Check If Your New Circuit Breaker Is Part of This Major Recall
Unless you recently blew a fuse and suddenly found yourself without power, you may not have spent time at the circuit breaker box in a long time. But you might want to take a look at it today to see if it’s one of the 1.4 million electric panels being recalled due to overheating. Here’s what you need to know.
Why are circuit breaker boxes being recalled?
According to a notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Schneider Electric is recalling approximately 1.4 million of its circuit breakers, also called “electrical panels” and “load centers,” because they can overheat, causing thermal burns and fire hazards. Schneider Electric has received one report of a disconnected wire so far, but no one has been hurt.
Which circuit breakers are subject to recall?
This recall includes Schneider Electric’s indoor, outdoor, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Square D QO Plug-On Neutral Load Centers. The recalled switch boxes are gray in color and come in a variety of sizes, square or rectangular. They have been installed in homes and recreational vehicles, as well as commercial establishments including restaurants, manufacturing plants and warehouses.
Switch boxes were available from February 2020 to January 2022 for prices ranging from $90 to $1,660 at home improvement and hardware stores nationwide, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards, both in stores and online.
The recall includes two groups of circuit breaker boxes. The first group was produced between February 2020 and January 2022 with date codes between 200561 and 220233. The second group was produced between December 2019 and March 2022 and includes products with the part numbers below.
The part number and date code are located inside the panel door on the installed internal load centers. It can be found on the inside of the lid or door of the unit, or on the box itself when the lid or door is open on installed external load centers.
Part Numbers/Recall Numbers:
- CQO116L100PGRB
- KO130M200PRB
- QOC30UFWG
- CQO116M100PRB
- KO140L200PGRB
- QOC30UFWGW
- CQO116M60PRB
- KO140M200PRB
- QOC30US
- CQO124L125PGRB
- KO142L225PGRB
- QOC32UF
- CQO124M100PRB
- KO142M200PRB
- QOC32UFW
- CQO140L200PGRB
- KO142M225PRB
- QOC40UF
- CQO140M200PRB
- KO1816M200PFTRB
- QOC40UFW
- NQC20FWG
- KO816L100PRB
- QOC40US
- NQC20FWGW
- QOC12UF
- QOC42UF
- NQC30FWG
- QOC12US
- QOC42UFW
- NQC30FWGW
- QOC16UF
- QOC42US
- KO112L125PGRB
- QOC16UFW
- QOC54UF
- KO112L200PGRB
- QOC16US
- QOC54UFW
- KO112M100PRB
- QOC20U100F
- QOC60UF
- KO116L125PGRB
- QOC20U100FW
- QOCMF30UC
- KO116M100PRB
- QOC20U100S
- QOCMF30UCW
- KO120M100PRB
- QOC20UFWG
- QOCMF42UC
- KO120M150PRB
- QOC20UFWGW
- QOCMF42UCW
- KO120M200PRB
- QOC24UF
- QOCMF54UC
- KO124L125PGRB
- QOC24UFW
- QOCMF54UCW
- KO124M100PRB
- QOC24US
- QOCMF60UC
- QO124M125PRB
- QOC30U125C
- QOCMF60UCW
- KO130L200PGRB
- QOC30UF
- KO130M150PRB
- QOC30UFW
What to do if your circuit breaker box has been recalled
If your circuit breaker box is subject to a Schneider Electric recall , you should contact the company immediately to arrange for it to be inspected to determine if it needs repair or replacement. The inspection, as well as any associated replacement or repair, is free of charge. This is also the case if you have purchased one of the recalled electrical panels but have not yet installed it.
You can contact Schneider Electric technical support at 888-778-2733 toll-free, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday, or through their website . In the meantime, CPSC recommends that anyone with recalled switch boxes make sure they have a working smoke alarm at home while they wait to have theirs checked, replaced, or repaired.