StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
Hi, I'm an electrician in the Buffalo, NY area.....
I would, at a minimum, consider going to a slightly more expensive panel, such as Eaton's 'CH Line' (for the old Cutler Hammer), where the stabs are somewhat more substantial and are of copper construction.
Great advice! I have three electrical panels in our two homes and they are all Eaton's "CH" line. They are really nice with the copper bus bar and the breakers themselves seem a little more substantial. I won't buy anything else. A lot of panels are manufactured to the lowest possible price point. The cheap ones generally work fine if the installer pays attention to details but this is not a place to cut corners.
It's more important to have an experienced, non-rushed electrician than the best panel but why take chances? In this case, I suspect wall texture over-spray on the bus bar where the new circuit was added. It's very common for lazy contractors to not mask off the panels before they spray paint or texture but this has killed people. Wall texture and paint are both good insulators. A good electrician will notice this and spend the extra time to rectify the situation but most electricians don't want to spend the time.