The majority of problems can be avoided, however, by checking up on the equipment recycler in question. Quality remanufacturing takes trained technicians with good procedures, tools, and instruments. Their remanufacturing and testing standards should be written and available to the buyer on request. Beware of those who can't provide that information. Actually, rebuilt equipment may be held to stricter standards than new because each breaker reconditioned by a reliable supplier must pass strict testing procedures.
Manufacturers test only prototypes and a small sampling of each production run.
Each test is meant to detect specific faults in the breaker. For example, insulation testing uncovers cracks, burning, moisture entrapment and other faults in the casing. Contact-resistance testing verifies the quality of the contacts and the proper tensioning of the springs. Other tests ensure that the current sensing systems will operate according to the OEM's published time-current characteristic curve. At Romac, every item we remanufacture meets or beats all relevant performance and safety standards, and is backed by our warranty that matches, and often surpasses, the OEM's warranty.