Breaker Panel Installation
- 1). Turn off the power to the house. This may require a call to the electric company, or physically pulling the electric meter from the meter base. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws that hold the cover to the breaker panel. Set the screws and cover to the side. Using a cordless electric screwdriver, install the breaker panel into position by driving screws through the holes on the sides of the box and into the studs on both sides.
- 2). Pull the three cables from the electric meter into the breaker panel. The two black cables will go under the lugs on the main breaker. The white cable will go under the lug on the neutral bus. Use a wrench to tighten all three lugs to secure the wires to the panel.
- 3). Slide the wires for the first 120-volt circuit into the box. The end of the black wire will go under the screw on a 120-volt breaker. The ends of the white wire and bare wire will go under the screws on the neutral bus. Firmly tighten all of screws.
Clip the 120-volt breaker into the first available slot on the power bus in the center of the breaker panel. Each 120-volt circuit breaker will be installed the same way. - 4). Insert the ends of the first 240-volt circuit into the breaker panel. The black and red wires will go under the screws on a 240-volt circuit breaker. The white and green or bare wires will go under screws on the neutral bus. Tighten the screws.
Clip the 240-volt breaker onto both power buses in the center of the box. These breakers are made to clip to both sides a the same time. All subsequent 240-volt breakers and circuits will be installed the same way. - 5). Replace the cover on the breaker panel after all of the circuits have been installed. Use a screwdriver to install the screws to hold the cover on the box. With all of the breakers off, turn the power to the house back on at the meter. Turn on the main breaker and test the circuits that have been fully installed to make sure that they work properly.
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