How To Change Your Main Breaker? A Step by Step Guide

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Are you tired of seeing the red light on your home appliances so often? Do you feel like your home has become a dingy prison instead of a happy, cozy home? If you are nodding your head right now and thinking how much you hate power breakers then this post is for you. Your house breaking power because of an old or weak breaker. You need to change it as soon as possible.

Read on to know how and why: A weak power breaker will cause frequent tripping and shutting down of your utilities and appliances. This can be quite annoying at times – especially when it happens during dinner or some other important event. It can also result in high electricity bills if these incidents keep occurring again and again because the costs add up over time.

Here is everything you need to know about changing main power breakers in your home:

5 Reasons for changing your main breaker

Here are the top reasons that will motivate you to change your main circuit breaker:

-Your current circuit breaker is old and probably worn out

-You want to upgrade your main circuit breaker. Maybe from 20 amps to 50 amps

-Damaged circuit breaker

Whichever reason you have, here are the steps that you should follow when replacing your main circuit breaker.

Step 1: Wear your electric safety gear

Make sure you wear safety gear like rubber gloves, long sleeves, protective eyewear, and a face mask. You can also wear a breathing mask if there is any chance of the breaker box being dusty.

These precautions will keep your hands safe and your body unharmed in case anything goes wrong while you are changing the main breaker.

You need to be extra careful when dealing with electricity. It is one of the most dangerous things in the world and one that you don’t want to mess with.

Step 2: Find the location of the breaker panel and analyze its set up

Now, you need to find the breaker panel. It is usually located in an attic or a basement. Once you’ve found it, carefully open the panel cover. You need to be careful not to touch any wires.

If you accidentally touch it, there is a high chance that you will get electrocuted.

The panel will have different circuit breakers and a diagram that shows which appliances use which breakers.

Step 3: Turn off the main breaker and disconnect the conductors

Now that you have found the main breaker and analyzed its set up, you need to turn off the breaker. It is usually red or orange in color. Make sure you turn it off at the source as opposed to pressing the reset button. This will make it easier for you to put it back on later.

Now use a screwdriver to disconnect all the conductors from the breaker. Make note of which ones you’ve disconnected so that you don’t mix them up when you go to reconnect them later.

Step 4: Remove the circuit breaker

You need to remove the old breaker completely before you can put in the new one. Usually, it will pop right out. However, in some cases, you may need a screwdriver to pry it out. Make sure you don’t damage the panel when you are doing so. Now, you can put the new breaker in its place. Make sure it clicks into place and that the wires are in the right slots. Finally, you can put the conductors back on the new breaker.

Step 5: Install the new circuit breaker

Now that you have removed the old breaker and put the new one in its place, you can test the new main breaker and rectify all the mistakes Now close the panel cover and turn on the main breaker. If everything is set up correctly, then you will see the lights on the appliances turn on. If not, then you need to go back and check your work. Make sure you have put everything back in the correct place.

Step 6: Test the new main breaker and rectify all the mistakes

Now that you have turned the main breaker on, you need to test the new circuit breaker. Turn on the appliances one by one to see if they work. If an appliance doesn’t turn on, then there is something wrong with the circuit breaker or the wiring connected to it. In this case, you need to go back and fix the mistakes.

Step 7: Cover the breaker panel

Image source TheSpruce

Finally, you need to cover the breaker panel. You can use a wooden board or even a piece of fabric to cover it. Make sure that you don’t put any heavy objects on top of it. This will make sure that no one accidentally opens the panel and gets electrocuted.

The wooden boards are usually better because they have holes in them that allow for airflow. This will help keep the panel cool and will prevent it from overheating.

Safety precautions to take when changing your main breaker

As we’ve already mentioned, when dealing with electricity, you have to be extra careful. Make sure you don’t wear loose clothing or jewelry that can get caught in any moving parts.

You also need to make sure you work in a well-ventilated area, and that there are no loose objects lying around.

Last, but not least, make sure that the breaker box is clean and dry before you begin working on it. Dirt and moisture can damage the electrical components and can make touching parts in the box even more dangerous.

Conclusion

Using the steps that we have outlined in this guide, now you should be able to change your main breaker safely and easily.  Ensure that the new circuit breaker has the right specifications for your building. Also, ensure that it is of premium quality.

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