How To Change A Bad Circuit Breaker

There are times when  circuit breakers go bad and needs replacing or you just need to add a breaker in your electrical panels. This can be a fairly simple job but it can also, at times be somewhat difficult and always a dangerous job. You must always remember to respect electricity because it does not respect you.

There are are quite a few different brands of electrical panels out there and each one has a slightly different design than the others. Some brands such as Square D have a design unlike others in their QO type of  panels. The buss work is different which makes the way their breakers snap on to the buss work different. But basically the procedures in adding or replacing breakers in a panel are the same.

There are two places on the breaker that make contact with the panel. These two places are on each end of the breaker. The end with the screw in lug where the wire goes clips on a spot attached to the frame of the panel and this end will snap in first. Then the other end opposite of the lug snaps onto  the “hot” buss bar. Make sure that the breaker is turned off before snapping it into the panel so that the wire lug will not become hot when you snap the breaker onto the buss bar.

Then you put the wire into the lug and securely tighten and you are ready to turn the breaker on and reinstall the panel cover.

It is best to buy the same type breaker that the panel calls for even though many breaker types will fit into other brands of electrical equipment. And remember to be very careful when working with electricity and if you do not feel comfortable with it then call a qualified electrician to do the job for you. It would be better to be out a little money than seriously injured.

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*Circuit Breakers

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