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Commander, CEB and Sylvania panels: what to do
How to spot a Commander, CEB or Sylvania panel, what is actually documented about it, which replacement breakers still exist, and when to replace it.
In short
This guide answers the question people ask in front of a Commander, CEB or Sylvania panel: should it be replaced?
- In Canada, Eaton groups C.E.B., Sylvania (GTE) and Commander panels into one family, now brought together under its own brand.
- No recall of these panels shows up at Health Canada, Ontario’s ESA or the U.S. CPSC (search of November 2, 2026).
- The Code isn’t retroactive: no law requires you to replace a panel that works.
- Eaton still offered replacement breakers for these panels in its 2022 catalogue; as early as 2012, it noted that not every rating is still available.
- What decides is the condition of the panel and the capacity your house needs, more than the brand.
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Commander, CEB and Sylvania: one family
The CEB trademark, owned by CEB Limited in Scarborough, Ontario, covered fuse panels, breaker panels and circuit breakers. It was in use in Canada since at least December 1964.
On June 9, 1978, it passed to GTE Sylvania Canada, in Montréal, according to the Canadian trademarks register.
Eaton writes that the names C.E.B., Sylvania (GTE), Commander, Challenger, Westinghouse and Cutler-Hammer have been brought together under its own brand. Cutler-Hammer has been part of Eaton since 1978.
Eaton also says it is the sole owner of the rights to these breaker designs.
You sometimes read that a Commander panel is “in the same family” as Federal Pioneer. That’s not what the manufacturer says: Eaton groups Commander with CEB and Sylvania, not with Federal Pioneer. For a Federal Pioneer, see Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok panels: what Québec homeowners should know.
How to spot one
Open the panel door only. Never remove the inner cover: behind it, the incoming cables and the main breaker’s input terminals stay live even when the main breaker is off.
On the label, look for two things: the original manufacturer’s name and the panel’s catalogue number. That’s what Eaton asks for first to choose a breaker.
The start of the catalogue number tells you the panel type and the Eaton breaker that replaces the original:
| Name on the label | Catalogue number starts with | Eaton replacement breaker |
|---|---|---|
| C.E.B. Limited | B | QBH |
| Sylvania (GTE) | BC | QBH |
| Commander | BC or BQ | QBH |
| Commander | QL | BQL, BQLT or BQGF |
| Cutler-Hammer | QM or QL | BQL, BQLT or BQGF |
These breakers are bolt-on: a metal flange sticks out of their housing. Bolt-on and plug-in breakers are not interchangeable.
A “Sylvania” label doesn’t always mean the Commander family: some Sylvania panels are of Zinsco design, a different family. See Zinsco panels: how to spot one.
What is documented, and what isn’t
We looked for a recall on November 2, 2026, in three places:
- the Government of Canada’s “Recalls and safety alerts” database: no recall for Sylvania, C.E.B. or “load centre”; for Commander, only two products unrelated to a panel;
- the list of Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority, going back to 1996: no entry for a Commander, CEB or Sylvania panel or breaker;
- the U.S. CPSC’s recalls since 1973: no panel or breaker from these brands.
One limit to keep in mind: Canada’s database doesn’t keep every old recall. It doesn’t even find the 1997 recall of certain Stab-Lok breakers published by the ESA.
InspectAPedia publishes an electrician’s opinion that Sylvania, CEB and older Commander breakers have a reputation for not tripping, and presents it as an opinion itself. No official recall or notice we found says so for Commander, CEB or Sylvania.
What stays true for any old panel: the inspection starts with how tight the connections are and any signs of heat, before the brand even comes up.
Replacement breakers: what still exists
In its 2022 catalogue, Eaton offered QBH and BQL replacement breakers for vintage CEB, Sylvania and Commander panels. In November 2026, a Canadian retailer was still selling an Eaton QBH for these panels.
They are built to the original design. Even if they no longer carry the old name, Eaton says they are approved for that panel.
Not every rating and pole configuration is still available.
