Electrical Repairs

Square D is a trade name for a manufacturing company that produces electrical devices and mechanisms. Most, if not all, of the products Square D manufactures have something to do with controlling...

The electrical breakers in the main circuit panel control the flow of power to the outlets and other devices in your home. It is important to keep them in good working order to prevent an...

Electrical outlets are the life source of power to our home, and connecting them safely and correctly is very important. The outlet is powered through the wiring from the main circuit panel in...

Having the right amount of access to electrical outlets in the home or garage is a necessity to getting your work done. Installing and wiring them correctly is equally as important. Always make...

Circuit breakers are the gateways that allow electricity to flow to and power the various devices in our homes. The breakers allow homeowners to turn on and off power at the main circuit panel....

The process of running wire through conduit is referred to as "snaking" or "fishing" the wire through the conduit. The best tool for this process is called a "fish tape." If the length of the...

The main circuit panel in a home is considered the heart of the electrical system. All the power from the lines outside flow into this panel, and from there are divided through the various...

Every year in the United States there are 28,300 residential fires caused by electrical defects that result in damages amounting to $995 million. Every year 360 lives are lost in these fires with...

Circuit breakers are a integral part of the electrical system within out homes. The main function of a breaker is to turn on or off the power to a particular outlet, set of outlets or device....

A circuit breaker's function is to ensure that power is turned off when a line gets damaged or becomes overloaded. Removing a mulfunctioning breaker from a panel is simple enough, but the dangers...

Most homes require two types of breakers: 110 volt and 220 volt. It is the larger of the two, the 200-volt breaker, that should be used for your electric dryer. This type of breaker is typically...

Maybe you've been using a gas range and want to convert to an electric one, or possibly you've moved into a new home that doesn't have a compatible outlet for your range. Regardless of the reason,...

Electrical current is measured in units of amperes, or amps for short. Your breaker panel manufacturer determines the maximum ampere rating for your panel, but that may or may not be the same as...

Circuit breakers are the main safety defense between electricity and your family. They're designedto halt the flow of electricity should there be a problem with the electrical line, outlet or a...

Grounding a hot water heater is the installation of a separate wire attached to the metal frame of the heater tank. This ground wire carries any errant electrical power back to the main electrical...

If you find that you can't operate the toaster, coffee pot and microwave at the same time without tripping a breaker, it may be time to add a new circuit in your kitchen. Or if the back of your...

Your service panel's ground wire prevents a line fault from becoming a shocking experience. By shunting excess line voltage back to the panel's neutral pole, the ground current forces the circuit...

The biggest difference between a gas dryer and an electric model is that most electric dryers require a 240-volt circuit to run whereas a gas model only needs a 120-volt circuit. The 240-volt...

The breaker panel is where the electrical current delivered to your home by the power company is divided into individual circuits. Electricity flows through the circuits into various rooms of the...

Square D circuit breaker panels are common installations in both new and old homes. Electricians like them because they are versatile and easy to install. 100 amp panels are suitable for...

Circuit breaker sub panels are used to distribute power through additional circuits. They connect to the main circuit breaker panel through single or double pole circuit breakers installed in the...

Circuit breakers are automatic safety switches that interrupt the flow of electricity when the current exceeds the maximum safe amperage. Single-pole circuit breakers handle 105 to 125 volts....

Adding a 220-volt outlet to your existing main electrical panel can only be done if there is room for a double pole 220-volt breaker. Open the panel door and check to see if there are two blank...

House wiring is a complex beast for the uninitiated, and a sense of mystery for those who have never even seen a circuit. The wiring in your house does not need to be difficult to understand--in...

A garage is a great place to have a workshop. Often, the builder only puts in a single 15 amp circuit for the lights, garage door opener and one receptacle to plug in a hedge trimmer or similar...

All of the appliances and electronics in our homes need electricity to work, so a steady, reliable flow of electricity is important. But, what happens if that flow stops? If the power in your home...

Circuit breakers are located inside the main electrical panel. These devices are used to shut off an electrical circuit in cases of amperage overloading, appliance failure or direct shorts to the...

Often you have to shut off electricity to house in order to provide a safe working environment for various home repairs and maintenance work. Failing to do so properly can set you up for injury,...

Ceiling fans circulate the air in a home to improve comfort. Over the patio, a ceiling fan will keep flies away while you eat. In the bedroom, a ceiling fan feels cool and comforting after a day...

When Mother Nature unleashes her fury and causes widespread power failures, you can enjoy the luxury of a back up power system in your home. This can save the food in the freezer and eliminate...

Since the late 1920s, and until the company's sale in 1973 to Sylvania, Zinsco was the worldwide leader in the production of circuit breakers and electric panels. Electrical panels and circuit...

Home circuit breakers come in two types: single pole (120 volts) and double pole (220 volts). Common appliance ratings range from 10 to 40 amperes, although higher amperages are sometimes...

Wiring the meter base panel or service entrance to a home's main electrical panel is performed for the transfer of the utility's electrical service for the consumer. Many utilities control the...

Bringing power from a breaker panel into a new (or old) house can be a pain. It's risky, it's confusing, and it can be complicated unless you know what you're doing. This article describes the...

Circuit breakers are sturdily built, but sometimes they do malfunction and need to be replaced. In most instances any internal work that needs to be done in an electrical panel box is best left to...

A technician determines the amperage on the electrical system of the home. This is done by dividing the full load by 120 or 240 (the voltage of the circuit) and multiplying the result by 1.25. The...

Circuit breakers, regardless of the size, serve two purposes: to safely conduct the electricity to a point of usage and to distribute that electrical power from the main panels bus bars. Circuit...

Learn how to replace a 15 amp circuit breaker on your electric service panel.

A volt meter gauge is a device that monitors and displays voltage levels. Some volt meter gauges have needle indicators. The needle indicates the voltage by pointing at a number on the face dial....

Central air conditioners can suck a lot of electricity from your home's electrical panel. If you simply add additional circuits, you run the risk or short-circuiting the system or violating state...

A meter for a 120-volt panel can monitor the voltage level, thereby providing useful information in cases when troubleshooting a system is involved. For example, if an electronic device that gets...

AMP meters are used whenever it is necessary to measure the amount of current flowing through an electrical wire. AMP meters measure units of current or energy called amps. When you know how many...

When you own your home, you learn that there is a never-ending list of jobs that need to be done. Some are expected and others aren't. One of the jobs that comes up that many people aren't...

What happens when you need to add a circuit to your home, but there are no available spare breakers in your Square D electrical panel? If your panel supports QOT tandem breakers, you simply...

If you live in a mobile home, you are not immune from the maintenance other homeowners have to deal with. For example, you may run into plumbing problems, leaky roofs or electrical problems from...

Consider how you use the garage now and how you may use it in the future. If all you'll ever need is electricity to power lights, run a simple 20-amp circuit from your house service panel and...

The main circuit breakers are shut off (wires are live/active) to prevent electrocution or death. The transfer switch will be installed next to the load center (house panel), on right or left hand...

You can kill a utility worker if you incorrectly wire a generator to your house. The generator will send current out of the house and into the line, so anybody trying to repair the line will get...

A tandem breaker fits two individual breakers into the size of one. That allows you to add new breakers when your breaker box doesn't have any new slots open for it. Assuming your circuit panel is...

An AFCI breaker is similar in form and function to the more familiar GFCI, but it serves a different purpose. AFCIs (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters) are designed to immediately interrupt voltage...