Circuit breakers

Multiple circuit breakers and fuses can be installed on a single circuit.
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Citcuit breaker
Cirtcuit breakerThings that cause Breaker to trip
Push fully OFF then push fully back ON
Water heater is tripping breaker

1) Undersized breaker for load. Add up wattage of all loads. Divide total wattage by voltage to find total amp draw. Move loads to different circuit. Stagger usage. Install new wire and breaker. Do not add larger breaker to undersized wire. Color code for wire
2) Breaker is loose on busbar. Jiggle breaker with fingers and listen for crackling sound and smell of burned contacts. Remove breaker and inspect for damage. Move breaker to different slot.
3) Breaker has gone bad. Replace breaker. how-to-replace circuit breaker
- Wire connected to breaker is loose. Turn off main breaker. Tighten wires very tight. NEVER use aluminum wire. Use solid copper wire for size 14-12-10-8 gauge.
4) Overamperage condition exists. Reset breaker fully off and fully back on. If problem is chronic, add larger breaker and wire.
5) Short circuit or insulation condition exists. Use nose and eyes to find potential problem.
6) Other causes: nail or staple has cut into wire, rodent damage to wire, lightning strike, How to find short circuit

7) GFCI breakers trip under two different conditions: if any of the above conditions exist, and if a ground fault exists. how-to-find-ground-fault
General types of circuit breakers
Push down 1" wide
single-pole breaker
1" wide Push down breaker
Plug-in breaker

Single pole to supply power to 120 volt circuit
Buy:
Choose from 15 to 60 amp
Eaton CL series
Siemens 15-60 amp

Push down 2" wide
double-pole breaker
2" wide Push down breaker
Plug-in breakers

Double pole for 2 separate circuits, or for 240 volt
Buy:
Choose from 15 to 125 amp
Choose from 15 amp to 200 amp
Eaton CL series circuit breaker
Siemens circuit breaker

breaker base
For 1" wide push down
60 amp 4 breaker 
125 amp 8 breaker

-Use breaker base inside Intermatic control center.
-Use for control box
Other option is din rail mounted breaker

Buy:
4 breaker spaces
8 breaker spaces

Resource:
How to wire subpanel
Square D / schneider
Buy:
Square D circuit breaker
schneider circuit breaker

Square D homeline/ 1" push down
Buy:
homeline circuit breaker

Murray MP breaker/ 1" push down
Buy:
murray circuit breaker

Eaton circuit breaker
Buy: Eaton
QO Snap on 1" wide
single-pole breaker
1" wide Snap-down breaker
Buy single-pole:
20 amp single-pole
QO circuit breakers at Amazon
QO Snap on 2" wide
double-pole breaker
2" wide Snap-down breakers
Buy double-pole:
20 amp double-pole
QO circuit breakers at Amazon
GE thin
GE-Breakers
GE Breakers
Thin series fits GE panels
Buy:
GE circuit breakers at Amazon
Federal Pacific
GE-Breakers
Fits Federal pacific panels
Buy:
Federal Pacific circuit breaker
QOU Surface mount
Feed-thru circuit breaker
Minature

Comes with mounting foot and threaded mounting foot
See image
Thermal and Magnetic Trip
120/240 VAC  .... 12-48 VDC
Certified for Reverse Connection
Buy:
50 amp
Feed Through Circuit Breaker

Resource:
Reverse feed circuit breaker pdf
Solar power circuit breaker
DC circuit breakers
Combiner PV breaker


For use on DC power coming form solar PV installations

Characterized by higher amp and volt range than automobile & boat and marine DC breakers

Buy:
solar Circuit Breaker

Din rail mount
Minature circuit breaker


For panel mount, surface mount or control box installation

Buy:
Din rails
din rail circuit breaker
Minature circuit breaker

Two functions in one.
Overcurrent protection and ground fault interruption.

Buy:
Double pole GFCI

Resource:
How to wire GFCI breaker
Tandem breaker fills single slot

Use tandem breaker when more breaker spaces are needed.
Combine two lightweight circuits onto one bus.

Buy:
Single-pole tandem breaker
Tandem breakers

Resource:
Not enough space for circuit breaker
3-phase/ triple breaker
3 pole circuit breaker
-Residential homes have single-phase that use 2 wire system, Hot-Hot or Not Neutral.

-3-pole breakers are used for commercial 3-phase applications, where each load requires 3 hot wires.

