Circuit breakers are preferred over fuses for safety reasons. Both interrupt and halt the flow of electricity to prevent fires.
Make sure that the power is shut off by checking the breaker box with a voltage tester. Remove the breaker panel cover to gain access to the breaker box.
The old breaker will have a black insulated circuit wire connected to it, and a coiled white pigtail wire that runs to the neutral bus bar. Disconnect both wires from the breaker.
Electrical Wiring
If you have added a few lights, appliances or other devices to your home that are overloading existing circuits, it is a good idea to add an additional breaker. This will help balance the load so that you can run things without tripping Electric Breakers Installation.
Before you start working on any electrical wiring, always turn off the power to the entire service panel by flipping the switch at the top of the panel to the OFF position. This will prevent any accidental mistakes that could cause a dangerous electrical shock.
Then, locate the breaker box that you want to work on. If the breaker panel can support an extra circuit, there will be knockouts available to allow you to connect the new wire to the hot and neutral bus bars within the panel. You should also make sure that the breaker you are installing will fit into the opening, as different sized breakers have different mounting clips that lock them in place.
Circuit Breaker Box
Your breaker box is one of the more unexciting electrical necessities that we rely on, but it plays a critical role in making sure you and your home have electricity. It’s also a crucial safety component that prevents damage to wiring and electronics.
Electrical current flows through the main service wires into the breaker box, where it is split off for branch circuits that provide power to appliances and equipment in your home. A breaker can cut current that is running over its limit, which can protect against fires and electric shocks.
The breaker box has two large terminals, or lugs, where the service wires connect. They are always energized, except when the utility company shuts off the power or you use a disconnect switch at the meter location. The lugs and all the wiring that connect to them are covered by a dead front cover, which is removed when adding a new circuit breaker.
Circuit Breaker Wiring
To prevent arcing between electrical contacts, circuit breakers use mechanically stored energy to separate the opened contacts and eject conductive ionized gases and molten or vaporized metal. This energy comes from the higher current caused by a short circuit. Small circuit breakers use springs and compressed air to accomplish this, while larger units use solenoids or electric motors.
If your breaker box is wired with a grounding wire, route the copper cable to the ground bus bar, a strip of copper metal on each side of the breaker panel. Then connect the cable to your new breaker.
Locate the opening for a new circuit breaker by finding an empty spot in your service panel with a knockout tab you can feed wires through. Choose a breaker of an appropriate amperage and voltage for your system, consulting the breaker’s label or an amperage calculator. Before you connect any wires, test the power to make sure it is off by using a voltage tester or an indicator light on your breaker panel.
Breaker Replacement
If you’re looking to add a new circuit breaker to your breaker panel, the process is relatively simple. First, turn off all of the breakers by flipping them to the “off” position. This will prevent your home from drawing too much power at once and causing appliances to overheat.
Next, use a flashlight or work light to illuminate your workspace before removing the panel cover. You’ll want to make sure you can clearly see each individual breaker and the panel cover itself before starting the project.
Once you’ve removed the panel cover, locate the breaker that needs to be replaced and shut it off by flipping its reset lever to the OFF position. You’ll also need to disconnect the coiled black wire connected to it from the neutral bus bar in the panel. This can be done by loosening the screw terminal on the breaker and pulling up on the black wire. This will pull the breaker loose from its terminal and allow you to remove it but all of these complete by the Electrician CA