How
to replace circuit breaker
 Instructions:
Turn off electricity > > remove wire from breaker
>
pull old breaker off busbar > use screwdrive between breakers to
gently pry up breaker> rotate out > remove other
end of
breaker off cleat or bar or metal rod > buy matching brand
breaker > check
busbar for damage > install new breaker onto cleat or bar
>
rotate breaker down to busbar > push new breaker firmly onto
busbar
> re-attach wire > tighten screw very tight against
copper wire
Read detailed steps below: See all breaker images from this page |
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 See Square D larger |
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1. Tools needed: Flat tip screwdriver, ordinary electrical tester and sometimes, needle-nose pliers 2. Find main shut-off > it is largest breaker > the number 60, 100, 150 or 200 is printed on main breaker to show total Amps of service <> label all breakers before starting (look ahead to 32-37 below)3. Mark bad breaker before removing cover <> buy matching brand breaker with identical Amp rating at electric supply or home center or hardware store <> identify brand by manufacture name on breaker box cover |
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METER PULL 4. No
main shut off? 5. A license might be required for a ‘meter pull’ or a ‘smart-meter turn-off’ 6. If no license is required, electric company will remove locked collar from around electric meter, for a charge 7. Before pulling meter, turn off all circuit breakers in main breaker box 8. Pull meter out to turn off all electricity to house <> the meter has 4 prongs that stab into meter box, similar to an extension cord plugging into a wall socket <> the meter is held in place by friction, there are no screws 9. Pulling meter requires a stout pull downward and then upward <> usually you pull downward on top of meter and then push up, going up & down to loosen and remove meter > removing meter will turn off electricity to whole house including breaker box <> however meter box will still have live electricity <> stand on dry boards when pulling meter <> turn off all circuit breakers in main breaker box before pulling or re-installing meter 10. Do not put hand or
screwdriver inside meter box 11. After work is finished, stab meter back into box and household electricity will resume. Electric company drops by later and puts collar back on [do not tamper with meter, they will find out and put your brother-in-law in jail] A METER PULL IS NECESSARY ONLY WHEN BREAKER BOX DOES NOT HAVE MAIN SHUT-OFF or if you are replacing main breaker |
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> meter box
still has live electricity > if kids are around, they will play
with
meter box
after you go inside to change breaker > for safety around kids,
turn the
meter upside down and push it back into place.
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12. If the breaker box has a main shut off, a meter pull is not necessary. Turn off main breaker and remove front panel to reveal breakers 13. 14. 15. 16. |
 Larger image |
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17. Use
extreme caution inside breaker box MAIN BREAKER STILL HAS HOT ELECTRICITY even when main breaker is turned off. Stay away from main breaker unless meter is pulled. 18. Notice there are two vertical rows of breakers 19. Behind each breaker is a busbar > there are two busbars, one for each row of breakers 20. Busbars carry electricity from main breaker to the individual breakers 21. No screws hold breaker to breaker box. Breaker attaches by friction <> breaker end with a wire snaps onto a cleat or metal rod, the other breaker end ‘stabs’ onto busbar. 22. Breakers
have one or two wires attached
with a screw <> these are hot wires <>
120 Volt breakers have
one hot wire <> 240 Volt breakers have two hot wires
<> notice that
white wires and bare copper wires attach to exposed metal bar
called the neutral busbar <> it is safe to touch neutral
busbar assuming white and ground wires are not loose. 23. Main breaker is OFF, but double-check electricity is turned off to small breakers. To do this, leave individual breakers turned on 24. Put tester on breaker screw where wire attaches and touch other prong of tester to neutral busbar where white wires attach <> or test between screw on breaker and nearby copper ground wire or bare metal part of breaker box. 25. Test several breakers to check electricity is off 26. If electricity is on, you can proceed at high risk: be careful not to touch hot busbars <> for safety, turn off all individual breakers |
