April 13, 2012
Reverse Fed Breakers
A breaker is typically powered by the feed that is connected to the terminals which is nearest the
handle when it is in the “ON” position. The term “to reverse feed a circuit breaker” means the
incoming power supply conductors for a circuit breaker are connected to the terminals on the
“OFF” side of the breaker. Due to physical equipment arrangements in panelboards and
switchboards, it may be desired to connect conductors in this manner. However, circuit breakers
must be UL tested and Listed accordingly for this application. Therefore, it is imperative that the
proper circuit breaker is selected and applied.
The main reason for the proper circuit breaker selection is safety. Although electrical equipment
should not be worked on while any voltage is present, a reverse feed circuit breaker would have
the bottom end of the circuit breaker live even when the circuit breaker is in the “OFF” or
“TRIPPED” position. This would mean that a voltage potential would exist at the trip unit, the
load terminals and the circuit breaker’s mechanism. Due to this fact, all frames intended for field
installable trip units and internal accessories are marked “LINE” and “LOAD” and not permitted
to be used in reverse feed applications.
A circuit breaker that IS acceptable to be reverse feed will have the following characteristics:
1. The circuit breaker will not have “”LINE” and “”LOAD” marked on the top and
bottom ends of the circuit breaker.
2. Factory Sealed:
• The circuit breaker’s cover will be sealed to the circuit breaker’s base. For a circuit
breaker that has a primary and a secondary cover; the primary cover will be sealed
to the base of the circuit breaker.
• For a circuit breaker with a seal between the trip unit and the frame, the trip unit
may not be changed in the field
Note: If any circuit breaker seal is broken, the warranty will be voided.
Attached is a list of circuit breakers, including versions with integral ground fault protection, that
are UL Listed for reverse feed applications.
Reverse Feed Applications
Eaton’s Circuit Breakers
(A) The following circuit breaker types ARE (B) The following circuit breaker types ARE
suitable for reverse feed: NOT suitable for reverse feed:
Thermal Magnetic Quicklag & Residential Breakers Remote type BAB breakers
BAB, BABPR BABRP, BABRSP, BABRS, BABR
BW, BWH, BWHH, CSR, CSH GFCI, GFEP
CA, CAH, CC, CCH, CHH AFCI
EB, EHB BABRP, BABSP, BRRP, CLRP
FB, HFB, FB TRI-PAC GHBS, GBHS, GHQRSP
JA KA, HKA
JB KB, HKB
LBB, DA LA, HLA
LAB LB, HLB
LC, HLC etc. MA, HMA, MD
MC, HMC etc.; MDS NB, HNB
NC, HNC etc. PB
PC, PCC, PCCG, PCF, PCCF etc. LA,NB,PB TRI-PAC’s
SPB JD, HJD, JDC,
FCL, LCL KD, HKD, KDC, CKD, CHKD
SPCB LD, HLD, LDC
GB, GHB, GC, GHC, GD, GD-K MDL, HMDL
EDB, EDS, ED, EDH, EDC JGE, JGS, JGH, JGC, JGU, JGX frames with
EHD, EHD-K, FDB, FD, HFD, FDC, FD-K interchangeable trip unit
FDE, HFDE, FDCE LGE, LGS, LGH, LGC, LGU with interchangeable trip
JD, HJD, JDC sealed breakers unit
JDB, HJDB, JDCB, JDB-K, HJDB-K GMCP
DK, DK-K HMCP, HMCPE
KD, HKD, KDC, CKD, CHKD sealed breakers ELFD, ELHFD, ELFDC
KDB, HKDB, KDCB, CKDB, CHKDB ELKD, ELHKD, ELKDC
KDB-K, HKDB-K ELJD, ELHJD, ELJDC
LD, HLD, LDC, CLD, CHLD, CLDC sealed breakers GHBGFEP, GHCGFEP
LDB, HLDB, LDCB, CLDB, CHLDB, CLDCB
LDB-K, HLDB-K
MDL, HMDL, CMDL, CHMDL sealed breakers
MDLB, HMDLB, CMDLB, CHMDLB
MDLB-K, HMDLB-K
ND, HND, NDC, NDU, CND, CHND, CNDC
ND-K, HND-K, NGS, NGH, NGC, NGU, NGK
RD, RDC, CRD, CRDC, RD-K, RD-N, RGH, RGC,
RGK
E125, EGB, EGE, EGS, EGH, EGC
E125K , EGK switches
J250, JGE, JGS, JGH, JGC, JGU, JGX sealed
breakers
J250K, JGK switches
L630, LGE, LGS, LGH, LGC, LGU, LGX sealed
breakers
L630K, LGK switches
Magnum DS, Magnum SB, DS, DSII
Series NRX
