How to Connect a 30 Amp Circuit Breaker
Once the wiring of a new branch circuit is completed, the easiest part of the job remains -- attaching the circuit breaker to the service panel. Circuit breakers are attached to one or both of the electricity-carrying bus bars inside the service panel and serve to cut electrical current to a branch circuit in the event of an overload or short circuit. Faulty circuits generate heat and when a bimetal strip inside the breaker gets warm, it opens the circuit and trips a lever that must be reset by hand. Installing the circuit breaker requires only a few tools and can be done in less than 30 minutes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Wire cutters
- 30-amp circuit breaker
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Instructions
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Turn off the power to the service panel by flipping the main breaker at the top of the panel.
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2
Remove the metal cover over an empty breaker slot in the panel with a screwdriver if necessary. Occasionally there will be empty spot without a cover.
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Run the electrical cable through the panel's conduit and into the service panel. Strip an inch or so of insulation from the ends of the black and white wires. If the cable's ground wire is insulated (usually in green) strip the insulation from that, as well.
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Attach the white neutral wire to an available terminal on the white neutral bus bar with the screwdriver. Some service panels will have more than one neutral bar. It does not matter which neutral bar you use.
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Attach the ground wire to an available terminal on the ground bus bar. The ground bar can be identified by the green or bare copper wires attached to it from existing circuits.
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Insert the black hot wire into the terminal on the end of the circuit breaker. The terminal itself will secure the wire.
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Affix the breaker to the hot bus bar by first slipping the non-terminal end into place followed by the terminal end. The ends of the breaker clip to a holder and the bus bar. You should feel it click into place.
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Restore power to the service panel.
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References
- Photo Credit meter housing image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
