Everything You Need to Know About Your Home’s Main Circuit Breaker

The main circuit breaker is always located in your home’s electrical service panel box, which is a series of switches usually found behind a gray metal door. Each switch controls the flow of electricity to a specific area of your house. The main circuit breaker, which is located near the top or bottom of the electrical service panel box, controls the electricity throughout your home. Understanding your main circuit breaker is important when it comes to dealing with electrical outages and similar situations in your Oakdale, CA home.

More about your home’s main circuit breaker

Your home’s main circuit breaker is the largest in your electrical service panel box, and controls the most power. You’ll usually find a number by the main circuit breaker, which identifies how much power the circuit can handle. The breaker will trip if it experiences more power than it can take.

The voltage capacity for your main circuit breaker is always 240 volts, while the amperage level is usually either 100, 150 or 200 amps. Some older homes may have an amperage level of around 60 amps, and smaller breakers often have an amperage level of 15 to 20 amps.

When to use your home’s main circuit breaker

Whenever electrical work is being done on your home, it’s important to shut off the electricity. When working on a specific area of the home, you could just turn off one breaker. However, it’s always safer to shut off all your power. Those experiencing major issues with their electrical system may have to shut it off for a period of time.

It’s important to note that you should never remove your electrical service panel box’s cover. If resetting your main circuit breaker doesn’t fix the electricity, it’s best to call in a professional. This is especially true if your breakers are repeatedly turning on and off.

Properly resetting your circuit breaker

Electrical surges are the main cause of breaker trips. Thunderstorms can sometimes cause electrical surges. So can plugging too many appliances into one outlet. Usually, you’ll just need to find the circuit breaker that has tripped and reset it. If this doesn’t work, it’s likely time to contact a residential electrician in your area.

Safety should always be a primary concern. Before resetting your circuit breaker, it’s best to put on safety goggles, as sparks can sometimes occur. It’s also a good idea to wear gloves and possibly rubber boots. You’ll want to turn off each smaller breaker before resetting the main circuit breaker. After flipping the main circuit breaker, you can turn on all the smaller ones individually.

If you’re uncomfortable with using your breaker box, there’s no shame in calling an electrician. Being cautious is better than making a mistake that causes major injuries.

By having a better understanding of the main circuit breaker in your Oakdale, CA home, you’ll know exactly what to do when a power issue occurs. If electrical problems persist, reach out to the experts at Wilkinson Electric Inc. today.

Categorised in: Circuit Breaker Change Outs

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