Hello all.

The main breaker in my panel has started to make noises that its not supposed to make and lights are starking to flicker on multiple circuits all on one leg. This leads me to believe that my main breaker is failing. I'm linking to a couple of pictures which show the breaker itself along with the label from the panel.

Can someone help me identify a non-obsolete model of 200 amp main breaker to replace the oem one that's in the panel?

A link to one on Amazon would be a plus. I want make sure I get the correct one before I pull the old one for fear that I won't be able to reinstall it for some reason or that it will fail completely when I pull it. Hopefully the bus won't be ruined when I do pull the breaker.

Thanks in advance.
Todd

https://goo.gl/photos/CoHAs6DiX1fuTdC69

https://goo.gl/photos/ZBg8WyRvdeFxRRfu8

 

I'm pretty sure that's a Murray MD2200A. Your best bet is going to be either eBay, a breaker reconditioning company or a scrap electrical equipment dealer if you're near a large-ish city which may have one.

 

If you do not have another breaker ahead of this panel this may not be a DIY job. The meter will have to be pulled by certified personnel or disconnected at the pole. Best to have an electrician do this.

 

The meter will be pulled by the power company before I replace the breaker.

 

Your problem may be where the main breaker attaches to the breaker buss bars.

I agree it would be a good idea to have a new breaker but on the other hand if the panel is shot.

 

Yep. Starting to think I may just bite the bullet and replace the panel. Sigh.

 

For some reason I couldn't see the pictures, but replies by others tell me everything I need to know. That breaker plugs onto the aluminum bus and that connection is frequently the problem with this style main breaker. You can still buy a suitable replacement breaker from a Murray or Siemens distrubutor, but is it really worth it to stick that much money into an old obsolete panel?

 

Thanks CasualJoe. We aren't married are we? Those are the exact same words my wife used and that's what I'm gonna do. Thanks everyone.