Current Events > I think I've got a bad circuit breaker... gonna try to replace it myself.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm not an electrician, but it seems to be pretty easy. Just gotta wait for the new circuit breaker to be delivered.

I think you should hire a professional

How do you stop the current to replace the breaker?

You're gonna die, son.

BuzzKilljoy posted...

How do you stop the current to replace the breaker?

I just need to turn the main panel off outside and it will stop all current flowing into the house.

CableZL posted...

I'm not an electrician, but it seems to be pretty easy.

Make sure to tell the firefighters this.

__aCEr__ posted...

Make sure to tell the firefighters this.

I'll just post a sign outside just in case the house burns down.

"I'm not an electrician, but..."

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/8/9/AABjoOAADuId.jpg

Last Login: 9/27/2022 3:38:37 PM

rip TC

A man named Cable is about to have his comic book villain origin story.

its not difficult, you got this. i installed a brand new 220v circuit for the first time a month ago.

I change them all the time. When its a screwed into place is about the only time i turn the main off. What brand? Out of curiosity

doesntcare posted...

I change them all the time. When its a screwed into place is about the only time i turn the main off. What brand? Out of curiosity

Eaton

There are things you can replace yourself. Circuit breakers generally shouldnt be one.

Fairly common here in the states, at least in my experience.

ToadallyAwesome posted...

There are things you can replace yourself. Circuit breakers generally shouldnt be one.

Why not?

My friend said his brother and his brothers friend tried this and parts of their home has no electricity now

ToadallyAwesome posted...

There are things you can replace yourself. Circuit breakers generally shouldnt be one.

dont you just love it when someone that has no idea what they are talking about chimes in. Its super easy and requires only a screw driver. Cut power. Remove old. Release wire with turn of screw. Attach wire to new with turn of screw. Replace new. Cut power back on. That will be $100 plus parts.

Returning_CEmen posted...

My friend said his brother and his brothers friend tried this and parts of their home has no electricity now

Did they turn all of the breakers back on?

I did it. Woo.

So far, the new circuit breaker hasn't tripped at all. Gotta keep an eye on the stuff that's plugged into that circuit to see if they turn off again, but I'm glad I chose to do this myself.

The only error I made was buying the wrong kind. I didn't realize there was a panel neutral wire that was part of the old circuit breaker. The first new one had a slot for it, but I think you're supposed to supply your own wire for it. I tried cutting off the wire from the old one and stripping it, but I couldn't quickly figure out how to insert it.

So I ended up going to Lowe's to get one that had the wire attached already. I struggled a bit to put the new one back into the slot properly, but I got it and I think I'm good to go.

Now to catalog the kind I just bought so I'll know that I need that kind in the future.

CableZL posted...

I did it. Woo.

So far, the new circuit breaker hasn't tripped at all. Gotta keep an eye on the stuff that's plugged into that circuit to see if they turn off again, but I'm glad I chose to do this myself.

The only error I made was buying the wrong kind. I didn't realize there was a panel neutral wire that was part of the old circuit breaker. The first new one had a slot for it, but I think you're supposed to supply your own wire for it. I tried cutting off the wire from the old one and stripping it, but I couldn't quickly figure out how to insert it.

So I ended up going to Lowe's to get one that had the wire attached already. I struggled a bit to put the new one back into the slot properly, but I got it and I think I'm good to go.

Now to catalog the kind I just bought so I'll know that I need that kind in the future.

Literally the hardest part is buying the right breaker, as you noted lol. After that, its like legos; very simple.

Congrats TC. That sounds like it's difficult and stressful af

IdiotMachine posted...

Literally the hardest part is buying the right breaker, as you noted lol. After that, its like legos; very simple.

Yeah. I took a picture of a sticker on it that had an issue number, and I ordered one with that same issue number. Then I pulled it off and realized there was another wire attached, lol. Then I saw the extra sticker on the side that had the actual part number. They didn't have the exact part number, but the one I got said it could replace any breaker with certain color codes. The old one had a blue label on the front and the packaging said it could replace blue ones.

Today I learned, and I'm much less apprehensive about working on my electrical panel on my own.

I eventually want to get a SPAN smart electrical panel, but that'll be a few years from now at best.

CRON posted...

Congrats TC. That sounds like it's difficult and stressful af

It really does sound a lot harder than it is. There's a bit of struggle with:

• Choosing the correct breaker
• Getting the other two wires to go back into the new breaker in the dark.

I was holding a flashlight in my mouth and a screwdriver in one hand, lol. I also have a current testing pen to verify whether there is current flowing in the wires. Once I turned the power off at the main panel and used that to verify that I wasn't about to electrocute myself, I was ready to go at it.

Some of the new Eaton breakers with built in GFI can kiss MY ASS

THEY'RE SO FUCKING SENSITIVE

anyways, nice job

bnui_ransder posted...

Some of the new Eaton breakers with built in GFI can kiss MY ASS

THEY'RE SO FUCKING SENSITIVE

anyways, nice job

I've had a couple breakers die at my house. July 4th weekend of 2021, my mom came to visit my new house for the first time and my fucking AC stopped working. I was so pissed off. I called an electrician out and he replaced the breaker. The problem there was that he replaced a 35 amp breaker with a 20amp breaker, so my AC didn't even have a chance in hell of actually working. I was livid. My house got up to 90 degrees and I was struggling, lol.

There was a secondary problem that the condenser in the AC unit went out, but the air conditioning people came out to fix that within a day or so. I don't think I'll ever call an electrician if I just think there's a bad breaker again.

Just please make sure to do all the proper checks and if anyone is around tell them it's off or better yet lock the main panel

I've had a few idiots flip it back on when I'm dealing with stuff without even asking

bnui_ransder posted...

Just please make sure to do all the proper checks and if anyone is around tell them it's off or better yet lock the main panel

I've had a few idiots flip it back on when I'm dealing with stuff without even asking

Yeah, I've got a lock on the main panel and the panel that houses the HVAC disconnect.

Also, thanks for reminding me. I used my outlet tester on all of the plugs on that circuit and they tested properly.