Too good a discount?

March 16, 2009 9:06 PM

Construction electrical: why is this service panel on sale at more than an 80% discount?

Elsewhere it indicates the original price to be around US$1500 but the current price is almost down to $200. There are several other panel boards marked as "clearance" on the Grainger Industrial web site that have similar massive discounts to their prices, yet there are also many non-sale ones that are near the original price - the original price being what several books have lead me to expect as standard pricing.

I'm not considering buying it, I simply came across this in the course of research while fantasizing about building a dream house. I'm curious as to whether this is really a clearance sale of the sort a retail outfit might have or if there's a more sinister caveat emptor reason for the price, like if the panel is useless in most jurisdictions now due to a recent code change or something.

posted by XMLicious to home & garden (5 comments total)

I suspect it's because new construction starts have dropped so quickly that they've got a huge pile of these in warehouses that they need to clear out.
posted by zippy at 9:11 PM on March 16

That's a good theory - it had occurred to me but the fact that the prices on the other ones hasn't changed made me dismiss it at first. But I guess it would make sense that they wouldn't want to put all service panels on sale to clear out the warehouses, maybe to avoid affecting the market price for them?
posted by XMLicious at 9:20 PM on March 16

Apparently it's a discontinued model:

Please be advised that Square D is discontinuing the type NQOD panelboard. The new panelboard will be Square D’s type NQ.

The type NQ panelboard is functionally interchangeable with NQOD and will use all of the same branch circuit breakers. The most significant change in the new type NQ panelboard is the number of pole spaces available on the 100 amp single phase and the 100 amp 3 phase panelboards. Square D is offering only 18 circuits and 30 circuits in the 100 amp configuration of the NQ panelboard.

posted by Knappster at 10:50 PM on March 16

Just making sure you are aware this panel does NOT have a spot for a main breaker, so you'd need to have that in a separate box to be able to use this.
posted by FishBike at 5:52 AM on March 17

#1 I don't see a slot for a main breaker.
#2 I don't think it has spacing for 30 breakers.
#3 If you ever think you're getting 80%off at WWG, DOUBLE CHECK. They are a house of convenience.
#4 As a purchasing agent who was in electrical sales for 20 years, I can get anything WWG sells (other than Dayton products) way cheaper from other vendors.
#5 I called call NULITE @ 504-733-3300 @ for a NQ load center, I called and they offered me 30 ckt, no main, fluch fron door and it does include the copper ground bar, all for 145.00 in stock. It will accept the bolt on or the plug in type of breaker.

Grainger is the Shamrock/StarvinMarvin/insert your fav convenience store name here, of the industrial world.

Good luck.
posted by winks007 at 11:35 AM on March 17