Shoutout to the old pushmatic breaker that finally quit on me

I was doing a panel swap in a 1970s house in Tacoma last week when one of the old pushmatics just stopped clicking. It was on a 20 amp kitchen circuit, and the handle felt loose. I tried resetting it three times, but it wouldn't hold. Ended up having to replace the whole panel a day earlier than planned because we couldn't find a direct replacement. Anyone else run into these lately and have a good source for parts, or is it always a full swap now?

4 comments

4 Comments

jamiehayes1mo ago

Those old pushmatics are actually pretty reliable if you know how to work with them. You can still find parts if you look in the right places, and a full panel swap is often overkill.

rose_clark811mo ago

My neighbor's pushmatic panel, @jamiehayes, is a fire waiting to happen.

craig.parker1mo ago

My uncle had a Pushmatic in his old house for forty years without a single issue. The breakers do wear out over time though, and finding a good used one at a salvage yard is getting harder. I agree a full swap is a big job, but sometimes those old connections just get too brittle to trust. It really comes down to how well it's been cared for over the decades.

milesbarnes9d ago

I saw a study from the Electrical Safety Foundation that said aging wiring is a real concern. @jamiehayes is right about parts being out there, but that study made me think twice.