Main Circuit Breaker Diagram

Twelve gauge wire suits 15 to 20 amp breakers.

Main circuit breaker diagram. 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. 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. 8 gauge wire goes with 40 or 60 amp two pole breakers. A breaker circuit is an electrical switch that cuts off electrical flow in the event of a possible short circuit or overload.

Circuit breakers snap into place onto one or both of the bus bars to provide power to the circuits. This diagram illustrates some of the most common circuits found in a typical 200 amp circuit breaker service panel box. 15amp 20amp 30amp and 50amp as well as a gfci breaker and an isolated ground circuit. The wiring into a breaker must correspond to its amperage.

Unlike a fuse which operates once and then must be replaced a circuit breaker can be reset either manually or automatically to resume. 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. 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. This device is essential in a modern world that runs on electricity.

Single pole circuit breakers provide 120 volts and connect to just one hot bus bar. This page contains wiring diagrams for a service panel breaker box and circuit breakers including.