10 Common Mistakes DIYers Make In Circuit Breaker Boxes

Summary

This video script discusses 10 common electrical mistakes DIY enthusiasts make with circuit breakers and panels. It provides solutions for each, emphasizing safety and proper practices like legible labeling, avoiding overloading, protecting wire sheathing, balancing breaker amperage with wire gauge, proper grounding, avoiding wire doubling, using correct wire colors, double-tapped breakers, filler plates, and correct screw torquing. Bonus advice includes maintaining organized wiring to prevent future issues.

Takeaways

• 📝 Always label your electrical panel clearly and legibly to avoid confusion and ensure safety.
• ⚡️ Test your receptacles and switches to ensure no current is running through them before working on the electrical panel.
• 🔌 Avoid overloading your circuit breaker panel by not exceeding 80% of its total amperage capacity.
• 🛠 Protect the sheathing of wires inside the panel to prevent shorts or faults caused by rubbing against the knockouts.
• ⚙️ Ensure a proper balance between circuit breaker amperage and wire gauge to prevent overheating and potential fires.
• ⚡️ Proper grounding is crucial; never cut the main ground wire and avoid improper connections that could lead to electrical issues.
• 🔩 Avoid doubling up on wiring within the same hole on the bus bar to prevent poor connections and potential arcing.
• 🏗️ Use the correct sheathing color for wires as per the National Electric Code: white or gray for neutrals, green or bare for grounds, and typically black or red for hot wires.
• 🚫 Do not double tap circuit breakers unless the manufacturer's specifications explicitly allow for it, as it can lead to troubleshooting difficulties.
• 🧩 Fill all unused knockouts in your circuit breaker panel with filler plates to prevent accidental contact with live parts.
• 🔩 Torque all screws and lugs to the correct tension as specified by the manufacturer to ensure secure and safe connections.

Q & A

What is the first mistake DIY-ers often make with their electrical panels?

The first mistake is having illegible labels or descriptions in the electrical panel, which can lead to confusion and safety issues.

How can one identify which circuit breaker controls a specific outlet or switch?

One can use a circuit breaker finder tool, which is plugged into an outlet and then used to identify the correct breaker by running it over each one.

What is the recommended maximum percentage of amperage usage for a circuit breaker panel?

It is recommended to use no more than 80% of the panel's total amperage capacity to avoid overloading.

Why is it important to protect the sheathing of the wires inside the electrical panel?

Protecting the sheathing prevents the wires from rubbing against the knockouts inside the panel, which could cause the sheathing to wear down and lead to shorts or faults.

What should one do if they are unsure about working on their electrical panel?

If there is any uncertainty or lack of confidence in handling electrical panel work, it is advisable to call a professional electrician.

Why is it crucial to match the wire gauge with the amperage of the circuit breaker?

Matching the wire gauge with the circuit breaker amperage ensures that the wire can safely handle the amount of electricity flowing through it, preventing overheating and potential fires.

What are the common mistakes made regarding grounding in electrical panels?

Common mistakes include cutting the main ground wire, twisting multiple ground wires together without proper connection to the bus bar, and not ensuring all components are properly grounded.

Why should one avoid doubling up on wiring within the same hole on the bus bar?

Doubling up increases the risk of a poor connection, which could lead to arcing, sparking, or other electrical issues.

What is the significance of using the correct sheathing color for wires in electrical panels?

Using the correct sheathing color (white or gray for neutrals, green or bare for grounds, and typically black or red for hot wires) helps in easily identifying the function of each wire and adhering to the National Electric Code.

What is 'double tapping' in the context of circuit breakers and why is it sometimes a problem?

Double tapping refers to connecting two different wires to the same circuit breaker, which can be against code and may complicate troubleshooting due to the shared nature of the circuit.

Why are filler plates important in a circuit breaker panel?

Filler plates are important to cover any unused knockouts in the panel to prevent accidental contact with live parts and to maintain safety standards.

How does one ensure that the screws and lugs in an electrical panel are tightened to the correct tension?

One should use a torque screwdriver to apply the correct amount of pressure as specified by the manufacturer, which is typically indicated on the inside of the panel or the circuit breaker itself.

What is the bonus tip provided at the end of the script regarding electrical panel wiring?

The bonus tip is to avoid creating a tangled 'rat's nest' of wires in the panel, as this can make it difficult to identify and work with individual wires, potentially leading to accidents or mistakes.

