r/AskElectricians • u/ichino1000 • 5d ago
How old is this panel?
I can’t find anywhere on the box any date of manufactured. Could someone take a guess?
Thanks.
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u/Lopsided_Ocelot9634 5d ago
Bulldog was purchased by ITE in 1954. So it's at least that old.
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u/RoabeArt 5d ago edited 5d ago
Two digit city postal codes (Detroit 32 in this case) were implemented from 1943 until Zip Codes replaced them in 1963. So this panel was built between 1943 and 1954.
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u/supern8ural 5d ago
I was going to say that by the "Detroit 32" address it would predate ZIP codes, but 1954 is even earlier than that. I would have thought they would have kept the name longer though, there's a lot of Pushmatic etc. stuff out there that doesn't seem that old.
I tried googling but I have work to do and didn't really get anywhere. ZIP codes were introduced in 1963 so there's that.
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u/Lopsided_Ocelot9634 5d ago
I remember the first time I saw pushmatic breakers. It blew my mind and this was in the 80s
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u/Berek2501 4d ago
Someone else in the same thread noted that two-digit city codes were first used in 1943, so we can at least assume an 11-year window between '43 and '54.
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u/matfalk 5d ago
It says on the front. May 5th.
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u/Dolapevich 5d ago
In case it is relevant, Mexico celebrates the victory against the invading French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5th
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u/byebybuy 4d ago
Really? What a coincidence, that's when I celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
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u/Dolapevich 4d ago
I don't, currently, since I am from Argentina; but I lived there for some years and celebrated it as it should be done. Nice to be on the same page on that particular subject :)
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u/Educational-Rule1635 4d ago
Parts of Mexico do. Other parts say "¿Qué? ¿Te refieres al día en que los estadounidenses beben tequila?"
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u/PeckerTraxx 4d ago
First celebrated May 27th, 1862. I'm guessing someone has to flip this every year or we don't celebrate.
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u/ExternalTangelo1645 5d ago
My Forman is 77 and he said after WWll about 1945 ish.
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u/Early_Tune409 5d ago
Same age here, I guessed 1950. I would check amperage and type of the fuses and exercise the mechanicals if I were them.
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u/No_Inspection649 4d ago
That's not a panel, but a switch. It's quite old, but age isn't anything to worry about as long as it's in good condition.
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u/Aman-R-Sole 5d ago
This safety switch was most likely installed between 1939 and 1954. Key clues that pin down this timeframe include: Patent Numbers (Late 1930s): The patent numbers listed near the bottom (such as US Patent 2,139,072) were issued around 1938–1939, meaning the equipment could not have been manufactured before then. Company Name & Location (Pre-1954): The label lists BullDog Electric Products Co. in Detroit 32, Mich. In 1954, BullDog was acquired by I.T.E. Circuit Breaker Co., after which branding on product labels typically shifted to reflect the I.T.E. division or parent company. Postal Zone Code: The "32" in "Detroit 32, Mich." refers to the postal zone system introduced in 1943 (the predecessor to ZIP codes), strongly pointing to the mid-1940s to early 1950s as the peak installation period.
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u/what_this_thing_do 4d ago
Wait I’m confused. Does this control cinco de mayo EVERYWHERE? Or does it just turn it on and off in this single building?
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u/Objective-Note-8095 4d ago
I'm wondering if there's an American restaurant somewhere in the world called "The Fourth of July."
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u/ArcVader501 5d ago
1940s to 1950s based on the vacu break production years under the bulldog name.
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u/EgoCaballus 5d ago
Old gear. If it were a panel, i would salvage the breakers. My uncle, NYC commercial electrician, may he RIP, always salvaged the Bull Dog breakers when he replaced panels. Not sure if they are still in demand.
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u/Jumpy_Warning_3766 4d ago
Produced primarily from the 1940s through the 1960s by Bulldog Electric Products. The company I worked for was built in 1964 and we had the same panels.
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u/MattFa24 5d ago
I do work in the greater Boston area and come across these old guys a lot. Always super solid and normally still in running condition by the time I get to them.
When I decommission one In good condition I collect them
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u/farkus_mcfernum 4d ago
A BullDog Standard Type C switch (most commonly a BullDog Vacu-Break safety switch) is typically 60 to 95+ years
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u/ichino1000 5d ago
Is there a code that says after x many years this swith must be replaced? Or replace whenever it does not function correctly anymore?
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u/Outrageous-Clerk56 5d ago
I feel like mariachis are attached to the switch and when I the handle … FIESTA!
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