How to Check a Circuit Breaker

A circuit breaker is a safety device that is responsible for cutting power in the house if too much current flows through the wiring. It is usually found inside a breaker panel box. It is important to know where your breaker panel boxes are, and which circuit breaker is responsible for what. It is fairly simple to check the circuit breakers in your house, and is a task which should be performed about every three months to keep you and your family safe. If all the electricity has turned off in one or more areas of your house, it is time to open the breaker panel box and check the circuit breakers to see what the problem is. Knowing how to check the circuit breakers will save you valuable time and money. The following will provide you a guide to help you check your circuit breakers.

Step 1: Initial Checks

First, make sure the breaker hasn't just tripped. If any one of the switches is in the OFF position, just turn it back to the ON position. If this solves the problem, the breaker works fine. If not, you have to perform some more tests to see what the problem is.

Step 2: Checking for a Short-Circuit

Switch the breaker completely to the OFF position, then move it back to the ON position. If it doesn't stay on or there is a humming sound when you switch it on, pull the wire out of the circuit breaker and repeat. If this is the case, there is likely a problem with the wiring.

Step 3: Testing the Panel

Remove the wire from the breaker. Test the active breaker with the Voltmeter. If there is voltage, the breaker works fine and your problem is with the breaker panel and you will probably have to replace it. If there is no voltage, the problem probably lies in the breaker itself. 

Step 4: Testing the Breaker Using the Wiggin's Tester

Use the Wiggin's Tester or a lightbult attached between the screw and a ground in the panel. If the tester doesn't run, it means that the breaker is faulty and should be replaced.

Step 5: Testing the Breaker by Changing Wiring

Another way to test the breaker to see if it is bad is to move its wire to another breaker to see if it still works. This is the simplest and most effective test. You must ensure that both breakers are off when moving the wire, then turn the new breaker on. If the new breaker still has a problem, this means the wiring is faulty. If the new breaker works fine, this means that the previous breaker had the problem.

Step 6: Testing the Breaker by using the Ohm-meter

One final test you can do is to test it with an Ohm-meter. To do this, first turn the breaker off, then remove it, turn it back on, and use the ohm-meter to check between its screw and bus clip. If there is a reading above 5 ohms, this means that the breaker is faulty and must be replaced.