The Dangers of Used and Refurbished Circuit Protection Devices (Circuit Breakers)

The Dangers of Used and Refurbished Circuit Breakers

As experts in electrical work and equipment, it is our duty to ensure that all of our customers walk out of the store with what best meets their needs.

We have received a worryingly high number of people looking for or inquiring about used or refurbished circuit breakers. We always end up telling people that we don’t sell used/refurbished hammers and we never will. Our focus is to serve our customers in the best way possible, and sometimes that means not allowing them to purchase harmful items.

Here are a couple of reasons why we only sell new and why you should insist on buying only new

what circuit breakers do

Before looking at why used/refurbished circuit breakers are a bad idea, it’s important to understand what circuit protection does. Our homes, commercial buildings, and factories use far less electricity than the grid can provide (because the power company created the grid to power everything at the same time), but electricity input into our homes is limited. Sometimes there are power surges and too much electricity is sent to our homes.

Without a circuit protection device, our homes will be overloaded with electricity. This can cause the wiring to catch fire and the entire house to burn down. A switch breaks the circuit when it detects too much electricity. Basically, it breaks the connection between you and the power company to keep you safe.

No warranty on used/reconditioned hammers

When you buy a new circuit protection device, you have peace of mind knowing that it will perform exactly as advertised. They are dependent and have all the correct labeling. You can tell when they were made by looking at the date of manufacture. They are also tested in a factory before they are sold to you. With used or refurbished, there is no guarantee that they will work. The labeling doesn’t matter because you don’t know how the previous owners used them.

Corrosion and water damage

A used/refurbished hammer can look perfect on the outside but be damaged on the inside. Water damage and corrosion occur over time and are common on used hammers. The worst part is that you can try an old switch and it may seem fine, but it can still fail under real conditions.

professionally made

The new circuit breakers are made by professionals and with precise machinery. No reputable electrician or technician will overhaul a circuit breaker because they know how dangerous it can be. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the used/refurbished circuit breaker you have was made by someone competent in electrical work and the construction may be substandard. Good construction is necessary for a circuit breaker to work when needed.

Unreliable sealants

When a new breaker is used, sealant is used to hold the pieces together. To remove non-functioning parts and recondition the circuit breaker, the sealant is removed and other types of sealant are used. A sealant used by a hobbyist repairing old switches is not as good as a professionally applied sealant at the factory.

Don’t risk your life using reconditioned/used hammers

The reason it’s so important to buy only new c’s is that if you don’t, you risk your own life and that of your family. A life-threatening fire can easily be caused by a faulty circuit protection device. Only use circuit breakers that you can trust with your life because that is the purpose of circuit breakers.