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27. Replace the breaker: mark bad breaker before removing cover <> use digital camera to record images if necessary 28. Remove wire(s) attached to breaker (this is the end of breaker that is attached to a metal rod or a cleat) 29. Breakers are held in place at both ends <> one end locks into a cleat -or- snaps onto metal rod <> other end of breaker rotates to busbar and then 'stabs' onto the busbar see image 30.Remove breaker <> start removal at end with no wire <> remember this end of breaker is stabbed onto the busbar and it is usually pretty tight <> put a small flat-tip screwdriver between breakers and gently pry breaker up and off busbar 31. Once breaker is loose, it will rotate out > sometimes old breakers fall into pieces > make sure these pieces don’t drop behind other breakers > use insulated needle nose pliers to remove all pieces > if main breaker is turned off, and you checked with a tester, then busbar carries no electricity and is safe to touch while removing broken circuit breaker. Or use insulated needle nose pliers. |
 Breaker stabs on busbar |
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32. Burned and damaged busbar? Look at busbar where bad breaker was connected > if busbar is burned and broken, then new breaker will have to fit into another slot
34. When no extra slot is available, easiest solution is tandem breaker. If no tandem breaker is available, then you can double up on another breaker and that breaker will now serve 2 circuits. Doubling up is ok for 120V circuits when you double up two lightly-used circuits. For example attic lights and spare bedroom. This will buy time until you can install subpanel. 34a. Note the difference between 120V and 240V: Doubling a burned out 240 breaker invites more problems. For 240V breakers, a subpanel is best idea since each 240V appliance is given its own dedicated breaker to meet specific amp draw of that appliance. So don't double up 240V breakers. How to install a subpanel 35. If you double up 120V, then double on same size breaker as being replaced > for example, if bad breaker was 20 Amp, select another 20 Amp breaker. Do not attach wire to breaker rated for more amps than original <> for example, damaged breaker was 20 amp, do not double on 30 Amp breaker <> connecting wire to oversized breaker is clear fire hazard especially since replaced breaker burned up most likely from heavy use. 36. When you double up,
refer
to your panel door where all breakers are labeled and find which nearby
breaker is not being
used
heavily > then attach wire from bad breaker to the chosen double
up breaker. It may be necessary to add additional length to wire to
reach double-up breaker <> use same gauge wire. See
standard wire gauges 37. Avoid doubling up on 'dedicated' breaker <> for example a microwave oven usually draws so much wattage that a single breaker is dedicated to that appliance. Avoid refrigerator breaker for same reason. When in doubt, simply add up wattage of each item drawing power from breaker <> take total wattage and divide by 120 V <> this gives total Amps on that circuit <> if the Amp draw is lower than your 20 Amp breaker, then the circuit should be safe until you install subpanel. Read about Volts, Amps, Watts |
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| 38.
If
busbar is OK > then new breaker goes back in same slot where bad
breaker was 39. A matching brand breaker with same amp rating is necessary <> do not get creative and put in larger amp breaker 40. Attach wire(s) to breaker before pushing breaker in place see image <> tighten screw(s) very tight against copper wire 41. The wire-end of breaker attaches first. 42. Once wire-end of breaker is seated, rotate breaker down onto busbar <> firmly push new breaker down on busbar <> push hard and make sure new breaker sits even with all other breakers |
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43. To prevent later problems, tighten screws on other breakers <> DO NOT touch main breaker or wires going to main breaker 44. Tighten screws on neutral busbar where the white and bare copper wires attach <> be very careful around main breaker <> don’t let your screwdriver slip 44. After screws are tight, re-attach front cover panel temporarily with 2 screws |
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45. Turn on main breaker and check new circuit 46, If circuit is working, then finish by putting all screws on cover panel > wiggle panel around so screws go in > extra panel screws available at home center 46. Cover must be tight to prevent sparks from exiting breaker confine |
Subpanel lets you add more breakers and circuits to existing breaker box.
Subpanel is a breaker box without a main breaker. It is usually added next to main breaker box.
Just like main breaker box, subpanel has 2 hot busbars and 1 neutral busbar.
Subpanel receives power from main breaker box through a 240V breaker inside main box.
For example, remove any 240 breaker in main box, and install 60 amp breaker in its place.
Then run 6 gauge wire from new 60 Amp breaker over to the subpanel. see wire gauge chart.
The #6 wire connects to busbars in the subpanel.
This will power additional breakers, and give added circuits.
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Typical
breakers 240Volt breaker is twice as wide as 120Volt breaker Tandem breaker can replace single 120Volt breaker |
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Example showing
240Volt Square D breaker Breaker snapped onto rail, and then pushed down onto the hot busbars |
