How To Install Circuit Breaker At Home

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Installing a circuit billow is sometimes considered the nigh intimidating role of home electrical work. In fact, most people choose non to practise it themselves out of fearfulness of being shocked. However, installing circuit breakers into most residential electrical panels doesn't have to be dangerous or overly complicated. Past understanding the layout of your electrical panel and taking adequate precautions during the installation process, you can safely install a circuit billow in your abode.

1. 1

   Plough off the power supply to the electric panel. Locate the Service Disconnect or Main circuit breaker in the panel and set it to the "Off" position. This circuit billow is likely to have the largest amp value and will be located either at the top or bottom of the panel.^[1]

   • If you don't see a circuit breaker labeled "Service Disconnect" or "Main" in the panel, it is probable in another panel in the edifice or in the meter socket enclosure (a split, usually grayness box that houses the utilities meter for many houses and mobile homes and that is connected to various circuit breakers throughout one section of a edifice). Look for other console(due south) every bit needed until y'all find this master circuit breaker.
   • Plow off all computers in your dwelling before switching off the power, every bit they may be damaged by suddenly losing power.

2. 2

   Inspect the circuit breaker organization for unused locations. Expect for a blank surface area on the electric panel that could accommodate a circuit breaker, paying item attending to unused spaces at the peak and bottom of the encompass. Some manufacturers of electric panels have removable knockouts or plates at these locations, just the panel itself lacks provisions to mountain a circuit billow.^[ii]

   • If the unused location has a knockout plate over it, yous'll accept to eventually remove it before completing the installation procedure. For now, you simply need to identify a infinite where yous can install the circuit breaker.

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3. iii

   Remove the electrical console cover. Use a screwdriver to remove 3 of the screws supporting the embrace. Then, employ 1 arm to concord the panel encompass in place as you unscrew the last spiral. Finally, pull the cover abroad from the panel.^[3]

   • Exist sure to concur the panel embrace tightly in place as y'all remove the screws; if the comprehend slips and falls, information technology could damage the breaker handles.
   • If yous're unable to hold the console cover in place with one hand, ask a friend to help you.

4. four

   Test the panel to brand sure the ability is off. Utilize a examination light or meter ready to check for the presence of power. Bear on 1 probe to ground (the bar that has bare or green and white wires connected) or neutral (the bar that has but white or just bare or green wires connected) and impact the other probe to the spiral terminal of a circuit breaker that has a black, red, or blueish insulated wire continued. If 120 (or more) volts is indicated, the panel is nevertheless being powered and will need to be turned off before proceeding.^[4]

   • Make sure your test lite is set to the highest Air-conditioning voltage range available (and is set at minimum to 120 volts).
   • If the Service Disconnect or Main excursion breaker is in this panel, information technology will always signal power on the terminals that have cables connected. The output of the Main or Service Disconnect when located in the console, connects to the jitney bar. The bus bar should have no ability present when this breaker is OFF. Testing at the Service Disconnect or Principal circuit billow is non recommended due to this "seemingly conflicting" data.
   • It is not rubber to install a circuit breaker in an electrical panel that however has ability flowing to it. Do not continue if power is nowadays on a excursion breaker other than Service Disconnect or Main circuit billow, until the power source has been shut off.

5. 5

   Discover an unused space next to or between existing circuit breakers. The new excursion breaker you install will need to be placed next to a circuit breaker already in place. Advisedly compare this location to the encompass that was removed earlier to make sure it aligns with an unused location on the cover.^[5]

   • It's very important that the cover has provisions for exposing the new excursion billow by removal of the knockout plate. If there'southward no plate to be removed, the circuit breaker will accept to be located in a different identify on the panel.

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1. 1

   Brand sure you have the right circuit billow. The panel label will listing all the approved types of circuit breakers that tin be installed in the panel. Deviating from the list is a lawmaking violation and voids whatsoever UL, FM or other listing services' approval. For maximum condom, employ only those circuit breakers that are allowed to be installed in the console.^[6]

   • Typically, the just breakers allowed to be installed are from the same manufacturer of the panel - even if other make breakers are labeled as "fits (make name here) panels".
   • The breaker should be of an ampacity that does non exceed the circuit usher's rating. This is typically xv amps for #14 copper, 20 amps for #12 copper and thirty amps for #ten copper conductors or wires. Consult the code volume to determine sizes for other circuits.
   • The last size should be large enough for the wire to fit. The need to remove strands of wire to fit the terminal is an indication of an error somewhere along the line.

2. ii

   Set the circuit breaker handle to the OFF position. The circuit breaker has 3 possible positions: ON and OFF and a mid position when TRIPPED. Push the handle towards the OFF position before installing the breaker to ensure your own safe during the installation process.^[vii]

3. 3

   Align the circuit billow with the bars in the console. Tilt the circuit billow then that the hold-on clip on the bottom of the breaker is attached to the plastic "take hold of" bar in the console. Once attached, pivot the circuit breaker on the mechanical contact and roll towards the middle of the panel - making sure the motorcoach bar of the panel is withal aligned with the slot or opening on the circuit billow case.^[8]

   • Yous may take to utilise pressure to the billow for it to get fastened to the plastic bar.

4. 4

   Firmly press on the circuit breaker to seat information technology onto the bus bar. Use your thumb to press firmly just gently on the circuit breaker until it snaps into place on the double-decker bar. You don't accept to screw the breaker into identify; it's held in place past bound clips and the console cover.^[ix]

   • While it will require firm fifty-fifty pressure level to be seated, it should not have to be forced.

