A used bus plug usually costs less up front, but you take on unknowns: how hard it was loaded, whether it was modified, and how much life is left in its stabs, switch and fuse clips. A new plug removes those unknowns. BRAH Electric’s fusible bus plugs are factory new, carry a 2-year warranty from the date of invoice, and are listed as direct substitutes for General Electric, Siemens / ITE, Square D and Cutler Hammer / Eaton / Westinghouse plugs in 30A, 60A and 100A.
Used vs new bus plugs at a glance
| Used bus plug | New BRAH bus plug | |
|---|---|---|
| Service history | Unknown unless the seller can document it | None. The plug is factory new |
| Stabs, switch contacts, fuse clips | Worn to an unknown degree; must be inspected | New |
| Modifications | Possible: changed lugs, added or removed neutral or ground, drilled enclosure | Built to the listed part number |
| Fit to your busway | Depends on the family and on any conversion done in the field | Listed as a direct substitute for named OEM catalog numbers |
| Warranty | Whatever the seller offers; get it in writing | 2 years from the date of invoice |
| UL status | The original label covers the plug as it left the factory | Stated per part on the product record; see the table below |
| Returns | Set by the seller | Within 30 days of shipment with an RMA, 25 to 50 percent restocking charge |
| Support | Varies | Phone support at (855) 355-2724, Monday to Friday, 6AM to 5PM Pacific |
None of this makes a used plug wrong by definition. It means the buyer does the work of proving its condition, where a new plug arrives with that question already answered.
What you cannot see on a used bus plug
Wear on a bus plug is rarely visible from the outside. The parts that fail are the ones that carry current through a pressure contact, and they tend to look acceptable until they are measured or run under load.
- Stabs. The spring fingers that grip the bus bars lose tension with heat and with repeated insertion. A stab that has run hot may be discolored or pitted, or may have been cleaned up before sale.
- Switch contacts. The internal switch may have been opened under load many times. Contact wear is hidden inside the mechanism.
- Fuse clips. Clips that have overheated lose their grip on the fuse, and a loose clip heats further.
- Insulation. Stab insulators and barriers can crack or track after years of heat, dust and moisture.
- Field changes. A plug may have had a neutral or ground added or removed, lugs changed, or been converted from one busway family to another. The label then no longer describes what is in the can.
- Missing hardware. Door latches, handles, mounting clips and covers go missing in storage and are easy to overlook in a photo.
How to inspect a used bus plug before it goes on the busway
If you do buy used, or you are putting a plug from your own stores back into service, have a qualified person examine it on the bench first. Maintenance standards such as NFPA 70B describe inspection and testing of electrical equipment, and OSHA 1910.303 sets out the points on which the safety of electric equipment is to be examined.
- Check the nameplate against the busway family, amperage, voltage, wires and ground you need. Reject a plug with a missing or unreadable label unless its identity can be proven another way.
- Look for signs of heat: discolored copper, darkened or brittle insulation, melted plastic, soot inside the enclosure.
- Examine every stab for pitting, bent fingers and loss of spring tension.
- Operate the handle several times. The switch should open and close positively, and the door interlock should work.
- Check each fuse clip for tension and burn marks, and each lug for damaged threads.
- Confirm that the neutral and ground parts match what the label says, and that nothing has been added or drilled.
- Have insulation resistance and contact condition tested by someone equipped to do it, and keep the results.
A plug that fails any of these checks can sometimes be repaired with new parts, which is covered below. Ask the seller of a reconditioned plug what was replaced and who did the work. Recent editions of the National Electrical Code address reconditioned equipment, and your authority having jurisdiction decides what is acceptable on your site.
What a new BRAH bus plug comes with
BRAH Electric designs its bus plugs in-house and tests them at its facility in Carlsbad, California. The fusible bus plugs listing has 504 parts across 11 busway families, all 3-phase, in 30A, 60A and 100A and in 240V and 600V versions. Each part is sold new and is listed against the OEM catalog numbers it substitutes for. BRAH is an aftermarket manufacturer and is not an authorized distributor of the OEM brands.