Outlines

00:00

🔌 Common DIY Mistakes in Electrical Panels

The paragraph discusses 10 common mistakes made by DIY enthusiasts when working with electrical panels or circuit breaker boxes. It emphasizes the importance of legible labeling for safety and clarity, avoiding overloading circuit breakers, and ensuring that the amperage of the panel is not exceeded. The speaker also advises on the correct way to label and identify circuits using a circuit breaker finder or other methods, such as using a radio or cell phone to test for current. The paragraph serves as an introduction to a series of tips on how to safely and effectively work on electrical systems at home.

05:02

⚠️ Safety Precautions and Wiring Mistakes

This section of the script covers the importance of protecting wire sheathing from damage within the panel, the correct balance between circuit breaker amperage and wire gauge, and the necessity of proper grounding. It warns against overloading circuits and the potential hazards of using the wrong wire gauge for a given amperage, which can lead to overheating and faults. The paragraph also addresses the dangers of improper grounding, such as cutting the main ground wire or incorrectly bundling ground wires, and stresses the need for a neat and organized wiring pattern to ensure safety and ease of maintenance.

10:04

🛠 Best Practices for Electrical Panel Installation

The final paragraph focuses on the correct installation practices for electrical panels, including avoiding double-tapping circuit breakers unless specified by the manufacturer, using the proper sheathing color for wires as per the National Electric Code, and the importance of using filler plates to cover unused knockouts in the panel. It also touches on the necessity of torquing screws and lugs to the correct tension to ensure safety and proper connection. The speaker provides a bonus tip on the value of a well-organized and patterned panel layout for future ease of use and maintenance, contrasting it with a 'rat's nest' of tangled wires that can pose significant risks and challenges.

Keywords

💡Circuit Breaker

A circuit breaker is an electrical safety device designed to protect against overcurrent conditions. It automatically cuts off the electricity flow when it detects too much current, preventing potential damage or fire. In the video, the script mentions overloading circuit breakers, which refers to exceeding the safe current capacity that a breaker can handle, thus risking safety.

💡Wire Sheathing

Wire sheathing refers to the protective covering over electrical wires that prevents damage and provides insulation. The script emphasizes the importance of protecting the sheathing from rubbing against the knockouts inside the panel, which could lead to short circuits or faults if the wires are not properly supported or protected.

💡Imbalance

In the context of the video, imbalance refers to a mismatch between the amperage of a circuit breaker and the wire gauge it is connected to. The video explains that using a thinner wire with a higher amperage breaker than it can safely handle can lead to overheating and potential electrical faults or fires.

💡Grounding

Grounding in electrical systems is a safety measure that provides a path for electrical current to safely dissipate in case of a fault, like a short circuit. The video discusses improper grounding as a common mistake, such as cutting the main ground wire or inadequately connecting multiple ground wires, which can lead to serious safety hazards.

💡Wire Colors

The National Electric Code in the United States specifies standard wire colors for different purposes: white or gray for neutral wires, green or bare wire for ground, and typically black or red for hot wires. The video script mentions the importance of using the correct wire color to avoid confusion and ensure safety, such as using red electrical tape to indicate a secondary hot wire mistakenly colored as neutral.

💡Double Tapping

Double tapping refers to connecting two wires to the same circuit breaker, which may or may not be against code depending on the breaker's design. The video explains that while some breakers are designed to handle double taps, others are not, and it's crucial to understand the manufacturer's specifications to avoid potential issues.

💡Filler Plates

Filler plates are used to cover empty knockouts in a circuit breaker panel to prevent accidental contact with live parts. The video mentions that missing filler plates is against code and poses a safety risk, so it's important to ensure all unused knockouts are covered with filler plates.

💡Torque

Torque refers to the rotational force applied to fasten or loosen screws or bolts. In the context of the video, torquing screws to the correct tension is crucial for maintaining the safety and integrity of electrical connections within the panel. The video suggests using a torque screwdriver to ensure screws are tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.

💡Labeling

Proper labeling of circuit breakers is essential for safety and ease of maintenance. The video script discusses the problem of illegible handwriting or outdated labels in electrical panels and suggests using labels or a circuit breaker finder tool to correctly identify and label each breaker to prevent confusion and potential mistakes.

