Need help finding the right circuit breaker

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Armando Cando

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Hi guys. I work in maint. for a nursing home facility and earlier today, I spent a while searching for the circuit breaker for a receptacle that I need to move to a different location.

I checked all the five electrical rooms we have and tried breakers with marks that would possibly correspond to the said outlet but I didn't get any luck.

I was thinking to short the outlet that way it will make me find the tripped breaker easily but I'm not really sure how safe it is to do it. Can you guys suggest a way to find it?

Thanks.
 
I would advise against shorting the outlet in order to locate the circuit breaker that supplies it.
If the wireing is defective, or the breaker defective or oversized, then fire or other serious accident might result.

If turning off the most likely breakers has not located the correct one, then try every single breaker in every panel, despite the inconvienience.

If that does not locate it, try turning of the main(s) If turning off the main works, but turning off branch circuit breakers does not, then the outlet may be illegly wired direct to the main, which is very dangerous.

Cable tracing units are available as a last resort, there might, just possibly, be another panel hidden somewhere.
 
broadgage said:
I would advise against shorting the outlet in order to locate the circuit breaker that supplies it.
If the wireing is defective, or the breaker defective or oversized, then fire or other serious accident might result.

If turning off the most likely breakers has not located the correct one, then try every single breaker in every panel, despite the inconvienience.

If that does not locate it, try turning of the main(s) If turning off the main works, but turning off branch circuit breakers does not, then the outlet may be illegly wired direct to the main, which is very dangerous.

Cable tracing units are available as a last resort, there might, just possibly, be another panel hidden somewhere.
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or circuit is double fed, which if shorted will have two breakers to trip:roll:

Breaker finder is the only way to go.
 
I knew of a HVAC contractor that would jam a screwdriver in the disconnect to a RTU in order to trip the breaker feeding it, then turn around and charge the nursing home for a new disconnect.
Do you have a back up generator? The circuit may be in the emergency panel which is usually hidden in a back room or electrical closet by itself.
 
Well how about a helper and a a couple of kenwood radios or cell phones flip breakers until you find it .

Thats what we did in the old days before circuit tracers !

Now if your by yourself completely alone no one to help out get you a bigg 120 volt electric bell when that bell stops ringing you got the circuit .

Heres one more use the phone in the room where the plug is call your self up on that phone turn on a radio to a rock station when music stops thats your circuit.

Do not short out plug you just might shut down someones life in the rest home on another circuit !!!!!!!
 
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ohmhead said:
Well how about a helper and a a couple of kenwood radios or cell phones flip breakers until you find it .

Thats what we did in the old days before circuit tracers !
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That don't work so well nowadays, especially when the administrators computer crashes because you turned off the wrong breaker!:grin::grin:
 
You can go with the poor mans circuit tracer. Buy one of those coin type flashers, put it in a drop light with a 100 watt lamp and plug it into the receptacle, take a clamp on ammeter and find the circuit that is pulsating on and off in a regular rhythm.

Roger
 
roger said:
You can go with the poor mans circuit tracer. Buy one of those coin type flashers, put it in a drop light with a 100 watt lamp and plug it into the receptacle, take a clamp on ammeter and find the circuit that is pulsating on and off in a regular rhythm.

Roger
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Ooh....that's actually sort of brilliant. Might have to remember that one :grin:
 
daleuger said:
Ooh....that's actually sort of brilliant. Might have to remember that one :grin:
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I can't take credit for it, I learned it from someone else. :smile: The same person taught me how to make a poor mans receptacle analyzer with two pin sockets, two lamps, a little wire, and a male cord cap.

Roger
 
roger said:
You can go with the poor mans circuit tracer. Buy one of those coin type flashers, put it in a drop light with a 100 watt lamp and plug it into the receptacle, take a clamp on ammeter and find the circuit that is pulsating on and off in a regular rhythm.

Roger
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Flasher3.jpg
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flasher5.jpg
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flasher2.jpg
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flasher4.jpg
= 'Poor Mans Circuit Locator'.
 
Another option is to get a helper and cycle a load on/off plugged into that receptacle. A hair dryer/saw, etc, anything with a decent load. You could even stretch an extension cord into the the elec. room and cycle the load yourself while amping the circuits.
 
Armando Cando said:
Hi guys. I work in maint. for a nursing home facility and earlier today, I spent a while searching for the circuit breaker for a receptacle that I need to move to a different location.

I checked all the five electrical rooms we have and tried breakers with marks that would possibly correspond to the said outlet but I didn't get any luck.

I was thinking to short the outlet that way it will make me find the tripped breaker easily but I'm not really sure how safe it is to do it. Can you guys suggest a way to find it?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I had to erase my first answer my evil twin wrote. Amprobe 2005 circuit tracer.
 
roger said:
You can go with the poor mans circuit tracer. Buy one of those coin type flashers, put it in a drop light with a 100 watt lamp and plug it into the receptacle, take a clamp on ammeter and find the circuit that is pulsating on and off in a regular rhythm.

Roger
Click to expand...
That is an awesome idea. A new one on me it will take a little time to probe each circuit but it should move the amprobe 1 amp back and forth. I am throwing my amprobe 2005 in the garbage right now (Just Kidding).
 
roger said:
I can't take credit for it, I learned it from someone else. :smile: The same person taught me how to make a poor mans receptacle analyzer with two pin sockets, two lamps, a little wire, and a male cord cap.

Roger
Click to expand...

Poor man's receptacle analyzer, how does this work?
 
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