Match the panel’s exact identifying information to an official recall notice and confirm uncertain matches with the manufacturer. A brand name, installation year or photograph of the breaker handles is not enough to establish eligibility. A search that returns no match is not a safety inspection.
This is a records-and-contact guide. It does not direct you to remove a panel cover, expose wiring, tighten connections or test energized equipment. If identification requires access behind the protective cover, arrange qualified help.
Start with your records
Gather the installation invoice, equipment schedule, inspection paperwork and any existing label photographs. Record the manufacturer, product family, complete catalog/model number, date or serial code and installation date if known. Keep the labels’ locations with the numbers: a door or cover code may identify a different component from an interior code.
For a property with more than one panel, create a separate record for each. A recall decision for the main panel does not automatically resolve a garage subpanel, outdoor unit or tenant-space panel. Do not substitute a breaker’s model number for the panel’s catalog number.
Use the official notice
Search the CPSC recall database and the manufacturer’s safety-notice page. Open the actual notice rather than relying on a search snippet or a contractor’s list. Compare the product description, affected identifiers, manufacturing or sale periods and the stated remedy. Preserve the recall number and the date you checked.
A useful record distinguishes three outcomes: confirmed match; confirmed outside the notice’s scope; and unresolved identification. Keep the third category open until the manufacturer or its designated inspection process resolves it. Do not turn missing information into a negative result.
Square D QO example
CPSC recall 22-159 concerns certain Square D QO Plug-on-Neutral load centers. Its notice lists product date codes 200561–220233 and separately addresses covers manufactured December 2019–March 2022. Schneider’s homeowner page instead uses the inside-door label range 194871–221343 to request an inspection. These are not interchangeable universal screening ranges.
CPSC says some installed indoor interior codes require a qualified electrician to locate. Schneider provides affected catalog numbers and a manufacturer contact route. If your records show different codes, identify which label each came from and ask Schneider to resolve the match; do not remove the protective cover to settle it yourself.
The official remedy provides a free inspection and any required recall repair or replacement. Contact the manufacturer through the notice before arranging work you expect it to reimburse. Follow its current instructions for your unit; this example is not a statement that every QO panel is recalled.
Contact the manufacturer
Send the manufacturer the complete identifier record, safe existing photographs and the property’s installation information. Ask which identifier controls eligibility, whether an inspection is needed, who arranges it and what documentation you should receive. If you rent or manage the property, include the responsible owner or facilities contact in the process.
Keep recall work separate from unrelated upgrade proposals. Ask the contractor to distinguish the manufacturer’s remedy from optional work and from other defects discovered during inspection. This makes it possible to understand scope and cost without assuming the recall itself requires a service upgrade.
Keep a completion record
Save the case number, confirmation of eligibility, appointment details and written work record. Record which panel was inspected, what remedy was performed and by whom. A completed recall remedy addresses that recall; it does not certify every part of the building’s electrical installation.
If the company is not responding or the remedy process fails, CPSC provides a recall-complaint route. Its database also notes that remedy availability can change. Reopen the official notice when following up rather than relying on an old screenshot.
Frequently asked questions
Does an old panel automatically have a recall?
No. Age alone does not establish inclusion in a particular recall. Match the official notice’s product identifiers.
Can I check using only the breaker brand?
No. Record the panel’s own identifiers and the label location; do not substitute a breaker model.
Should I remove the cover to find the code?
No. This guide limits homeowners to records and safely accessible identification. Have a qualified electrician locate identifiers that require protected interior access.
Does no recall mean the panel is safe?
No. Recall matching is not an inspection of condition, installation or suitability.
Related guides
- Smoke alarm planning: coverage, compatibility and replacement
- Panel replacement and service upgrades are different projects
- Checking counterfeit and mismatched circuit breakers
For other electrical products, see the selected official recall notices index, which keeps identification details and remedies together.
Sources
Checked October 26, 2026. Documentation-based editorial review; no hands-on inspection or product test was performed.
- CPSC recall 22-159: affected products, label distinctions, qualified interior access and remedy.
- Schneider official safety notice: inside-door screening range, affected catalog numbers and contact process.
- CPSC recall database: official lookup and changing remedy information.
General recordkeeping workflow is ClearTrade editorial guidance, not a code requirement.
This article uses an AI-generated editorial illustration. It does not depict a specific product, inspection or recall event.
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