Need Help Labeling A Service Panel.

Johnny916

Hi, I was hired to label a service panel the other day. I did the best I could and labeled everything except a couple breakers which I absolutely could not find!

What's the best way to go about tracing a breaker to it's outlets/switches/appliances?? Is it still the good old fashion way, shutting off and testing?

Mike Finley

I have circuit tester that you plug into either an outlet or even a light socket and then you go to the box and pass the sensor over the circuits and it lights up when you have the right one.

Johnny916

I need one of those! I'm going to lowe's to find one now.

Speedy Petey

They are fine to use to identify one or two circuits. They are hell by yourself to label an entire panel.
The ONLY easy way is to turn literally everything on in the house. Then get another helper to yell what goes out with each breaker that is turned off.
Sounds silly but it's loads easier than plugging that thing in to every receptacle and walking back to the panel to check it.

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Teetorbilt

Speedy, how does that work for switched receptacles on 2,3 or 4 ways?

Speedy Petey

How does what work?

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Mike Finley

Dude - yell? You gotta invest in a couple of Talk Abouts!

Then actually you can map an entire house with a helper and these gizmos. I can't imagine you would need to, but since I buy houses and remodel them while I live in them I need to know exactly what each circuit is doing. So I make a map that includes every light fixture and outlet and give the wife a copy and I stand in front of the panel with my map and she goes from device to device and I get a ridiculously complete picture of the entire houses electrical layout. The house I'm currently in I ended up running about 15 new circuits last year, that was a lot of freaken wire but what a nice set-up now!