5. v

   Connect the circuit wiring to the electrical panel. After making certain the circuit breaker is however in the OFF position, connect the white neutral wire and the black hot wire to the breaker. Loosen the screw over the breaker'southward connection last, insert the wires into the advisable concluding locations, and then tighten the screw until snug.^[10]

   • Your circuit billow should have a label that indicates where to insert the neutral and hot wires.
   • If you're installing a double pole breaker, you'll connect it to both the black and ruby-red hot wires. Simply make certain you're using a switch that'south designed to be used as a double billow.^[11]
   • Note that there's no need to curve the end of the wire into a hook; it just needs to be straightly inserted into the connectedness last.

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1. 1

   Remove knockout plates from your cover every bit needed. Bring the cover up to the panel to compare the new circuit breaker location to the cover openings. Use a pair of pliers to remove whatever knockout plates on the comprehend location where the circuit billow will exist located.^[12]

   • To remove the knockout plate, but grip with the pliers and motion the metal dorsum and forth until it comes away.

2. 2

   Clean all foreign objects out of the panel and reinstall the cover. Remove any tools, wire scraps, or other foreign objects that could cause a short circuit from the interior of the panel. Then, place the cover on the console to check that the excursion breaker has fully been seated at both contact points and fits through the cover. Finally, rescrew the cover onto the panel.^[13]

3. 3

   Turn on the chief billow and test your new excursion breaker. Standing to the side of the console, restore ability to the console by setting the Service Disconnect or Main to "On" and then gear up the new circuit breaker to "On". Check for right operation of the new circuit (low-cal, outlet, etc.) with a examination light or meter.^[14]

   • Clear any brusque excursion before attempting a reset if excursion breaker instantly trips.

4. four

   Label the circuit breaker. Locate the panel's excursion directory on the inside of the panel door. Determine the circuit breaker location (or "excursion number") and write a clarification of the circuit (load type such as "refrigerator" or a location such as "living room") in the space provided. Exist sure to edit the directory if any circuits were moved to install the new circuit.^[15]

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Add New Question

• Question

  Should I install an additional circuit breaker in my home?

  

  Jesse Kuhlman is a Chief Electrician and the Owner of Kuhlman Electrician Services based in Massachusetts. Jesse specializes in all aspects of home/residential wiring, troubleshooting, generator installation, and WiFi thermostats. Jesse is besides the author of four eBooks on dwelling house wiring including "Residential Electric Troubleshooting" which covers basic electrical troubleshooting in residential homes.

  

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  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  The only reason you'd really need an additional excursion breakers is if 1 of your circuits is overloaded. For instance, if you have an Ac in your chamber window and you put one in another bedroom and those rooms are tied on the aforementioned circuit, that breaker will likely exist overloaded and trip.

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• Voltage levels as picayune as 50 volts can exist lethal under the right conditions. Virtually residential electrical systems are two to 5 times this value. Shut off power whenever working on circuits and never keep if unsure or uncomfortable performing the steps above.

• Always stand to the side of an electrical panel when turning circuit breakers "on". The amount of free energy beingness transferred is directly proportional to the amperage value rating on the circuit breaker. While a unmarried pole 15 or xx amp short circuit would probably not cause catastrophic damage, a double pole 100 or 200 amp short excursion certainly could. Standing off to the side takes a person largely (though not completely) "out of harms way".

• Never install a circuit breaker into a panel for which it was not designed. Many circuit breakers will physically fit into different panels, however just those identified on the panel's label are canonical for utilise. Using improper circuit breaker causes forfeiture of UL, Factory Common and all other "listings". Utilize of unlisted devices is a code violation and in extreme cases, may result in denial of a claim to the insurance company in the consequence of a loss.

• Prior to using whatsoever tester or meter, be sure information technology works by first checking on a known live circuit. If the device fails to indicate properly, do non employ until repaired or replaced.

• In the US, 120/240 systems (the type almost often institute in a residence or home) employ a color lawmaking for wiring; Blackness, Crimson, Blue "hot wires" and White neutral wires. In improver to 120/240 volt systems that appear in residences, many commercial and industrial settings also accept 277/480 systems. These higher voltage systems utilize a different colour scheme to immediately warning the electrician of the higher voltage panel. The colour scheme used for these systems is Brown, Orange, Xanthous (think "BOY") "hot wires" and Grey neutral wires. Be sure new wiring is installed in the correct panel.

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Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Voltage Tester or Meter
• Pliers

• Installing an extra circuit breaker tin can assist if one of your circuits is overloaded and trips frequently.^[16]

• If yous take a circuit breaker that's been overloaded for a long fourth dimension, and it's been tripped repeatedly, it may demand to be replaced entirely.^[17]

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Commodity Summary Ten

To install a excursion breaker, offset by turning off the power supply to the electrical panel and removing the cover over it. Brand sure y'all use a exam calorie-free or meter to verify that the power is off since it'southward dangerous to install a circuit breaker in a panel that withal has power. Once you've verified that the power is off, find an unused space adjacent to or betwixt existing circuit breakers and press the new excursion breaker into the infinite, making sure the circuit billow is in the "off" position beforehand. Finally, connect the circuit wiring to the electrical console. To learn how to choose the right excursion breaker for your installation, scroll down!

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