1. Catalog / type number
The master key: QO, HOM, BAB, Q, QP, THQL, and hundreds more. It identifies the product family, which determines what panels the breaker fits — and QO will never fit a Homeline panel. Photograph it exactly.
IDENTIFICATION
How to Read a Breaker Label.
Catalog number, frame, poles, amperage, voltage, AIC rating — decode any breaker label in two minutes and turn a mystery box into a priced lot.
IDENTIFICATION
Every breaker tells you exactly what it is.
A circuit breaker’s label is a complete specification sheet printed on the side of the device: catalog number, frame, poles, amperage, voltage, and interrupting rating. Learn to read it once and you can identify any breaker you will ever pick up — which is the difference between selling “a box of breakers” and selling a priced, described lot.
The two-minute read
Find the catalog number (e.g. Square D QO120, Eaton BAB1020, Siemens Q120). The last digits are usually the amperage — QO120 is a 20-amp single-pole. Photograph the whole label; buyers decode the rest.
THE ANATOMY
Six things every breaker label tells you
2. Amperage
The handle rating: 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 amps and up. Usually the last two digits of the catalog number and printed large on the handle or face. The single most-quoted value in any listing.
3. Poles
Single-pole (120V), double-pole (240V), three-pole (three-phase). Count the handles or the width: a double-pole is twice as wide as a single. Three-phase breakers command the commercial market.
4. Voltage rating
120/240V, 208Y/120V, 480Y/277V, 600V — the system the breaker is rated for. Mismatched voltage is a hard stop: a 240V breaker does not go in a 480V panel, and buyers check.
5. AIC / interrupting rating
Amps Interrupting Capacity — 10kAIC, 22kAIC, 65kAIC, 100kAIC. How much fault current the breaker can safely interrupt. Higher AIC costs more new and holds more value used; it is printed on every commercial breaker label.
6. Trip characteristics
Standard thermal-magnetic, plus GFCI, AFCI, and dual-function variants for residential. HACR ratings for HVAC equipment. The extra letters in the catalog number (QO120GF, HOM120AF) are worth real money — do not lump them with standard breakers.
DECODING
Brand numbering, decoded
Each manufacturer’s catalog logic is consistent once you see it. Square D QO: QO + poles + amperage (QO120 = 1-pole 20A; QO230 = 2-pole 30A). Homeline: HOM + poles + amperage. Eaton/Cutler-Hammer: BAB (1” bolt-on), BR (plug-on), CH (3/4” plug-on). Siemens: Q, QP, QT (tandem). GE: THQL, THQP. Molded-case breakers add frame letters: E-frame, F-frame, J-frame, K-frame — the physical size class, which determines the amperage range. When in doubt, photograph the label and let the buyer decode it — but a seller who has already decoded it gets the faster, stronger offer.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The label photo that gets you paid
One sharp, straight-on photo of the full label per breaker type — not one blurry photo of a box of forty. Wipe dust off first; a soft cloth beats a thumb. If the label is on the side (molded-case breakers), photograph both sides. For a panel full of breakers, photograph the directory card, then the open panel, then close-ups of any unusual breakers. Label photos are the currency of the used electrical market — spend two minutes and get paid for it.
DEEP DIVE
Molded-case breaker catalog numbers, decoded
Commercial molded-case breakers pack more code into the catalog number. A typical number like Eaton HKD3400 breaks down as: H = 65kAIC interrupting class, K = K-frame (225A frame size), D = thermal-magnetic trip, 3 = three-pole, 400 = 400-amp trip. Square D uses similar logic (e.g. LA36400: L = interrupting class, A = frame). The suffix letters matter enormously: G often denotes ground-fault, L long-time/short-time electronic trip, M magnetic-only (motor circuit protector — no thermal element). Two breakers with the same amperage and different suffixes are different products at different prices. When photographing molded-case breakers, capture the full catalog string — it is the entire specification in one line.
QUESTIONS
Breaker label questions, answered.
What does QO120 mean?
Square D QO family, single-pole (1), 20 amps (20). QO230 would be the same family, double-pole (2), 30 amps. The pattern holds across most residential breaker numbering.
What is AIC rating?
Amps Interrupting Capacity — the maximum fault current the breaker can safely interrupt, e.g. 10kAIC or 65kAIC. Higher AIC ratings cost more new and retain more value used. It is printed on every commercial breaker.
How do I tell the amperage if the handle marking is worn?
Read the catalog number — the amperage is usually the last two digits. If the label is gone entirely, the breaker is worth far less: unidentified breakers cannot be listed or installed with confidence.
Are tandem / twin breakers worth anything?
Yes — space-saver breakers (two circuits in one space) have a steady replacement market. Note them separately; they are cataloged differently from standard breakers.
What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI breakers?
GFCI protects against ground faults (required in wet locations); AFCI protects against arc faults (required in bedrooms and living areas). Both cost multiples of a standard breaker new, and both hold that premium used.
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps to an offer.
01Send photos
Photograph the equipment, nameplates, and quantities in place, then send them through the contact form.
02Material review
We review what the equipment is, its condition and quantity, and how it grades for resale versus recovery.
03Receive an offer
For qualifying material, we discuss a direct purchase offer and the next steps.