Breaker Panel?

ccag235

One thing I hate is opening a breaker panel door and not seeing a list for the breakers in it. I bought an old place and the when I went to turn off a breaker to do some work there wasn't a list to tell me which breaker did what. It's a good size place so I can't just start turning them off and on to find out where they go. Anyone know an easy way to solve this problem?

Speedy Petey

What problem?
The fact that you don't have a panel directory?
Or the fact that folks rarely label panels?

For the former the only solution is to do it the old fashioned way. Go around and see what goes off with each breaker.
A friend and some radios do help a LOT.

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Celtic

You could hire someone with the test/tracing equipment...or buy it yourself:


Ideal SureTest

They run from about $500 to $1000.

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mgarfield

Ive seen test sets at HD that plug into the outlet and then you use a wand to find the breaker not sure how much or how good they work.

I did mine about a month ago, turned on all the lights, tvs, plugged in all the lamps I could find and went room to room with a voltage detector after flipping each breaker one by one. Took about 45 mins. Then I made a nice spread sheet to post at the panel.

Celtic

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Tiger

45 minutes is pretty good. I've been doing it for years & it takes me an hour.

Dave

Teetorbilt

I had to do it on my current home, built in the '80's. Flip a breaker and run around. Watch for surprises (I didn't have any HO add-ons, big surprise).

The original legend was correct but left out some hall lights and exterior recp'ts. My version includes switched recpt's and other stuff that the original sparky left out and additions such as the 'holiday lighting circuit'.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Magnettica

If you're doing it by yourself (as I have done more times than I care to remember), use several extension cords and a work light and go around to outlets that are working. Run a cord from the outlet you wish to identify and set up the light near the panel. Flip breakers until that light goes out. This way you'll know when that circuit is off. You could also do this by using a loud portable stereo, something else that I have done numerous times. No matter what you do, plan on going up and down the stairs several times.

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jrclen

I mutter a bit when I open the panel and see 5 breakers labeled "lights" and 8 labeled "recepts". Very helpful. The best one I found was a 2 pole labeled "Davis". Now I've seen, pump, well, and water. But that was the only one I found with the name of the well driller on it.

tdavis

You found my Breaker!

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TD
www.EnoceanWireless.com
Wireless lighting control, without using batteries
Use the Discount Code "Contractor" if you'd like...

MF Dagger

Saint Paul will fail for that.

Speedy Petey

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220/221

Have you ever come up to a panel and recognized your own handwriting?


wait...you will.

It is a total WTF moment.



Generally I remember most of the jobs I've done but after many years and who knows HOW many jobs, occaisionally I will return to one and not realize I had been there before.

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Just because it's within code doesn't make it safe.

Just because it's against code doesn't make it unsafe.

jrclen

I did that. Kind of funny.

mdcorreia

I plug in a small drill and check which breaker turn it off by hearing the sound. (the radio etc. does not respond quickly enough.
However, to ID a circuit which CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF as in a commercial circunstance, I use something very common for over 40 years - not electronic - not too expensive - What is it? can somebody guess?

wireless

Take a reading of all the lines first, then run the drill and see which one is up.

Magnettica

Whats even funnier is having someone else come up to you and tell you that they just bought a house that you installed a new service in several years ago. I usually write my name and date on them on the legend afterwards.


Speaking of panels.... i opened a panel today that had all #12 white wire pigtailed to the circuit breakers. I'm going back there tomorrow and will snap a picture. Give us all something to chuckle at over the weekend.

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220/221

We give up.

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Just because it's within code doesn't make it safe.

Just because it's against code doesn't make it unsafe.

excellencee

I just go asked to identify circuits in a restuarant. 8 or 9 panels. First thing I'll do is go to another one of their restaurants and take some digitals of the panel schedules. They seem to get upset customers when you start shutting off lights in the dining room.

Magnettica

Fault to ground sending several thousands amps of current back through it's source to facilitate the overcurrent protection device?

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