The only breakers designed & UL/CSA approved for switching duty are 15 & 20 amp for lighting circuits and are marked "SWD". The type of breaker in a pedestal are lab tested for 10,000 endurance mechanical operations in order to meet UL/CSA requirements (6K are at the breaker's rating).
Pedestal breakers usually only see a few amps when first plugged in and the no. of on/off operations they see won't hurt them. What reduces a breaker's life is tripping on overloads and worst, on short circuits (esp. if near it's fault current rating). Pedestal breakers however are subjected to temp. & humidity extremes and sometimes airborne contaminants (for ex., salt air near the ocean) not seen in buildings which contribute to a shorter life.
Life expectancy is generally considered to be around 30 years in buildings (see Schneider info. for ex.). There aren't any codes or standards covering it, there's many variables affecting it and there's little failure rate data around. Breakers are supposed to hold their rated current indefinitely and be resettable and if not, need replacing.
Who knows what expected life in a pedestal is before it won't hold it's rated current or won't reset - perhaps 10-20 years, or less? The pedestal below is the worst I've ever seen and the entire CG of 300 +/- sites next to the ocean was like that. Despite being 50+ years old and in bad shape, the authorities can't make an owner replace or repair them.
Pedestal breakers usually only see a few amps when first plugged in and the no. of on/off operations they see won't hurt them. What reduces a breaker's life is tripping on overloads and worst, on short circuits (esp. if near it's fault current rating). Pedestal breakers however are subjected to temp. & humidity extremes and sometimes airborne contaminants (for ex., salt air near the ocean) not seen in buildings which contribute to a shorter life.
Life expectancy is generally considered to be around 30 years in buildings (see Schneider info. for ex.). There aren't any codes or standards covering it, there's many variables affecting it and there's little failure rate data around. Breakers are supposed to hold their rated current indefinitely and be resettable and if not, need replacing.
Who knows what expected life in a pedestal is before it won't hold it's rated current or won't reset - perhaps 10-20 years, or less? The pedestal below is the worst I've ever seen and the entire CG of 300 +/- sites next to the ocean was like that. Despite being 50+ years old and in bad shape, the authorities can't make an owner replace or repair them.
