Circuit Breakers Blog – Expert Safety and Usage Information

Breakers, an integral component to any electrical circuit, come in many types and sizes. Two common categories are the air circuit breakers, and molded case circuit breakers. Air circuit breakers are comprised of a metal frame which serves as the breaker structure. Attached to the metal frame are the various breaker current carrying and insulation components.

Molded case circuit breakers are comprised of a dielectric compound which acts as an insulation member for the current carrying components of the breaker. The dielectric compound also acts as the frame support for the breaker.

Air breakers are typically larger breakers capable of carrying more current. One advantage of molded case breakers is their lower purchase price. The breakers you find in a home electrical panel are small molded case breakers. Molded case circuit breakers can also be larger current carrying types as well. Today’s molded case breakers can go all the way up to 4000 frame amps.

To check on the lowest prices available for breakers, give us a call. Call us old fashioned, but we still have live people answering the phone. Our office hours are from 7:00am to 6:30pm CST. We are very happy to help you make you breaker problem go away.

Our engineering and technical team at MIDWEST gets very excited about breakers.  Since 1977 Midwest has been involved in breaker service, maintenance, and testing. We have built a solid reputation for friendly and knowledgeable service.  If you are in need of breaker information, or are looking for a new, surplus, used, or a reconditioned breaker, MIDWEST is the place to call.

Cutler Hammer, a venerable name in breakers, bought out the Westinghouse distribution and controls business unit in 1994. This acquisition included the Westinghouse circuit breaker division. MIDWEST carries many types of Cutler Hammer/Westinghouse breakers. A popular Cutler Hammer breaker is the KDC3250 thermal magnetic breaker. Thermal magnetic refers to the type of over current device of the breaker. The thermal element (heat) is responsible for opening the breaker under an over current (long time) condition. The magnetic part is responsible for opening the breaker in a short circuit (instantaneous) condition.

Our engineering and technical sales staff at MIDWEST gets really excited when the phone rings in anticipation of a breaker question. Our expert staff has many years of experience. They are very happy to help you solve your breaker problem.

For the complete line of Cutler Hammer circuit breakers, give us a call or visit our web site at www.swgr.com. We have a huge inventory of used breakers in stock and ready to go. While you have our representative on the line, ask about our other electrical products we handle.

MIDWEST has been in the beakers service, sales, and testing business since 1977, the same year the Yankees won the World Series pennant for the 21^st time. There is no connection between the two events that we are aware of.

MIDWEST maintains a huge inventory of breakers in stock. Whether you are looking for a new, used, or reconditioned breaker, we would be happy to help you find it.

Our office is open from 7:00am to 6:30pm CST.

If you have a circuit breaker for sale, MIDWEST is interested in buying it. We are the circuit breaker people. Since 1977 we have been in the business of testing and maintaining circuit breakers. From large medium voltage breakers, to air breakers, to molded case circuit breakers, we have an interest in looking at any circuit breaker you may have for sale.

We pay cash for your circuit breaker. Whether you have one single circuit breaker or many breakers for sale, we are the place to call for your best price and service. When you think Buy Circuit Breaker, think MIDWEST.

If necessary MIDWEST can safely remove your circuit breaker or other electrical equipment you may have from service, saving you the expense of hiring additional electrical workers. Our expert field technicians have many years of experience in the electrical equipment field. They will be able to determine for you on the spot, the specific value of each piece of your electrical equipment. Please remember MIDWEST when you search the web for Buy Circuit Breaker.

Here at MIDWEST, when we hear the words buy circuit breaker we get really excited. Whether you are interesting in buying a circuit breaker or selling a circuit breaker MIDWEST is your best source.

Click Here for Buy Circuit Breaker

While you have our representative on the phone ask him about our other electrical products we buy. We carry a complete line of power distribution equipment. Just give us a call and speak to a live person. Yes, we still answer the phone with a live body. Our office is open from 7:00am to 6:30pm CDT. Our engineers and technical sales team are looking forward to speaking with you. Give us a call.

MIDWEST has Federal Pacific Circuit Breakers. Whether you are looking for a used or reconditioned Federal Pacific Circuit Breaker, MIDWEST is confident we can provide you with the breaker you need. All it takes is a phone call for our engineering team to jump into action. They get really excited when the phone rings and it’s a call for a Federal Pacific Circuit Breaker.

