Main Circuit Breaker Diagram

Branch circuit breakers are designed to shut off power to individual circuits if they overload by trying to draw more power than the wires can safely handle and the main circuit breaker is much the same.

Main circuit breaker diagram.

8 gauge wire goes with 40 or 60 amp two pole breakers. A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Circuit breaker panel box wiring diagram. The main breaker shuts off power to the entire house if the overall load demand grows too high or if there is another serious problem in the.

The purpose of the main circuit breaker. The wiring into a breaker must correspond to its amperage. This page contains wiring diagrams for a service panel breaker box and circuit breakers including. The two thick black service wires feeding the main circuit breaker each carry 120 volts from the electric meter and feed the two hot bus bars in the panel.

Single pole circuit breakers provide 120 volts and connect to just one hot bus bar. Twelve gauge wire suits 15 to 20 amp breakers. This device is essential in a modern world that runs on electricity. Unlike a fuse which operates once and then must be replaced a circuit breaker can be reset either manually or automatically to resume.

This diagram illustrates some of the most common circuits found in a typical 200 amp circuit breaker service panel box. Circuit breakers snap into place onto one or both of the bus bars to provide power to the circuits.