Breaker replacement

[Poldhu]

Anyone have experience replacing the 12V bluesea type breakers. I have one going bad. It looks like the only way to get one out of the panel after removing the front screws is to remove the positive bus on the backside where every breaker in a row is screwed to the bus bar which also holds the breakers in the faceplate of the panel. Almost every screw on the bar has to be removed to get one breaker out. Is that right?

Also: why does all the copper hardware have a layer of black corrosion on it? I think it might be from off-gassing of the adjacent battery bank below the panels.

[sailormed]

I agree it is a PITA to replace. Mine is blocked, 2nd from top, interior lighting. Already for several years, it is blocked in the ON position luckily. I just put a label on it, “En Panne”, = "broken". Still working after all these years

[ozsailer]

It may be easier and quicker to take the screws off the front of the panel holding all the CBs and remove all the CBS then just disconnect the faulty unit.


Ozsailer

[ItDepends]

Black corrosion on the copper is sulfide attack, and yep the batteries are the source.

[cr180]

Not easy, but I’ve been able to replace individual breakers without removing other breakers. You’ll need a stubby screw driver or better a 90 degree screw driver.

Also have found “black corrosion” to be normal for copper in salt environment. Cleans up with fine sand paper.

[Manateeman]

It’s kinda too late now but we spray the back or insides of everything when new.
Corrosion Block. BoShield Your choice but battery gas is a killer and explosive.
You can switch breakers by removing the front screws.

[Poldhu]

I agree on the battery gas being the culprit for the black deposits. It now reminds me of some the the consulting we did in the past regarding defective Chinese drywall recalls. The defective drywall was off gassing sulfur gas. When we inspected the houses much of the copper piping was black as was much of the home electronics.

[Weatherbird]

The one I just worked on required removing the bar but it was slotted so that you could slide the bar out without removing the screws.

[phorvati]

Paneltronix panel is much easier. Be very carefull. Especially if you have AC mains breakers as well. Yesterday I found out an old 20A 12v breaker was dropping 1/2volt. Thats a lot. So test them for voltage drop at load bc they go bad in various ways. Including weld closed(always ON).