Click Here for Federal Pacific Circuit Breakers

We stock many Federal Pacific Circuit Breakers in our inventory. When calling MIDWEST for a Federal Pacific Circuit Breaker, be sure to have the catalog number available. This number is the key identifier for the breaker. If the cat number is not available, (nameplates can become time-worn or faded) other nameplate data such as a serial number or style number are often enough to find out the size and type of breaker you need.

We Solve Breaker Problems

MIDWEST has served the electrical community since 1977, the very same year the first oil began to flow through the Trans Alaskan Pipeline. Our experience has been invaluable in teaching important lessons about circuit breakers and power distribution equipment. Our engineers break out the high fives when they are able to solve a customer’s breaker problem. Give us a try. Our rapid fire technical team is standing by and waiting for your phone call.

For a complete list of Federal Pacific Circuit Breakers in our inventory visit our website at www.swgr.com. Call us soon and ask about our complete line of power distribution equipment.

10. Buying used bends the time/space continuum in your favor – you can trust us on this.

9.   Buying used extends one’s longevity, since you don’t have to worry about whether the

used piece of equipment will arrive on time.

8.   Buying used decreases the planets carbon footprint (go green) as the piece of equipment has already been made and is simply being put back into service.

7.   Buying used strengthens your marriage since now you will have more money to take your

spouse out to dinner more often.

6.   Here at MIDWEST Switchgear, special equipment needs are engineered to fit the customer’s

special applications.

5.   Only the used reconditioned equipment market can fill the need for existing equipment no longer

manufactured.

4.   Quality. Used equipment at MIDWEST is reconditioned and tested before it is shipped. Test results, be they megger, contact resistance, overcurrent, winding resistance, hypotential, or MIDWEST’s live load tests, must meet national specifications before equipment goes out the door.

3.   Warranty. Depending on the specific type of equipment purchased, a typical warranty on used reconditioned equipment is one year. The same time as the manufacturer’s warranty on new equipment.

2.   Availability. Manufacturers do not keep inventories of many types of new equipment. Lead times for new equipment orders can stretch from weeks to months. Used reconditioned equipment can be in your hands as fast as shipping and preparation allow. The operative word here at MIDWEST Switchgear is fast. Our goal is to get the equipment to the customer as fast as time permits.

1.   And the number one reason to buy used − On average you can expect to save up to 75% of the

cost of new equipment.

Sometime in January of 1942, the American intelligence community broke the Japanese code enabling the United States to track what the Japanese were up to. Circuit breakers contain their own type of code also. It may not be as intriguing or as sophisticated as all that, but the circuit breaker code tells its own story. Enter the circuit breakers catalog number. This number is the ID bracelet of the circuit breaker. Take the catalog number of a Square D KAL36200. We know it’s a Square D. The “KA” represents the series of the breaker. The “L” means the breaker has lugs. The “3” indicates the number of poles. The “6” the voltage class (in this case it’s 600 volts). The “200” indicates the frame amperes. So there you have it. The anatomy of a breaker contained in one simple number.

So when you call up with questions about circuit breakers, the catalog number is the key number to know.

Since 1977 MIDWEST has been in the business of servicing circuit breakers, which coincidentally was the only year in recorded history snow fell in Miami Florida. The two events are not related. We have seen many types and sizes of circuit breakers come across our shop tables over the years, ranging from medium voltage breakers, to low voltage air breakers, to molded case circuit breakers. Our experience has taught us well. Let our expert engineers and technical team help you with your circuit breaker concerns. Our office hours are from 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM CDT. Our technical support team is standing by and ready to assist you.

General Electric Circuit Breakers offers many high quality molded case breakers for your power distribution needs. MIDWEST is your single best source for referencing a General Electric Circuit Breaker. Whether new, used, new surplus, or reconditioned we carry a huge inventory of General Electric Circuit Breakers in our warehouse. Our engineering and technical team gets really excited when the phone rings with a question about a General Electric Circuit Breaker.

Here at MIDWEST, we have been testing and maintaining breakers since 1977. You might say, we know breakers like a mother knows her baby. Along with General Electric Circuit Breaker, we offer many types and sizes of breakers in stock and ready to ship. Whatever breaker problem you may have, we are sure to solve it for you. Our complete line of breakers is online at www.swgr.com.

One quick word about our service: As part of our quality control program, all our breakers are put through a rigorous testing procedure before they are shipped to our customers. This assures our customers the high level of service they have come to know from MIDWEST.

While you have one of our people on the phone ask him about our other electrical products we carry. We handle a complete line of power distribution equipment. Just give us a call and speak to us soon. We still answer the phone with a live body. Our office is open from 7:00am to 6:30pm CDT. Our technical team looks forward to speaking with you.