UL status is given part by part. The four series in this table are the ones whose records describe each plug as a UL Listed assembly, complete with a UL Recognized internal switch and components.
| Busway brand | Busway family | OEM plug type | BRAH series | Parts described as UL Listed assemblies | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Electric | Armor Clad | AC | BEC | 48 | BEC3206G, BEC3606G, BEC3610GN |
| General Electric | Spectra | SB | BEB | 48 | BEB3206G, BEB3606G, BEB3610GN |
| General Electric | Spectra Low-Amp | SL | BEL | 48 | BEL3206G, BEL3606G, BEL3610GN |
| ITE / Siemens | BD Series | BOS | BES | 48 | BES3206G, BES3606G, BES3610GN |
The other families and their fuse classes are set out in the guide to fusible and non-fusible bus plugs. An order for in-stock parts that is placed before 3:00 PM Pacific goes out the same business day, with shipping worked out at checkout. For anything not in the table, call (855) 355-2724 with the part number.
A third option: repair the plug you already have
When the enclosure is sound and one part has failed, new parts in an existing plug can be the better answer than either a used plug or a complete new one. The parts that wear are sold separately:
- Replacement stabs and stab insulators for General Electric and Siemens / ITE plugs.
- Fuse clips in 30A to 200A sizes.
- Floating contact switches, the internal operating switch, including FCS603, FCS606 and FCS610 for BRAH 600V fusible plugs at 30A, 60A and 100A.
- Ground kits and neutral kits to restore or add a ground or a fourth wire.
- Conversion kits that let a General Electric plug from one busway family fit another.
The guide to identifying replacement bus stabs shows how to pick stabs by plug type and amperage.
When used is reasonable and when to buy new
A used plug can be a reasonable choice when it comes from your own plant with a known history, when it has been inspected and tested as described above, and when a failure on that load would be an inconvenience and not a safety or production problem. It can also be the practical route for a plug type that is hard to source any other way, provided the inspection is done.
Buy new when the load is critical, when the plug will sit in a location that is hard to reach for inspection, when your insurer or site standard asks for documented equipment, or when the cost of one unplanned outage is larger than the price difference.
What to check before you buy either
- Busway brand and family, read from the busway nameplate.
- OEM catalog number of the plug being replaced, with all suffix letters.
- Amperage and voltage version.
- 3-wire or 4-wire, and with or without a ground.
- Fuse class the plug accepts and the fuses you stock.
- For a used plug: written condition report, warranty terms and return terms from the seller.
- For a new plug: the UL statement on the product page of that exact part, if your site requires it.
Safety when fitting any bus plug
New or used, a bus plug goes onto bus bars that are live whenever the run is energized. De-energize the busway at its source, apply lockout/tagout, and verify the absence of voltage before the plug is mounted or removed. A used plug that has not been inspected should not be energized to see whether it works. Leave the work to qualified personnel.
Used vs new bus plug FAQs
Are used bus plugs safe to use?
They can be, if a qualified person has inspected and tested the plug and it has not been modified from its labeled configuration. The risk with used equipment is not age in itself but unknown condition. Without an inspection you are relying on appearance.
What warranty comes with a new BRAH bus plug?
BRAH bus plugs carry a 2-year warranty from the date of invoice. Returns are accepted within 30 days of shipment with an RMA and are subject to a 25 to 50 percent restocking charge.
Is a reconditioned bus plug the same as a used one?
Not necessarily. Used usually means sold as removed. Reconditioned means someone has cleaned, repaired or replaced parts, and the quality depends on who did it and what they replaced. Ask for a list of the work and the test results, and check what your local code enforcement accepts.
Are new BRAH bus plugs UL Listed?
It is stated on each part. The records for the BEC, BEB, BEL and BES series fusible plugs, such as BEC3606G, describe the plug as a UL Listed assembly with a UL Recognized internal switch and components. Check the product page for the part you plan to order.
Can I fix a used plug with new parts instead of replacing it?
Often, yes. Stabs, fuse clips, internal switches, handles, and ground and neutral parts are sold separately for many plug types. The enclosure and insulation still have to be sound, and the repaired plug should be inspected before it is energized.
References
- NFPA 70B: the NFPA standard for electrical equipment maintenance, covering inspection and testing.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303: general requirements for electric equipment, including the examination of equipment for safety.
- UL 857, Busways: the UL standard that busway plug-in units are listed to.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147: lockout/tagout requirements that apply when a plug is installed or removed.
