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How old is a Wadsworth breaker panel?
Saturday, November 7, 2020
The Wadsworth Electrical Manufacturing Company dates back to1918, and was most popular from the 1930s to 1950s. The company liquidated in 1990, but sales of their electrical equipment gradually deteriorated from the ‘70s onward, and we have not seen any Wadsworth panels installed in homes after the early-1970s. So, if you do the math, that makes most Wadsworth panels still installed at least 50 years old. Unfortunately, we know of no serial number to decode for the exact age, but you can use our article How do I determine the age of an electrical panel? to find clues that will help you get the approximate year of manufacture.
Also see our blog posts How old is a Pushmatic electrical panel? Is it safe? and Also, see our blog posts Who is the manufacturer of those "bad" electric panels? and Why are Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco electric panels a problem? and Why are Challenger electrical panels not insurable? and How old is a Walker EQ Load Center electrical panel? Is it unsafe?
Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRIC PANELS:
• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?
• What is the maximum number of circuit breakers allowed in an electric panel?
• When should a corroded or damaged electric panel cabinet or disconnect box be replaced?
• What is a tandem circuit breaker?
• When did arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers first become required?
• Can an electric panel be located in a closet?
• Can an electric panel be located in a bathroom?
• Can you add circuit breakers by different manufacturers to an electric panel if they fit?
• My circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong?
• What is a split bus electric panel?
• How do I identify a combination AFCI (CAFCI) circuit breaker?
• What does a circuit breaker with a yellow or white test button indicate?
• What are the requirements for NM-cables entering an electric panel box?
• Why is a fuse box/panel an insurance problem for homebuyers?
• Why is bundled wiring in an electric panel a defect?
• What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI circuit breakers?
• Why are old electrical components not always "grandfathered" as acceptable by home inspectors?
• What happens when you press the "TEST" button on a circuit breaker in an electric panel?
• What is a Dual Function Circuit Interrupter (DFCI)?
• What is the difference between "grounded" and "grounding" electrical conductors?
• What does it mean when a wire is "overstripped" at a circuit breaker?
Visit our ELECTRIC PANELS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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