In my DIY journey, I had experiences with various electrical panels (Square D, Cutler Hammer, GE, Siemens, Murray). Why did I purchase Square D products for my new DIY projects? Simple.
Specifically, when comparing Square D QO series vs Homelines series, QO is better because:
- Wide availability (large home improvement box stores as well as electrical contractor speciality stores)
- Tin plated one-piece copper bus (aluminum in Homeline)
- Sturdier circuit breaker mechanism (higher blowout rating, etc)
- Tight fit and finish
- Visitrip Circuit Breaker (orange bar appears when a breaker is trippedh
- Superior design (like cable channel, easy punch outs, etc.)
Just remember that parts are *NOT* interchangeable between QO and Homeline series (cannot add QO breaker into Homeline panel, etc.) but you can certainly have QO as main and Homeline as subpanel.
HighHopes
Saturday 10th of August 2013
QO is industrial/commercial grade and Homeline is residential, so no surprise that the QO panel is better constructed. What is the price difference?
kevin
Thursday 5th of September 2013
@HighHopes
Yes, QO is targeted for the commercial side. The panel itself is not much more (maybe $20), but the breakers are about $5 higher, which equates to roughly 25% premium.
Installing a new Subpanel – Part 2
Saturday 14th of July 2012
[...] panel I chose was Square D QO 100 amp Value Pack (why?). It came with main panel with 32 circuit spaces, pre-installed 100 amp breaker, and five, 20 amp [...]
Subpanel – Planning
Tuesday 24th of August 2010
[...] panel I chose was Square D QO 100 amp Value Pack (why?) (came with main panel with 32 circuit spaces, pre-installed 100 amp breaker, and five, 20 amp [...]