Installing A Circuit Breaker In An Existing Panel

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Installing a circuit breaker in an existing panel.

With all circuit wires connected the circuit breaker can be snapped into place into its panel slot. Turn the afci breaker handle to the off position. The b phase feeds the second row breakers three and four and so on down the panel. These standards set the minimum safety standards for panel boxes.

If you re installing a breaker on a sub panel place the neutral and ground on separate bus bars. Connect the circuit wiring to the electrical panel. Connect the white circuit wire not the coiled white wire to the breaker terminal labeled panel neutral or white connect the black circuit wire to the breaker terminal labeled load power or black. On afci or gfci breakers this circuit wire will be attached to the terminal marked load power or black finally for afci or gfci breakers attach the breaker s coiled white pigtail wire to the neutral bus bar in the panel.

Route the afci neutral pigtail and ground wires to empty screws on the neutral bus and tighten. If the service panel does not have room for new circuit breakers and you cannot use tandem breakers a subpanel may be the answer. The national electric code nec includes the minimum standards for installing a circuit breaker panel box. After making sure the circuit breaker is still in the off position connect the white neutral wire and the black hot wire to the breaker.

Loosen the two breaker terminal screws. Snapping the circuit breaker into place is the easiest part of the job but it s important to take some safety precautions before you begin the installation. Clear a knockout panel install cable clamps in the hole and feed the wires through the clamp. On a main panel you connect the ground wire from the new cable and the neutral white pigtail from the afci to the neutral bus.

Tighten the clamp to secure the wires. The a phase feeds breakers one and two the top row. Plan to work during the daytime as you will need to shut off all power in your home during most of the project. Loosen the screw over the breaker s connection terminal insert the wires into the appropriate terminal locations then tighten the screw until snug.

Snap the breaker into place by clipping it to the hot bus bar. To install a new circuit you will need an open slot in your breaker panel for a new circuit breaker. A subpanel connects to the main service panel with a thick three wire cable. Three of these standards concern the box location clearance and space around the box and box height.

Install the breaker first.