Things You'll Need:
- Screwdriver
- Electrical gloves
- Safety glasses
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Step 1
Put on your safety glasses and electrical gloves.
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Step 2
Open the Electrical panel containing your breakers and turn the main power switch to "OPEN" or "OFF."
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Step 3
Locate an available breaker socket and insert your GFI breaker into it. This may require some force as the breakers are held in with friction.
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Step 4
Locate the white wire coming off of the end of the GFI breaker. This wire is usually twisted in a spiraling shape and is referred to as a "pigtail."
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Step 5
Locate and loosen a mounting screw on the breaker box's buss bar. This is a narrow metal bar which is on the outer perimeter of the breaker box. This buss bar will have other white wires mounted to it if there are other GFI breakers.
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Step 6
Place the exposed portion of the white wire underneath the mounting screw within the mounting hole on the buss bar and tighten the mounting screw down and against it to hold it in place.
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Step 7
Locate the black "Load" wire for the circuit you are installing the breaker onto.
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Step 8
Locate the "Load" screw on the GFI breaker and loosen it slightly to accommodate the exposed portion of the black wire.
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Step 9
Wrap the exposed portion of the black wire around the underside of the screw's head and tighten the screw until the wire is firmly mounted in place.
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Step 10
Turn the GFI breaker into the "ON" or "CLOSED" position.
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Step 11
Turn the main power for the breaker panel back into the "ON" or "CLOSED" position.
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Step 12
Close the electrical breaker box.
