Pushmatic Panels

Updated 2026-10-30

Pushmatic panels, first made by Bulldog Electric Products and later sold under the ITE, Gould ITE and Siemens ITE names, use push-button breakers instead of toggle switches. We found no CPSC recall for them, and InspectAPedia’s editor, agreeing with home inspector Greg Bell, writes that no official study has documented unusually high failure-to-trip rates. The concerns raised are age, breakers that can get stiff, and parts that may not fit older panels. If you have one, have a licensed electrician evaluate it and tell you whether replacement makes sense.

Are Pushmatic panels safe?

The sources disagree in places, so here is what each one says:

• No official study: InspectAPedia’s editor, agreeing with home inspector Greg Bell, writes that “no official study has been conducted documenting unusually high failure to trip rates.”
• Some test failures, incomplete: InspectAPedia says that 2011 testing by engineer David Carrier “had begun to suggest some failures to trip among certain Bulldog, ITE & Siemens ITE” breakers, but that the testing “remained incomplete.”
• How the breakers trip: Bell says Bulldog breakers use a solely thermal (heat-sensing) trip design. A reader comment on the same page, from a person who says they worked for ITE Imperial from 1974 to 1978, says the breakers sold then and for many years before did have a magnetic trip. The sources conflict, so we don’t take a side.
• Overall view: InspectAPedia’s editor writes that “we consider these products questionable,” deserving “a warning but not a condemnation,” and advises treating a breaker failure, a remodel or a panel upgrade as an opportunity to replace this obsolete equipment. Bell notes that “opinions of electrical professionals vary” on whether these panels need to be replaced.

How to recognize a Pushmatic panel

Open the hinged panel door and look at the breakers; never remove the inner cover that sits around them, and don’t push the buttons to test them.

• Push buttons instead of toggles. InspectAPedia describes the breakers as push-button controls.
• An on/off indicator flag on each breaker (InspectAPedia).
• Names on the label: Bulldog, Pushmatic, ITE, Gould or Siemens (InspectAPedia).

How old is it? InspectAPedia says a Bulldog panel in a North American home probably dates from the 1950s through the 1960s.

Our Panel Risk Check asks about the brand and warning signs and helps you see how urgent a visit is.

Known issues: age, stiff breakers, parts

• Stiff breakers. Bell describes the breakers as “grease fed” and says they become stiff and hard to reset if they aren’t exercised. The same reader writes that the generally applied fix for breakers that wouldn’t reset was spraying them with WD-40; the editor calls that “surely not reliable.” Don’t spray anything into a panel.
• A stuck indicator. InspectAPedia warns that the on/off flag on older breakers can stay fixed in either position, so it may not show the circuit’s real state; InspectAPedia calls this, in its opinion, “a significant potential shock hazard.”
• Split main breakers. InspectAPedia describes split-main breakers in a Pushmatic panel that would let one side of the panel be switched off while the other side stays on, an arrangement that lacks a common trip tie. If your panel has more than one “main,” see Split-Bus Panels Explained.
• Parts. Bell says replacement parts are difficult or expensive to find. InspectAPedia notes that new ITE Pushmatic products are still sold, but warns they “may not be suitable for some older electrical panels carrying those brand names.” Its editor also says it would be safer to avoid re-using used Bulldog or Pushmatic panels and breakers. Whether a given breaker fits is a question for the electrician.

If you’re planning big new loads, such as an EV charger or a heat pump, ask the electrician whether the panel can carry them; see Do I Need 200 Amp Service?

Pushmatic panels and home insurance

We didn’t find an insurer’s published rule on Pushmatic panels. Insurers set their own rules, so ask your insurer whether a Pushmatic panel affects your coverage or premium, ideally before you close on a house.

Repair or replace: what to ask the electrician

Questions worth asking:

• Do the breakers reset and operate as they should?
• Are there signs of heat or damage in the panel?
• Can parts that fit your panel still be found, and at what cost compared with a new panel?
• Can the panel carry the loads you plan to add?

An initial electrical inspection costs $125–$250, according to Fixr. If you replace the panel, two cost guides give these ranges:

This Old House prices a panel plus installation; Fixr’s figures are replacements with labor. A permit adds $50–$300 (This Old House). See Electrical Panel Replacement Cost for the full breakdown.

If the panel feels warm or buzzes, have a licensed electrician look at it soon. If you smell burning, see smoke, or the panel is hot to the touch, leave the area and call 911.

FAQ

Were Pushmatic panels recalled? We did not find a CPSC recall for Pushmatic or Bulldog panels. Some web pages list Pushmatic among “recalled” panels without citing a recall notice.

Is Bulldog the same as Pushmatic? InspectAPedia says the Pushmatic breaker came from Bulldog Electric Products of Detroit and was later sold under the ITE, Gould ITE and Siemens ITE names.

A breaker is hard to push. Should I force it? No. Don’t force it or spray anything into it; call a licensed electrician.

Illustrations on this page are AI-generated to help you picture the situation. They are not photos of real homes, jobs or people.

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