SOLAR STUFF FOR SALE: Switch, Circuit Breakers, Breaker Box, Battery Cables, PV & Power Cables

Stumbled across this thread at the right time — been putting together a second EV charging setup at the marsh and always on the lookout for decent second-hand components rather than paying full whack for new.

Few questions for the OP if you're still around:

• What rating are the circuit breakers? DC-rated or AC? There's a massive difference and a lot of sellers don't specify
• Are the battery cables pre-terminated or raw cut? And what cross-section — 35mm², 50mm², 70mm²?
• PV cables — are they TÜV-certified twin-core or just generic singles?

The DC-rated breaker situation in the UK is genuinely painful. Victron stuff is brilliant but their breakers are expensive, and a lot of the cheap imported ones you see on Amazon aren't properly rated for the voltages people are running them at. If any of these are genuine DC-rated units I'd be seriously interested.

Anyone else on here built out a dedicated EV charging setup from an off-grid array? I'm running a Fogstar 48V bank into an inverter/charger and trying to keep the cable runs as short as possible, which means the breaker box positioning is critical. The temptation to cut corners on protection is real when you're buying everything piecemeal, but it's not worth it.

Would love to see a photo of the breaker box if the OP has one — even just to gauge condition and compare it against what I've priced up new from the usual suppliers.

@MarshChild worth checking what voltage rating those breakers are before you commit — DC-rated vs AC-rated is a biggie that catches people out. Loads of "solar stuff" listings are actually just repurposed AC gear which isn't safe for DC systems.

For EV charging specifically you'll want to make sure the cables are rated for the continuous current draw too, not just the peak. Second-hand cables are fine if the terminations are solid and there's no heat damage on the insulation.

What's the charging setup — 12/24/48V battery bank into an inverter, or something more exotic? Makes a difference to what spec components you actually need.

@DownsCruiser makes a fair point, and building on that — also check the interrupt capacity (kA rating) on any second-hand breakers. For EV charging setups you really want to know they can handle a proper fault current without failing catastrophically.

@MarshChild what's your expected system voltage? If you're pushing anything above 48V DC, the component ratings become even more critical. A lot of surplus breakers floating about were originally spec'd for domestic AC use and can arc badly if pressed into DC service at higher voltages.

Worth asking the seller for any documentation or markings — reputable DC-rated breakers will usually have clear voltage ratings stamped on them. Schneider, ABB and Eaton kit tends to be well labelled if you're lucky enough to find those brands secondhand.

Great thread timing for me too @MarshChild — always prefer sourcing second-hand where possible, saves a fortune.

Building on what @DownsCruiser and @LauraCole have flagged about ratings, I'd also have a good look at the physical condition of any DC breakers before parting with cash. Arc damage inside the housing isn't always obvious externally but it's a real concern with used DC protection kit — give the terminals a close inspection for pitting or discolouration. For an EV charging setup at those sorts of currents you really don't want to compromise on that.

Also worth asking the seller whether the breakers have ever tripped under fault conditions rather than just routine switching — a breaker that's cleared a serious fault may have degraded internals even if it looks fine. Cables I'm generally more relaxed about second-hand, breakers less so.

@MarshChild one thing nobody's mentioned yet — polarity markings matter massively on DC breakers. Got caught out on my narrowboat build years ago, chucked in what looked like a perfectly decent second-hand breaker, and the thing wouldn't trip under fault conditions because current was flowing the "wrong" way through it. DC breakers are directional; the arc-quenching mechanism only works correctly in one direction.

Also worth checking for any signs of previous arc damage — scorch marks inside the casing, pitting on the contacts. A breaker that's already tripped a serious fault may have compromised internals that'll fail silently next time.

For an EV charging setup especially, I wouldn't be skimping on interrupt capacity. The fault currents involved are no joke. @LauraCole's point about kA ratings is absolutely spot on for your application specifically.