Challenger A1515 I want to find compatible circuit breaker for Challenger A1515. Following is the details given in the breaker. Type A1515 120/240 vAC CuAl 60/75C wire HACR type 2 Pole Unit SR 304 E 7819 - T - 9704 - 2Z

10-21-12
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Hi - I'm an electrician and can help you with this question.

It is very important to note that only those circuit breaker models listed on the electrical panel cover are permitted by electrical code to be installed in the electrical panel. Introducing any other brand or model circuit breaker voids the UL or FM listing, regardless if it fits.

This is because the manufacturer sends his product to a UL and/or FM laboratory for thorough testing and certification. The product (electrical panel in this case) is tested with all the breakers the manufacturer supplies with the panel. If the panel passes the tests, the manufacturer receives the much coveted UL and/or FM listing or mark for the panel and breakers that pass and can be marketed and sold. Only those breakers that were tested and passed in that panel and are permitted to be used in the panel and can be considered a UL and/or FM listing assembly. The code allows only those electrical products bearing this mark to be installed. So, even though each manufacturer has their individual products tested in different combinations, they can not be "mixed and matched" between different manufacturers and products not tested in that particular combination. The only the tested combinations the passed are printed on the inside of the panel cover. Mix and match results in an electrical code violation (an inspector would require the correct breaker before giving an approval) and if a fire breaks out - and it is determined that the source was this circuit breaker - most insurance companies will not pay a claim. That's a lot of risk for a $10 circuit breaker.

You should only install a circuit breaker that is listed for use in the panel you have. Check this link for a listing of C120 breakers available for purchase

Good luck!

The National Electrical Code prohibits the use of mixing circuit breaker manufacturers and circuit breaker panels by requiring all electrical equipment to be certified (UL Listed, FM, etc.). Challenger breakers are UL listed, as are Challenger panels. All the circuit breakers installed must be made by Challenger and must be approved for use in that particular panel (more on this below). Installing a different brand breaker into the panel causes the panel and the breaker to lose the UL / FM listing. The lack of a listing causes the electrical code violation. Should a fire occur, and the source is determined to be the use of a mixed manufacturer panel / circuit breaker installation, you insurance company may balk at paying a claim.

If you are unsure of the circuit breakers that are approved for use in your panel, look on the inside cover of the door. On it should be listed the manufacturer's name and all the devices that that the panel will accept. Deviating from the list will trigger the loss of listing.

A final thought: Most GFI breakers are much more expensive than a GFCI outlet. Install a standard non-GFI Challenger breaker and feed a new outlet (next to the panel) with a GFCI plug via the LINE terminals. Connect the rest of the old circuit to the outlet's LOAD terminals. The portion of the circuit that is connected to the LOAD terminals are now GFCI protected. Overloads will trip the circuit breaker as usual, but ground fault issues will trip at the outlet instead.

I hope this helps and good luck! Please rate my reply. thanks.

You can still get Challenger breakers. Here is a website that sells them...

http://www.pacificcoastbreaker.com/page.home

Turn off the main. Carefully remove the cover (held on by 4 corner screws) --- the fat wires coming in to the main will be exposed and they are very much LIVE. Remove the wire on the existing breaker by loosening the screw and pulling out the end of the wire. The end of the breaker that held the wire just pulls out. The other end of the breaker is held under a hook that will easily disengage. Replacement is reverse of removal. BE VERY CAREFUL OF THE WIRES AT THE TOP GOING TO THE MAIN. If you are not sure what the main is, or you don't know what I mean by the wires going into the main, then DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS REPAIR YOURSELF!

A Challenger 20 Amp single pole breaker shouldn't be priced much different than any other brand of breaker if you buy them online and not at Home Depot. That is if it isn't the Zinsco style like these:

According to Eaton's cross reference a BR 120 will cross with a C 120. You can find the cross reference here:
http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@ee/documents/content/1081453631966.pdf
Lowes shows the BR 120 at 3.47

They look like these:

You can only safely use breakers listed for your panel . It will depend on the style of the challenger breaker you are using. Go by the breaker number you currently have and it may cross over to a different brand with same part number . There are two basic Challenger styles. The Zinco/Westinghoue/Challenger Long skinny Like thi one.
and the Murry/Bryant style like this Siemens breaker

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You should only use breakers listed for the panel you have Look on the inside cover of the panel and see what breaker numbers are listed. Many breakers will fit, but are not listed. They are both 15A, but you didn't indicate what brand of panel they are installed in. Most likely, the GE breaker was added,

First HACR is heating, air conditioning,refrigeration. So in other words you could use it on an electric furnace or air conditioning.
IS this the main breaker for the panel? or for and electric furnace. I'm assuming its for the furnace, perhaps back up heat for heat pump. See if there is another disconenct on the furnace, turn it off and see if the breaker resets. IF so you have a short or overload in the furnace.
If' it IS the main for the panel, turn off all the other breakers in the panel, and try to reset the breaker. If that works, turn the other breakers back on one at a time. IF it "POPS" then it is tripping. Don't keep resetting, find the problem.

If this is a regular household breaker box then the breaker should work on either side.