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I'm in the planning stages of a new workshop/shed build. I plan to run a 60A ciruit from the main panel in the house to a subpanel in the shed.

I recently picked up a used Challenger QM322200 200A breaker panel with about a dozen circuit breakers for a song. Can I use this panel as is, with the stock 200A main breaker as a master shut-off? (I'd relabel the panel as 60A).

If no, where can I find a 60A main breaker to swap into the panel?

Thanks for your help.

This is the label on the panel:

enter image description here

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  • Harper or one of the other pros will provide more detail, but there are apparently problems with some Challenger breakers. So it may have been cheap because it was somebody's extra, or it may have been cheap because it was junk. List the type of breakers or post a picture and I'm sure the pros can let you know. As far as 200A vs. 60A, assuming there is a 60A breaker in the main panel for the feed to the subpanel, then you can have any size subpanel because the main breaker is a shutoff switch and not needed as an actual safety breaker.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Mar 19, 2019 at 22:01
  • The panel was a working pull from a renovation - they homeowner upgraded the panel for more circuits. As far as I know, there is no problem with the panel as such. It's not the newest tech, but it all seems solid enough. The panel uses bolt-on BQL type breakers.
    – Charles L
    Mar 19, 2019 at 22:11
  • Also keep in mind that since you are doing new work, you may need to have AFCI and/or GFCI protection for various circuits.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Mar 19, 2019 at 22:13
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    Yep - If I need to buy a few new breakers, that's fine.
    – Charles L
    Mar 19, 2019 at 22:21
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    @manassehkatz On panels and breakers, ThreePhaseEel is the expert, and just knows this stuff, or has access to all the right resources. Anything I know I learned from TPE.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Mar 20, 2019 at 0:43

2 Answers 2

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You can use the 200 amp main as a disconnect it is fine since you will be using a 60 amp breaker in the main panel the wire needs to be sized for 60 amps. As long as the panel is as large as the service panel breaker or larger it would be code compliant.

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Go for it

Your panel is fine; Eaton still supports it with new-build type BQL breakers, and a bolt-on panel, provided the screws are torqued in properly, is fine on the breaker-to-busbar front as well. The 200A main breaker simply is a shutoff switch, so it's fine as well; there is no need to relabel this panel as a 60A panel just because it's being fed from a 60A feeder.

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