Resources:
What is 3-phase
Difference single-phase and 3-phase
Main breaker


Buy:
Main breaker

Resources:
How to wire service disconnect
Boat and marine breaker

Reset circuit breaker
DC circuit breaker
Waterproof
12-48 volt DC for marine
12 volt car

Buy:
Reset circuit breaker

Circuit breaker guidelines
- Multiple circuit breakers and fuses can be installed on a single circuit.
-Circuit breakers are used to protect a circuit from too many amps:  A circuit can be any length of wire that is connected to outlet, switch, light, HVAC etc.
- Circuit must be properly grounded. Ground wire protects circuit breakers, wires, and devices from overload. Why you need ground
- Circuit breakers work with any voltage typically found in residential and commercial applications, for example 120-240 volt, 120-208 commercial and residential, and 277-480 volt commercial etc.
What is 208 volt
What is 277 volt

Circuit breaker basics
Electricity is volts and amps: Voltage is a potential between two wires or a wire and any grounded surface. Amperage is a measure of electrons getting pushed down a wire by voltage at any given time. As a general rule, voltage remains relatively steady all times (except for brief surge events etc), but amperage varies. When more loads are operating, then more amperage flows along the wire. The voltage does not increase when light bulb turns on. The voltage stays relatively steady 120 volts no matter how many lights are turned on.. Instead, the amperage, or number of electrons flowing down the wire increase when more lights are turned on.

- Circuit breakers do not respond to voltage, although if severe overvoltage caused by lightning strike or malfunction of power company transformer exceeds manufacturer's specifications, then the breaker will melt and no longer be serviceable.
- Circuit breakers respond to amperage, or more exactly the heat caused by amperage flowing along the line. Circuit breakers are rated by amps (or current of electrons being pushed down the wire by voltage).

Overcurrent protection
- Circuit breakers are called Overcurrent protection, and prevent overamperage or too much amperage from traveling down the wire. If too many electrons are getting pushed through the matrix or atomic structure of a conductor (wire), then resistance on the wire goes up. Resistance is like friction that cause wire to get hot.
- When heat exceeds breaker rating, the breaker trips. Wire size must match the breaker rating. If the wire is too small for the breaker, then the breaker will allow too many amps onto the wire, creating overheated wire that does not get hot enough to trip breaker, and instead becomes fire hazard.
- Wire size and breaker amp rating must match: Color code for wire
- This also means that cooler ambient temperatures will allow more amperage to flow along a wire, and shows importance of locating circuit breaker box, subpanel, control box, electrical equipment etc away from direct sunlight or heat source.

Circuit breakers are generally not fast acting when overcurrent condition exists. This is by design to allow brief surge of electrons to pass down the wire when motor load or other inductive load starts up. If the breaker was fast acting, then a motor that draws 2 or 3x more amps during start-up would blow the breaker each time. The breaker will trip if the overamperage lasts beyond the brief delay period, or if a condition exists where two motors are both drawing start-up amps at same time. Fast acting fuses are available.
Delay timer for 2 motors

- GFCI circuit breakers combine two different parameters: overcurrent protection and GFCI. The breaker can trip if either condition exists. The GFCI will trip instantly if ground fault is detected, but the breaker still operates as ordinary overcurrent protection in all other conditions. How to wire GFCI breaker

Push down breakers fit into a rail, then pushes down or stabs onto busbar

How to replace a circuit breaker
Push down breaker
Install circuit breaker
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How to replace a circuit breaker
Square D circuit breaker
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Circuit breakers
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Wire connected to circuit breaker
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How to wire 240 volt outlets
How to reset circuit breaker
Install electric subpanel
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How to wire subpanel
breaker installed in box
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Square D circuit breaker
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Install circuit breaker
Hook against rail or snap down onto rail, and then snap down onto flat busbar
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Hook on
single-pole CH breaker
CH cutler Hammer
Buy single-pole:
20 amp single-pole
CH circuit breakers at Amazon
Hook on
double-pole breaker
CH cutler Hammer
Buy double-pole:
20 amp double-pole
CH circuit breakers at Amazon
Tandem circuit breaker
How to add more space in breaker box

Ampacities of wire
How to match wire and breaker size
How to figure volts, amps and watts

Larger image of subpanel
The ground wire in this photo should be moved to separate busbar and not connected to neutral busbar.
If the subpanel has 120 and 240 volt circuits, then neutral is required.
If the subpanel has only 240 volt, then neutral is not needed... and ground wire is connected to busbar as shown in photo
Resource:
How to install subpanel
240 Volt circuit breaker
Question: Are both sides of the breaker 30 amp or one each one of them 15 amp ?

Answer: I had that discussion with a guy and did some research on electrician forums... which was a battle over sine waves and ultimately inconclusive.

