Did you see the latest electrical recall headline? Schneider Electric™ Recalls 1.4 Million Electrical Panels Due to Thermal Burn and Fire Hazards

That is a lot of electrical panels. The long standing recall for unsafe panels dealt with Federal Pacific Stab-lok Breakers. Now the new recall involves “Square D” breakers and panels manufactured by Schneider Electric.

The hazard is described as: The load center can overheat, posing thermal burn and fire hazards. Specifically:

The issue detected is a loose neutral screw connection within the QO Plug-On Neutral Load Center.

The recall affects Square D QO Plug-on neutral load centers, commonly called breaker boxes or electrical panels, that might have been installed in homes, recreational vehicles, or commercial structures such as restaurants, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, commercial lighting, and others.

The affected products were manufactured between February 2020 and January 2022, with date codes between 200561 and 220233. Circuit breaker boxes and covers manufactured between December 2019 and March 2022 are also included in the recall.

The recall notice provides advice on how to read the date codes:

For installed outdoor load centers, the manufacturing date codes are printed on the inside of the cover or door of the unit or on the box itself when the cover or door is open.
For installed indoor load centers, a qualified electrician can locate the interior date codes that are not visible to the home owner.

If you think you have one of these panels installed in your home, call a certified electrician to not only determine if you have one of these panels, but can replace any needed faulty components with ones that do not pose a hazard to your home.

For more information click on the link below:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Schneider-ElectricTM-Recalls-1-4-Million-Electrical-Panels-Due-to-Thermal-Burn-and-Fire-Hazards