💡Sub Panel

A sub panel is a secondary electrical panel that distributes power from the main panel to specific areas of a building, like a garage. The video script mentions creating a separate sub panel when the main panel is overloaded, which helps manage the electrical load more effectively and safely.

💡Tandems

Tandems in electrical panels refer to multiple breakers stacked on top of each other to handle higher loads. The video script warns against overloading the panel with too many tandems, as it can quickly exceed the panel's capacity and lead to safety issues.

Highlights

Illegible handwriting in electrical panels can cause confusion and safety issues.

Always test your receptacles or switches to ensure no current is running to them before working on them.

Use labels to identify circuit breakers for easy troubleshooting.

Circuit breaker finders can help identify which breaker is assigned to a particular outlet or switch.

Avoid overloading your circuit breaker panel to prevent potential electrical issues.

Know the amperage capacity of your panel and avoid using more than 80% of it.

Protect the sheathing of wires inside the panel to prevent short circuits.

Ensure wires are supported or protected by bushings or connectors to avoid damage.

If unsure about electrical work, it's best to call a professional electrician.

Match the wire gauge with the amperage of each circuit to prevent overheating and potential faults.

Proper grounding is crucial for electrical safety; avoid common mistakes like cutting the main ground.

Avoid doubling up on wiring within the same hole on the bus bar to prevent poor connections.

Use the correct sheathing coloring for wires as per the National Electric Code.

Double-tapping circuit breakers can be illegal or against code, depending on the breaker design.

Missing filler plates in your circuit breaker panel can be dangerous and is against code.

Tighten screws and lugs to the correct tension to ensure safety and proper function.

A well-organized electrical panel is easier to maintain and troubleshoot.

