Which circuit breakers to collar?

dkkim73 · August 24

Hi All,

I recently bought some circuit breaker collars in a few colors, and am looking to label a select few breakers for easy access. e.g. finding the "speed brakes" breaker quickly just by reading takes longer than I would have guessed.

Any suggestions on what to collar? My thoughts:

-speed brakes (in case of malfunction or incomplete retraction)

-alternator circuits (main and field?)

-the AP/trim breaker *seems* to be part of the switch itself, but if anyone knows differently, please say

-? battery

This is all for the Acclaim (M20TN) but hopefully some circuits will be of more general interest.

Thanks,

David

**Marc_B** · August 24

The one I have collared is the autopilot breaker. That would be the one that I'd need to pull "in a hurry" if I had runaway trim issue. Otherwise it seems that most scenarios would be more deliberate and slow.

**Hank** · August 24

Put one on the gear.motor, too, for when you need to manually lower them.

**Alan Maurer** · August 24

Mooney People, read the notes above but where to buy the collars for the circuit breakers?

Thanks

Alan

**Marc_B** · August 25

@Alan Maurer https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/edmobreakercaps.php

**EricJ** · August 25

I keep thinking there has to be a more sensibly priced place to get those.

KLRDMD · August 25

I use these. It makes specific breakers easily identifiable. One box is a lifetime supply for you and all of your friends.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6V1LN6P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

**Hank** · August 25

2 hours ago, EricJ said:

I keep thinking there has to be a more sensibly priced place to get those.

You can always paint them. Plastic model paint, in 1/8 Oz bottles, or craft paint in 2 Oz bottles. Lots and lots of colors! Just don't cover up the number . . . .

Craft paint is often on sale for $2/bottle, so one or two bottles--one for critical items like alternator and gear, and a different color for avionics, etc.

dkkim73 · August 25

20 minutes ago, Hank said:

You can always paint them.

Clever! Thank you. Yes, I bought the overpriced collars from Aircraft Spruce.

**PT20J** · August 25

$2.85 is expensive? Really? I spend that for a latte. Anyway, if you look you'll find that Spruce sells them cheaper than most other suppliers. But if you are really a CB just "borrow" your wife's fingernail polish.

I only banded the autopilot and speed brakes. I pull the speed brakes any time I turn on the pitot heat after brushing the yoke switch once while picking up some ice and the left one wouldn't go back down all the way.

**Marc_B** · August 25

4 minutes ago, PT20J said:

$2.85 is expensive? Really?

That was my thought! Those are the cheapest item purchased for the Mooney by at least 2-3 decimal places!

**EricJ** · August 25

6 minutes ago, PT20J said:

$2.85 is expensive? Really?

For what it is, yes. That's some significant mark up. It's not like there's PMA or traceability or other overhead involved, it's literally one of the most inexpensive things to make on the planet, so I don't get why so much mark up is necessary other than they can, because it's an airplane part and airplane owners will say, "$2.84 is expensive? Really?" They'd probably even italicize the "really".

**PT20J** · August 25

15 minutes ago, EricJ said:

For what it is, yes. That's some significant mark up. It's not like there's PMA or traceability or other overhead involved, it's literally one of the most inexpensive things to make on the planet, so I don't get why so much mark up is necessary other than they can, because it's an airplane part and airplane owners will say, "$2.84 is expensive? Really?" They'd probably even italicize the "really".

Maybe there is a hidden message here: Don't over label things or it will get expensive.

Here's a CB option -- get 12 MSers to do group buy and they are only $.83 each

**EricJ** · August 25

28 minutes ago, PT20J said:

Maybe there is a hidden message here: Don't over label things or it will get expensive.

Here's a CB option -- get 12 MSers to do group buy and they are only $.83 each

Apparently they're on to us:

https://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Color-Coded-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B0BB8KJZJ7

**MikeOH** · August 25

4 minutes ago, EricJ said:

Apparently they're on to us:

https://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Color-Coded-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B0BB8KJZJ7

That's still $1.20 for $.002 worth of plastic!

**Hank** · August 25

7 hours ago, MikeOH said:

That's still $1.20 for $.002 worth of plastic!

Manufacturing cost of these, in a 4-cavity mold, is probably $0.02 - 0.03 each. Probably not enough demand to make more cavities.

dkkim73 · August 25

10 hours ago, PT20J said:

I pull the speed brakes any time I turn on the pitot heat after brushing the yoke switch once while picking up some ice and the left one wouldn't go back down all the way.

*That* is a great idea.

**GeeBee** · August 25

I copied and formatted the checklist from the POH. In part of my formatting, I colored the type on the CB action that the checklists require to be pulled to match the color of the collar. For instance, pulling the Battery CB during alternator failure and activating the backup alternator is colored red. The C/B collar is red. Speed brake failure checklist requires the speed brake CB to be pulled. I colored the type yellow and made the collar yellow. That way, you can index and find the correct CB quickly while running the checklist.

dkkim73 · August 25

1 minute ago, GeeBee said:

I copied and formatted the checklist from the POH. In part of my formatting, I colored the type on the CB action that the checklists require to be pulled to match the color of the collar. For instance, pulling the Battery CB during alternator failure and activating the backup alternator is colored red. The C/B collar is red. Speed brake failure checklist requires the speed brake CB to be pulled. I colored the type yellow and made the collar yellow. That way, you can index and find the correct CB quickly while running the checklist.

Did you just try to match colors while keeping adjacent choices distinct, it did you have a category in mind eg red => emergency/failure and yellow => precautionary, etc?

I was starting to think of a category approach.

**GeeBee** · August 25

1 minute ago, dkkim73 said:

Did you just try to match colors while keeping adjacent choices distinct, it did you have a category in mind eg red => emergency/failure and yellow => precautionary, etc?

I was starting to think of a category approach.

Yes to the extent I could.

**Marc_B** · August 25

After thinking about this, I think that I'm going to either take a picture of the breakers or make a stylized picture and label it and mark it with grouping colors to add to my POH. That seems like a good way to go through your breakers on the ground and get your head wrapped around what they control. That way if you needed to shed load in an emergency you could verify what you should and shouldn't pull and actually have a game plan ahead of time that you didn't have to come up with in the air. ala "Breaker QRG"

A pack of kids markers is probably $2.85 and that's for the whole rainbow!

M20F · August 25

21 hours ago, Marc_B said:

The one I have collared is the autopilot breaker. That would be the one that I'd need to pull "in a hurry" if I had runaway trim issue. Otherwise it seems that most scenarios would be more deliberate and slow.

The only breaker on my side of the panel.

**Fly Boomer** · August 25

18 hours ago, KLRDMD said:

I use these. It makes specific breakers easily identifiable. One box is a lifetime supply for you and all of your friends.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6V1LN6P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

You stick something to the breaker with Velcro?

KLRDMD · August 25

1 hour ago, Fly Boomer said:

You stick something to the breaker with Velcro?

It is the identical diameter of the breaker so the only change is that you can feel the scratchy hook or soft loop depending on which you choose. No need to look down and even at night you can find it by feel.

**Pinecone** · August 26

I collared the Auto Pilot and Pitch trim.

The alternator field breakers (dual alts)

Speed Brakes

And something else. I will take a pic the next time I am at the plane.

My new panel is toggle switches, and I put colored sleeves over some of them

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Which circuit breakers to collar?

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