When we do a service change ( upgrade fuses or old panel ) how are we to know whats on those fuse or old breakers? I usually check furnace , a/c , washer,dryer but sometimes I don't know whats on those breakers. I turn on lights, check receptacles, etc. but sometimes I don't know. It might be marked in old panel as say aerator ( 40amps ) so you put on 40 amp breaker and find oh we don't have aerator anymore . Home says he put outside receptacles on that breaker, after anything up and running and you're ready to leave. I always size wire size to correct breaker for that size wire now I have to go back and change that 40 amp breaker to a 20 amp breaker at my expense and time.
Panel Change
- Thread starter guschash
- Start date
- Status
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Majority of the single pole breakers at dwellings you can just match the breaker to the conductor size. If it was a double pole, you may want to do a little verification of what is supplied. Motor loads may have larger overcurrent device to allow for motor starting for one thing so if you just put a 20 amp breaker on the 12AWG supplying the AC that has a MCA of 17.9 but a MOCP of 35, you might be changing that one to a larger breaker later on. Do your homework and consider a little time for that in your bid if you want reimbursed for it.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
When it comes time to do a panel schedule I normally try to eliminate the one's that can easily be found first. As you say the washer & dryer, AC & furnace, then kitchen dishwasher and disposal ( if they have those ) and garage door opener, bath room, bedrooms, living room.
As kwired says I allow and extra hour to mark the panel.
If I'm ever i doubt as to breaker size it goes on a 15 amp breaker. If I'm to error I choose the side of caution.
Knuckle Dragger
Master Electrician Electrical Contractor 01752
- Location
- Marlborough, Massachusetts USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I agree.
I basically use the same MO:thumbsup:
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Carry extra breakers with you so you dont have to make a second trip. It's always good to have a small breaker inventory on the truck for service calls and circuit additions. Im not saying carry one of ea 15 and 20A AFCI breaker for every panel made, but the standard ones, you should have just about everything on the truck. and yeah, if you do a lot of one mfg of panel, it's good to have extra AFCI breakers for that brand/panel.
As for circuit mapping, you can use a toner and probe, either at the panel to find what outlets are on it, or at the outlet to find its breaker in the panel. I dont mark every single thing, for instance if the dining room receptacles also do the hallway, closet, and a mudroom receptacle, I just mark "dining room".
Breakers that are no longer used, like a 2p 40A to a long gone spa, I leave the wires disconnected in the panel and dont punch the KOs where it went. If the wiring is ever used for something again, it's just a matter of popping in the correct breaker where you dont have to pigtail the old wires, and hook up w/e is going on the other end.
Like others mentioned, if in doubt, put in on a 15A breaker. Better to get a call back for nuisance trips than one for a house burnt up.
elf friend
Member
- Location
- wisconsin's east shore
When I can't find what that breaker feeds then I just put a question mark in the index. Our inspector would rather see this than have them marked wrong. Most of the time there is/are only one or two of these.
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