Circuit breakers are an essential part of your electrical system, allowing you to power appliances and devices safely. Learn how to install a new breaker and wire it so your home can handle the load.
To begin, turn off the power to the
breaker panel by flipping the main switch. Use a voltage tester to ensure the
breaker is completely de-energized.
Wiring
Using the floor plan as a guide,
mark the location of every receptacle, switch, fixture, and major appliance that
will be connected to the new circuit. Next, draw lines representing the
electrical cable that will run to these devices.
Begin by switching off the power to the Electric Breakers Installation. Use a non-contact tester to check each breaker and wire for electricity before you remove the panel cover. If a tester lights up or beeps, there is still power feeding that circuit. Turn the breakers off, one by one, until the tester is silent.
Note that the breaker terminals have
different sizes for wires. Ensure that the terminal size is large enough to
accept the wire you are connecting. If you have to strip a lot of wire from the
end, it is too small. Terminate the neutral wire at the breaker with a screw
or, if you are installing an AFCI or GFCI breaker, use a coiled white wire (a
“pigtail”) to terminate the neutral at the breaker.
A circuit breaker panel, also called
an electrical panel or breaker box, is a metal box that contains all of the
circuit breakers in your home. It is usually located in a utility room,
basement, or garage and has a hinged door that protects the circuit breakers
inside.
Before starting the breaker
installation process, always make sure that the main breaker switch is in the
off position. Leaving the switch in the on position can cause a power surge
that will damage or ruin your new circuit breaker.
Start with the neutral wire, which
is the white pigtail attached to the circuit breaker in the panel. Remove the
screw that holds it in place and loosen it with a screwdriver to expose the
wire terminals beneath. Then, insert the end of the wire into one of the
terminals and tighten the setscrew to clamp it down. Repeat this process for
the hot wire (the black and red service wires), which connects to the breaker in
the panel.
Preparation
Before working on a breaker box it’s
important to shut off power to the panel. Then remove the panel cover to expose
the hot bus bars. Be careful to never touch them as they can still carry a live
voltage. Use a multimeter to check for voltage in the neutral and incoming
wires. Plug the black wire into the spot that says COM or Common, and the red
wire into the spot with the horseshoe symbol (usually marked V or VOLT).
Next, remove the screws that hold
the panel cover plate on, being careful not to lose them. Then locate the
breaker to be replaced and flip it to the OFF position. After identifying the
breaker you’ll need to run cable from each electrical box to your new circuit
breaker, following the plan you created in Step 2. Make sure the wires are
routed so that they are less likely to brush against hot bus bars. Orderly
wires are also easier to identify and work with.
Testing
Once the breaker has been installed
and wired, it’s time to test it. Start by shutting off the power to the breaker
with a digital multimeter. Set the meter to the AC voltage range that
corresponds with your home, either 200 volts or 240 volts. Plug the positive
probe into the breaker’s terminal and the negative probe into a metal surface
nearby.
If the breaker doesn’t trip, it’s ready to use. If it does trip, turn off the power at the breaker panel and make sure that it’s completely shut off then you will need Electrician CA.
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