In Québec, all electrical equipment must be approved, and used under the conditions it was designed for; when in doubt, you check with the manufacturer.
Changing a breaker is still electrical work: in Québec, that work is reserved for electrical contractors.
A new breaker fixes one circuit. The condition of the rest of the panel is assessed during the inspection.
What your insurer may ask
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, insurers ask about fuses and about services of less than 100 amps.
Updated wiring, a service of at least 100 amps with breakers or an inspection by an electrician may then be required.
For a home insurance quote, CAA-Québec says you give the type of electrical box, the type of wiring and the installation date.
None of these sources names a panel brand. Practices vary from one insurer to the next: the specific question goes to yours.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada adds that an electrical upgrade can help lower your premium.
Replacing the panel: how it goes and what it costs
The load calculation is done before the work. The municipal permit and the coordination with Hydro-Québec are the electrician’s job.
Replacing the panel is work on the installation: the part that is redone follows the Code in force at the time of the work.
At STM-Électrique, for a single-family home:
- replacing the panel alone at 100 amps;
- replacing the panel alone at 200 amps;
- going from 100 to 200 amps with the service entrance; the price of each is in the written quote, free of charge.
The hour-by-hour detail is in Electrical panel upgrade in Québec: cost and how the day goes.
Is 200 amps enough for your home? See 200 amp panel: is yours enough? for the answer. The Electrical panel upgrade page describes the service itself.
A Commander panel at your place?
We inspect it, do the load calculation, and the price is in writing before any work starts.
Send my quote requestWhat we do
We look at the panel, we price it, and the price is in writing before the work begins.
We do the load calculation and handle the permit and Hydro-Québec.
We often replace Commander, CEB and Sylvania panels.
Siemens is the panel brand we install most often.
The quote is written and free. If we find something once it’s open, we call you before going any further.
Frequently asked questions
What problems can a Commander panel have?
No official recall or notice we found targets Commander, CEB or Sylvania panels (search of November 2, 2026). What matters at the inspection: how tight the connections are, any signs of heat, and the capacity your house needs.
Does a Commander panel have to be replaced?
No law requires you to replace a panel that works: the Code isn’t retroactive, and an existing panel keeps its acquired rights as long as no work is done on it. It gets replaced when the inspection, the capacity or the insurer calls for it.
Who makes Commander breakers now?
Eaton, which brought the C.E.B., Sylvania (GTE) and Commander names under its brand; its 2022 catalogue still offered QBH and BQL replacement breakers.
Can you still find breakers for a Commander, CEB or Sylvania panel?
Yes: Eaton still offered them in its 2022 catalogue, though not in every rating, and a Canadian retailer was selling an Eaton QBH in November 2026. The right model is chosen from the name and catalogue number on the panel’s label.
Can my insurer refuse a Commander panel?
The insurance sources we read don’t name any brand. They talk about fuses, services under 100 amps, and an inspection that may be required. Each insurer has its own rules: ask yours.
How much does it cost to replace a Commander panel?
At STM-Électrique, for a single-family home, the price of a new 200-amp panel, with or without going from 100 to 200 amps with the service entrance, is in the quote.
A Commander, CEB or Sylvania panel to have inspected?
We inspect it, do the load calculation, and the exact price is in the quote.
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Sources
Consulted on November 2, 2026.
- Eaton, Eaton Brand Circuit Breakers: Application in vintage loadcentres, 2012
- Eaton Canada, Replacement bolt-on breakers
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office, “CEB” trademark
- Government of Canada, Recalls and safety alerts
- Electrical Safety Authority (Ontario), Product Recalls & Safety Alerts
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls
- InspectAPedia, Identify GTE Sylvania (Zinsco) Electrical Panel & Circuit Breaker
- Home Hardware Canada, 15 Amp Single Pole Bolt-On Circuit Breaker (Eaton QBH15)
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Different measures and acquired rights (in French)
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Modifying approved equipment (in French)
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, How Home Insurance Rates are Set
- CAA-Québec, Preparing for a home insurance quote (in French)