Then I remembered reading an industry .pdf that said you can make a 240 breaker by combining 2 single-pole breakers, but that code requires you to install a 'common bar' between the breaker so if one trips, then the other breaker also trips...
Then I remembered the oscillating (sine wave) nature of electricity, where AC power reverses the direction of electrons 60 times per second... over and over and over... and how the voltage rises and falls as electrons come to a stop, reverse direction and accelerate the opposite direction... yet the average voltage is always above zero, and the oscillations happen so fast that it is not a noticeable factor for electricity as we humans use it.
Then I remembered that each leg of a 240 volt circuit is out-of-phase with the other leg.... which means the sine wave for one leg is mirror of the other leg... and the load receives more sustained power ...which is why we use 240 volt instead of 120 volts... because it is more efficient. This means each leg is delivering power to the load, and thus is independent of the other leg. Of course that is true because the electrons travel back and forth on the wire... and so one leg is pushing electrons when the other leg is pulling electrons ... this increasing total power, and this can be represented by the formula E = IR, or power (watts) = volts x amp. The formula shows if you have 30 amp, and change the voltage from 120 to 240, then the power (watts) goes up, or the amps (heat loss on wire) decreases.
... the final conclusion... the answer is that both breakers are 30 amp... because both are pushing and pulling electrons down the wire, like pedaling a bicycle with two legs instead of one.
... so yes... the answer is that both breakers are 30 amp.
Resources:
Figure volts amps watts
Formulas for ohm's law
What is electricity
How a generator works
circuit breaker

Circuit breaker Resources

Water heater is tripping breaker
How to replace circuit breaker
How to wire gfci
Can AC breaker be used for DC breaker
How to reset circuit breaker
Not enough space for circuit breakers
Circuit breakers
How to install subpanel
Why you need ground wire
Match breaker and wire size
How to wire subpanel
See inside breaker box
How to wire whole house surge protector
How to wire safety switch
Circuit breakers
Turn off circuit breaker before working on electric wiring
Maximum 12 boxes per circuit
240 volt must be a connected double-breaker.

It is ok for a circuit to have multiple breakers and fuses as long as each matches amp rating of breaker and wire size.
Resources:
How to replace circuit breaker
How to wire gfci
Match breaker and wire size
See inside breaker box
Not enough space in breaker box
Circuit breakers are rated by amps
Breakers are safe for any voltage.
240 volt must be a connected double-breaker
Types of breakers include:
Single breaker for 120 volt
Double breaker for 240 volt
Tandem breaker to add more breaker space
GFCI breaker for vulnerable circuits

Resources
Tandem breakers
How to wire GFCI breaker 
Are both sides of 30 amp double breaker 30 amp
Code says: Use connected/ double-pole breaker
A double breaker can be used for 2 separate 120 volt circuits.
Against code: Use 2 single breakers to supply 240 volt, unless the switches are connected and rated for same amps.

If breakers are connected, then if one side (leg) trips the other side usually trips off too. 
If breakers are NOT connected, then one leg might be tripped, and other leg not tripped.
A double breaker that is tripped on one leg poses a threat if working on the circuit. Never assume power is OFF. To reset, push fully off then back on.

If double breaker is rated for 30 amp, then BOTH sides of the breaker are each 30 amp (not 15 each)
Power is doubled with 240 volt vs 120 volt, amps are not halved.

Resource: 240 volt breaker keeps tripping
main breaker box120 Volt and 240 Volt breakers
-Image shows 120 Volt line and 240 Volt breakers inside residential main panel or breaker box.
-All circuits have ground wire.
-Both 120 and 240 require two wires to complete circuit.
-120V requires 1 hot and 1 neutral
-240V requires 2 hots from different busbars.
-Ground wires are for safety.
Resources:
Read more about 240 volt
Why you need ground wire

-Neutral not necessary to complete 240Volt circuit. However some 240Volt lines have additional neutral wire. However, 
-240Volt lines can be white and black or red and black

-Modern breaker boxes have separate Neutral and Ground busbars that are bonded together electrically. Older boxes often have one busbar for both Neutral and Ground.
-Illustration shows Neutral and Ground busbars on same side of box so it is easier to illustrate wires. In actual box, the Neutral and Ground busbars are on opposite sides.
Resources:
Color code and wire sizes
Larger image
Main lug wiringMain breaker wires are HOT when main breaker is OFF unless meter is pulled

When working inside main breaker box, the lugs on main breaker are Hot all the time, even when main breaker is turned OFF.
Absolute electrocution danger when removing cover off main panel. 
How to pull meter


Electricity leaves power plant What is 3-phase electric: power plant to end user
See inside main breaker box
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