Anyone have experience with Leviton load centers

[John Frum]

Square D QO panels are unavailble from the big orange box store at the moment.
So I looked around and these look pretty neat, at least to me.

https://images.homedepot.ca/pdf/Load-Center_Sell-Sheet%20EN-pdf.pdf

What is your impression/experience of these load centers?

 

[400bird]

A 20-amp single pole breaker is $52
The square D is $6

I'd order a panel from Home Depot online and wait the week it will take to ship to the store or my house.

 

[BentleyJ]

The Leviton panel is can perform power monitoring and load control with remote trip breakers and its all integrated into an app but its expensive. Alternatively, for power monitoring you can get an Emporia Gen 2 system with 2 mains +16 branch CT's for under $200. So unless you need to control a bunch of RT breakers and like electronic gadgets, its not worth the price.

 

[John Frum]

A 20-amp single pole breaker is $52
The square D is $6

I'd order a panel from Home Depot online and wait the week it will take to ship to the store or my house.

Strange...
I just checked and this is what I found.
Prices are from home depot Canada in CAD.
Leviton 1-Pole 20A, Hydraulic-magnetic trip, $11.03 / each
Leviton 1-Pole 20A, Thermal Magnetic trip, $12.28 / each
Square D Single Pole 20 Amp, ? trip, $16.58 / each

 

[400bird]

I guess I assumed that because you were looking at the "smart" load center you'd need their smart breakers to match. The smart breakers are in stock.

Also, the Home Depot filters are terrible. The $10 standard breaker doesn't show when filtered by brand. Also, none in stock locally.

The cost of the breakers was my only input, so I stand corrected. I've no actual experience to offer.

 

[Supervstech]

I have installed a few, they are a cool panel. I like the wiring all goes in the rails, nothing is attached to the breakers.
The smart features and the indications of tripped, off and on are nice.
Not sure he all white design was a wise one…

 

[John Frum]

I have installed a few, they are a cool panel. I like the wiring all goes in the rails, nothing is attached to the breakers.
The smart features and the indications of tripped, off and on are nice.
Not sure he all white design was a wise one…

Do you know if the smart breakers can be made not to phone home or attach to a random endpoint?
I believe there is no non-smart version of some of the combo gfci/afci breakers.

 

[John Frum]

I guess I assumed that because you were looking at the "smart" load center you'd need their smart breakers to match.

I should have mentioned that the "smart" functionality is something I want to avoid.
I like the fact that the wiring doesn't terminate on the breakers.
Also the panel has little "anchors" for wire ties.

 

[Hedges]

Leviton has always been the brand of outlets and switches, but I'm getting the impression (could be wrong) they've become cheaper in construction. Lowes did have an assortment of many different grades, and I try to select the higher end ones with nicer screw terminals.

A breaker panel is practically a lifetime commitment. I used Square D QO for everything.
Home Depo and Lowes seem to have dropped the 125A line, even from on-line ordering. They have the lower amperage (aluminum bus) and higher amperage.
The old models have been replaced with plug-on neutral, to support requirement of arc-fault for virtually all circuits. And then a million units were recalled due to improperly torque connection. That may explain unavailability.
I've been buying them through eBay. Think I paid $95 delivered, with Home Depo $39.95 price tag still on the box for 125A, 12 slot 24 circuit.

Product Safety Alert: QO™ Plug-on-Neutral Load Centers

Product safety alert and information for QO™ Plug-on-Neutral Load Centers.

www.se.com

I want to get instructions and inspect/fix it myself, not have them send a contractor to retorque the screw (I have one.)

 

[Hedges]

For a PV/battery system, "smart" could be useful.
For a dumber version of smart, I presently have one relay wired to inverter which sheds all loads at 70% DoD. Plan for one more level of shedding for loads like dryer, water heater, A/C at higher state of charge.
Managing a variety of loads based on available PV, power in battery, and conditions anticipated in the coming days and hours could be quite useful. Some people have systems where weather forecast is used to better plan charging/discharging.