[justincaseme]

I'm getting ready to install a whole new electrical service in my home. I really want a 200 amp meter/load center combo panel with a copper bus, and a 200 amp subpanel with a copper bus. BUT, it's almost as if copper bus panels aren't sold in this part of the country. So far I've tried:

- Home Depot (2 stores)
- Lowe's (3 stores)
- HD Supply Repair and Remodel
- Ace
- Every electrical supplier listed in the phone book for Los Angeles and Orange counties
- Called Siemens national customer service number

Does anyone know of a supplier in LA, Orange, or Riverside, or San Bernadino counties that carry copper bus panels? Siemens would be my first choice, but GE would be nice as well since at least GE breakers are sold in the hard ware stores around here. The only lines I can ever find though are SquareD Homeline, Cutler-Hammer BR, and Murray.

Thanks!

[N0help4u]

If you can't find any at the hardware you might have to check the internet
Find Breaker Box 200 Amp and other Panel Boxes at Aubuchon Hardware

copper bus panels - Google Search

[justincaseme]

Thanks, that looks like a good site - that'll be my plan B :) It'd be great to find a local distributor though. Say I order a Siemens panel, I'd like to be able to pick up the breakers and accessories locally when I need them.

Here's a question - I hear GE makes panels with both copper and aluminum buses. Are their GE breakers interchangeable between the two types, or are they actually two separate product lines each with their own breakers?

[justincaseme]

While we're on the subject,

* Why are copper bus panels are so hard to come by in Southern California? From reading these boards, I gather that they are relatively common in the East. Is it a climate issue? Are copper buses more important in areas with wetter weather?

* What about the "Tin plated copper" buses I see advertised for the GE products? Is tin plating superior to all copper?

[N0help4u]

I think it has to do partly with making things cheaper and now with "going green".
I have had to go to old time hardware stores out in the boon docks to find stuff like that.
Lowe's and those places only sell what is currently being manufactured.

[tkrussell]

Suppliers do not stock panels with copper bus due to cost of inventory, and customers rarely want to spend more than necessary.

Most commercial and industrial customers specify copper bus, so all I do is order what I need from the distributor. Most standard items are factory stock, so, only a few days away.

The home stores may be able to order special items, not sure if this is practical, due to cost and lead time.

Tinned copper is fine, just a process to protect the copper from oxidizing.