How to Install a Circuit Breaker

It's easy to install a circuit breaker. Working with electricity can often require employing a professional, but this is a simple job that needs few tools and can be accomplished alone. However, you always need to be careful when working with electricity. Take sensible precautions, follow the instructions and you will have no problems installing the circuit breaker.

Step 1 - Shutting off Power

Before installing a new circuit breaker, you need to be sure that the electricity to the house is off. Shut off the mains and make sure there is no power to your house by checking lights and appliances. If there is any water by the circuit box, it’s imperative that you clean it up before starting the work. Electricity and water is an extremely dangerous, even deadly, combination.

Place a rubber mat under the circuit breaker. It needs to be large enough so that you can comfortable stand while you’re working on the circuit breaker. This is to make sure that you don’t conduct electricity and electrocute yourself. Now shut off the circuit breaker you want to replace. You can leave the rest of the circuit breakers on. Unscrew the frame on the circuit breaker and remove it.

Step 2 - Removing the Old Breaker

Before you try to remove the old breaker, you need to test it to be absolutely certain it’s not receiving any current. Take your voltmeter and place one prong on the live or hot terminal of the breaker. Now, place the other prong on the ground terminal, which will be by the circuit box. The voltmeter should register no current. Only proceed if this is the case. If there’s current in the circuit breaker, check again that the electricity to the house is off. If there seems to be a problem, call an electrician.

If all is fine, pull the old breaker out and unscrew the wires. Make a written note of which wire attaches to which terminal.

Step 3 - Installing the New Circuit Breaker

Before you do anything with the new terminal, ensure it is set to the off position. Attach the wires to the screws, referring to the diagram you made. Check once more before you screw them down tight.

The new circuit breaker should simply snap into position in the breaker box. Put it in position and test that it’s firmly in place.

Once you’re finally satisfied that it’s secure, switch the power to the house back on. Turn the new breaker on. Hold one prong of the voltmeter to the live terminal on the circuit breaker and the other to the ground by the breaker box. It should show that current is flowing through the breaker. If not, switch the electricity off to the house and check your connections.

To finish, you need to screw the frame on the breaker box back into place and close the breaker box. Now you can move off the rubber mat, roll it up and put it away. You should have no further problems with the circuit breaker from this point.