Question for the electrical experts. An electrician is telling me that my electrical panels need to be replaced and breakers due to age. House built in 97. One panel has some rust (small amt) and others just have slight discoloration. The units also have surge protector devices attached, but they only handle the low surges, not spikes.

Am I being conned? These are good panels, not FPE or Zinsco. Do they really need to be replaced, and do the breakers ever get too old to function.

What NE said.

It was just something an electrician saw while checking out the house. Although there was one breaker with GFI built in that failed to trip that I'm replacing.

I was just worried about that future appliance getting zapped. Or the faulty breaker that let the house burn down.

I have another electrician I'm going to have come take a look. But either way, it's nothing that has to be done today.

I typically swap them out if they are still working alright when they 40-50 years old.

I replaced a panel a couple years ago that was put into service in 2001. The main had fused to the copper below it.

Turns out the tenant had been disconnected so many times the breaker was like a switch.

Replaced a breaker only to have it burn thru a few months later.

Then I paid more attention and saw the problem.

Tenant is long gone and the new one has not had a disconnect.

Unless he gives you a good reason I would shine him on. Get a second opinion and remember what each one said.

Thanks. Jason, a money grab was my thought exactly. I'm not seeing any issues, no tripping, etc except from the arc fault gfi test fail so that one needs to go, and my panels are in the attic against a wall, with some form of surge protector wired to each panel. Plus I have lightening rods on roof. I don't think these things get torture tested. My other electrician has worked on that panel many times and never mentioned it. This was a new electrician company.

He could only show my one picture of corrosion on one screw.

As Vee mentioned it sounds like water somehow got into the load center (the metal box that holds the breakers) which caused some rust to form. It's actually fairly rare that this happens but occasionally it does. It happens more when the meter socket is feed by SE cable than when the service wires are in conduit.

I had one that due to a bad seal at the top of the meter socket water dripped down the entrance cable & got into the load center & caused oxidation & rust. We properly sealed the hub at the top of the meter socket and replaced the load center & breakers. Once this was done things were fine.

My house was built in 1992. No issues with the panel in the garage or sub-panel in the basement. That said, if your panel has been damaged somehow (water), it may need to be replaced. I've seen the boot around the service riser leak water, causing shorts/rust. Definitely replace and repair the leak there.

My concern here is that your guy is basing the repair on AGE of the item, not the real problem which appears to be DAMAGE. Probably the same mentality as people who say you should only charge 43% to replace if someone damages your 4-year old carpet due to depreciation. Age isn't the problem: DAMAGE is the problem.

Find someone competent who will shoot it to you straight.

Pushmatic breakers are definitely old school. Very expensive as well. My last house had 200 amp service and a whole lot of those breakers in there.

They were still in there when I sold the place. Had a couple that went south. I replaced them and no more issues.

If I had a place with them now (maybe I do?) I would leave them unless I had a big upgrade or addition planned. If they started failing I would consider replacing the entire panel.

If he disclosed they were used I see no problem.

Old doesn't mean broken. Price the new ones and maybe he was doing you a favor.

LLOTF,

Rust and discoloration on what? The cover?? Discolored due to overheating or sunlight?

Me? I'd take each breaker out and test it. Sometimes two or three will melt together and ruin the spring action but you cannot see that until you remove them.

Consider just swapping out the breakers if you feel uneasy. Handymen level but have a licensed electrician do it for liability protection)

MY 120 amp breaker panel was 65 years old and working fine. Was adding a hot tub and considering all the elec stuff we now use (pool pump, microwave, TVs, computers, printers, AC, ceiling fans, double oven, etc) so I updated to 400amp. (2 200 amp panels)

Side story: I bought the used hot tub for $500 (a steal!) and spent $4000 upgrading the electrical service to fire it up! (Code now required underground trenching from the pole to the home; just the WIRE from the breaker to the hot tub alone was $700)

Remember, a lot of tradesmen are paid on commission.

Just slight discolor from heat but the circuits aren't overloaded and we have had expansions, and had lots of mods done to it over the past 6 years (by electrician I trust but is extremely short handed) when we replaced the AC, and added two subpanels. Also the panels are inside the attic on the unfinished side of an interior wall. The attic is spray foamed on the decking. I also have surge protectors and had major work done on it when they installed a generator. No one questioned anything then either.

I think he's just going by the age of the breakers. Until they start tripping, I'm not going to bother replacing. However, I will hit the test button on the arc/gfi breakers. That's the one they found that failed.

Now that I think of it, the first tech from same company troubleshooted some outdoor lighting to the panel and never had anything negative to say.