluminum bus cheapy panel meets code and is also U.L. Listed.
Didn't good old Zinsco use an aluminum bus?
 
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Old 02-28-11, 06:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Justin Smith
Didn't good old Zinsco use an aluminum bus?
Yes, and so did good old Arrow-Hart Murray, Crouse-Hinds, Bryant, General Switch, Sylvania (Challenger), Westinghouse, Sears Roebuck and many others. Even today, you can get aluminum bus in Siemens, GE and Cutler-Hammer BR unless you pay a little more for their copper bus. Homeline is the only current residential single phase panel I am aware of that does not offer optional copper bus. If you want Square D copper bus, you buy QO series.
 
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Old 03-01-11, 08:23 AM
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To be fair modern panels have hardened aluminum alloy buses with tin or silver alloy plating to prevent corrosion, so the "aluminum bus" of today is much different than the one of Zinsco era which was almost pure aluminum with little metallurgical treatment. It is really more appropriate to consider them completely different materials even though the primary component in each is aluminum.
 
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Old 03-01-11, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by ibpooks
To be fair modern panels have hardened aluminum alloy buses with tin or silver alloy plating to prevent corrosion, so the "aluminum bus" of today is much different than the one of Zinsco era which was almost pure aluminum with little metallurgical treatment. It is really more appropriate to consider them completely different materials even though the primary component in each is aluminum.
I don't really know if Zinsco had any plating on their bus or not, but today's aluminum bus and Cu/Al rated aluminum lugs are all tin plated as far as I know. Also to be perfectly fair, what we are referring generically to as panels are actually loadcenters that accept only plug-on style breakers. Also, as far as I know, ALL NEMA1 panelboards that accept bolt-on style breakers in this country come with standard aluminum bus (tin plated), regardless of manufacturer, including Square D, while some NEMA3R panelboards come standard with copper bus.
 

Last edited by CasualJoe; 03-01-11 at 06:18 PM.
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Old 03-01-11, 06:27 PM
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ALL NEMA1 panelboards that accept bolt-on style breakers in this country come with standard aluminum bus (tin plated), regardless of manufacturer, including Square D, while some NEMA3R panelboards come standard with copper bus.
The 3r QO panel I just bought has an aluminum bus, while the 1r siemens at my supply housed comes with an aluminum bus, with another having a copper bus, unplated.
 
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Old 03-01-11, 06:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Justin Smith
The 3r QO panel I just bought has an aluminum bus, while the 1r siemens at my supply housed comes with an aluminum bus, with another having a copper bus, unplated.
Check the Square D Digest under rainproof QO Loadcenters and you'll find a notation similar to this under each grouping of NEMA3R laodcenters.

Convertible Mains—Factory-installed Main Lugs—65 kA Short Circuit Currentefg
QOM2 Main Frame Size—Convertible to Main Circuit Breaker—Copper Bus
Your 3R QO loadcenter has tinplated copper bus. NEMA1 Siemens loadcenters are available with either aluminum or copper bus. If they have copper bus (not tin plated by the way) the catalog number on the box will end with a "C". The Square D QO and the Siemens loadcenters we are discussing use ONLY plug-on style breakers and not bolt-on style breakers. Read what you are quoting again, I had made a statement, which you quoted, about panelboards that accept bolt-on breakers.
 
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Old 03-01-11, 06:57 PM
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The 3r QO panel I just bought has an aluminum bus
Another Square D reference for you.

•Exclusive shielded copper bus features electro tin plated copper bus bars sandwiched between two rugged polymer shields to insulate and secure the interior.
QO Load Centers - Schneider Electric Schneider Products
 
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Old 03-02-11, 01:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Justin Smith
could you post a pic of that?
Sure this something it pretty rare item now I know it was made in early 1980's they only stay in the market for short while and faded out fast I do not know excat why but this style I like it but if they hang on little longer with better design it will be around.



That is one of very rare item I know not very many places still have it.

Merci.
Marc
 
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Old 03-02-11, 12:37 PM
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It does seem very euro. What does the buss look like? Is that a plastic can?
 
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Old 03-02-11, 01:40 PM
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IIRC the Trilliant did have a plastic enclosure.
 
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Old 03-02-11, 11:34 PM
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Justin.,

To answer your question.,,

1., Oui it is plastique tub set up

2., The bussbar is resversed of what normal QO bussbar is and the Trilliant breaker C clip is turned 90° around IIRC.

Few Electrical contractors like it but most don't due they are pretty much standarized with steel tub.

Most European load centres will have mixed bag of plastique or steel tubs depending on useage.

Merci.
Marc
 
 

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