Old Square D panel finally let go on me last Tuesday

I was doing a service call in a house built in 1968 over in St. Charles. Everything looked fine at first but then I heard this buzzing noise coming from the main breaker. Pulled the cover and sure enough one of the bus bars was charred black. Had to swap out the whole panel right there on the spot. Cost the homeowner about 1800 bucks for a new 200 amp setup. Anyone else run into these old panels starting to fail more often lately?

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ivan8734mo ago

You know I used to think those old Square D panels were basically bulletproof. My first boss swore by them, said they'd outlast the house. But a buddy of mine had one go up in smoke last month and it totally changed my mind. The bus bars in those old units just weren't made for modern loads with all these appliances and AC units pulling more than they ever did back in the 60s. That charred spot you saw is EXACTLY what my buddy had and it scared me because it could have started a fire. Now I tell people if they're still running original gear from that era they need to start saving for a swap before it fails and leaves them in the dark. Your $1800 quote sounds about right for a proper 200 amp upgrade too.

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the_kevin4mo ago

That "go up in smoke" line really hit me, man. It's one thing to hear about old gear being outdated, but another to actually see the aftermath of a near miss like that. Glad your buddy caught it before it got worse, and I hope people take your warning seriously.

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