Transcripts

here are 10 common mistakes diy-ers make

in their electrical panels or circuit

breaker boxes now we will be covering a

fix for each of these that I can walk

you through and keep in mind these are a

no particular order so let's kick it off

with our first one and that is the

frustrating experience of opening up

your panel only to find this there's

nothing here sometimes there's no

description at all other times it's an

outdated description and other times

you're just wondering how the heck am I

supposed to read that this is gibberish

that doesn't make any sense illegible

handwriting is kind of a a bad thing

when it comes to electricity so this can

be a real problem now this is a good

time to remind you that you should

always test your receptacles or your

switches or whatever it is you're

working on to make sure that there is no

current running to them even if you

think you've got it turned off here in

the electrical panel fortunately this is

an easy one to fix make sure to take the

time to write these in legibly if you

need to you can buy some labels and I'll

put some links in the description below

now I have a circuit breaker Finder

right here that works really well this

is the kind of thing where you basically

you plug this end in to an outlet for

example and then it even comes with an

adapter for working with light bulbs and

then you can use this end to run over

each of the circuit breakers and it'll

tell you which one is assigned to that

particular Outlet or receptacle or light

switch it's really handy but there's a

hundred easier ways to do it as well you

can just turn on a loud radio that's

plugged in you can have someone yell you

can do the cell phone walkie-talkie

thing whatever you need to do but make

sure you get these labeled appropriately

mistake number two is overloading your

circuit breaker panel now you can see on

this particular panel this thing is

pretty chock full we have our entire

house running on this including the

basement which was unfinished when we

moved in so this really can't handle any

more than it's got right here the more

important thing is that you know how

many amps you can handle in this panel

and that you are only using up to about

80 percent of that amperage so for

example this is a 150 amp panel so I

want to make sure that I'm not using

more than 120 amps of the juice that

this can provide at any given time it

doesn't mean that I have to keep this to

120 or even 150 amps worth of circuit

breakers when I add all these up it's

going to be more than that and that's

okay it's more about the usage within

your home now the more you stack in here

especially if you're using tandems like

this where I'm getting 30 plus 30 you

know that kind of thing can add up

pretty quickly and the more of those you

have the more likely it is that you'll

be able to use those and overload your

panel so you want to be careful to make

sure that you're not putting too much in

there and if you need to create a

separate sub panel I'll have a whole

video coming out about that next week

mistake number three on our list is not

protecting the sheathing of the wires on

the inside and letting them rub up

against The Knockouts inside the panel

now I'm going to take this cover off

I've got all the screws but one off I'm

going to support the panel with one hand

while I remove this last screw to make

sure it doesn't slip or fall into the

panel itself so with that being

supported I can now pull that out and

put it aside

you can see up here we've got a pretty

good job up here we've got our push and

plastic connectors or bushings here

we've got everything here coming in as

it should there are no wires going

directly into the actual panel Knockouts

without being supported or protected by

a bushing or a connector here and that's

exactly what we want when you don't have

that that could start to serrate the

edges of these and cause a short or a

fault now this is a great time as we

remove the panel cover here for you to

pause for a second and think am I ready

to do this is this something that I'm

qualified and trained to do do I have

confidence in what I'm doing or is this

a little bit of guesswork if there's

guesswork if you're unsure if you don't

have that confidence that you know

you're doing it right and you've done

your research then maybe call an

electrician and get them to help you

there is some serious voltage and

amperage running through here that you

want to treat with respect mistake

number four is having an imbalance

between your circuit breaker amperage

and your wire gauge if you look up to

top here we'll see that we've got

multiple colors of wires coming in we've

got these white sheathed Romex here and

then we've also got some yellows as well

now the white typically indicates a 14

gauge wire remember with gauges the

higher the number the thinner the wire

is and over here these yellows represent

a 12 gauge wire so it's a little bit

thicker now that makes a big difference

on what they're connected to what we

don't want to do is allow a thinner

gauge wire to have an amperage of

circuit breaker that exceeds its

capacity generally speaking 15 amp

circuits should use at least a 14 gauge

wire and it could be thicker that's okay

we don't want it to be thinner and then

these 20 amps will use a 12 gauge wire

now the issue you might run into is

let's say you have a 20 or a 30 amp

circuit breaker in here and you've got

14 gauge wire that's actually capable of

producing a lot more electricity pushing

A Lot More Voltage essentially or

amperage really Through the Wire than a

14 gauge wire is designed to handle and

what could happen is that heats up and

that creates again a potential for fault

or issues fire different things like

that so we don't want that overheating

to occur so we want to make sure that

you match up the gauge of wire with the

amperage of each circuit number five on

our list is improper grounding and

there's several ways that I've seen this

happen I just saw a box the other day

actually where someone actually snipped

the main ground coming in from the

source and they just cut it right here

nothing in the whole panel was grounded

at all have no idea honestly why they

would do that or what they thought they

were trying to accomplish here but that

is a huge mistake another one that I've

seen before is when they take a bunch of

these different ground wires here and

then they twist them all together and

then they run one pigtail down into the

ground bus bar that's also not okay it

can be okay depending on the area for

you to use a wire nut there and you can

match a bunch of them up there put a

wire nut with a pigtail going off that's

actually all right in most areas but

again check with your local code on that

what's not not okay is just to Twist

them together assume they're going to

have good enough contact and then run a

pigtail off of that so make sure that

everything is properly grounded and you

can easily tell for example in mine if I

move these wires out of the way over

here you can see that the main ground

comes in right here and then it's

attached to the bus bar and then this

bus bar is attached to the other ground

bus bar by the panel itself you don't

need to have a wire running from here

over to here for grounding or making

that connection with the ground it's

actually the metal panel that's making

that connection there and that's

perfectly okay number six on our list is

doubling up on your wiring within the

same hole on the bus bar I found an

example of that here on this neutral

right down here at the end I've got two

neutrals going into the exact same hole

which is kind of silly because there are

plenty of available neutral holes on

this bus bar there's no good reason to

do that other than maybe a bit of

laziness or a misunderstanding there

when you have two you're increasing the

likelihood of a poor connection and that

some something that again could shake

loose over time or just not have a tight

connection and that could cause arcing

sparking other issues like that I've got

an issue with it right there and then on

my ground bar it's all over the place

there's Bunches of them and those are

pretty easy fixes especially if you have

a lot of open holes in your bus bar for

neutrals or for grounds number seven on

our list is using the improper sheathing

coloring for your wires now there's

pretty simple National Electric Code

about this here in the United States and

it basically says that your neutrals

have to be white or gray and that your

ground has to be green or bare wire and

so it doesn't really specify much about

the black for example for your hot or

the red for your secondary hot but that

is that well understood color set for

anything electrical in these panels so

what I noticed in my panel right here

the electrician who wired this house up

before we bought this wired up a neutral

as a secondary hot or what appears to be

a neutral now that would be okay if we

made one little will change to this so

what we need to do is just take some

electrical tape that's red and use that

to wrap around and indicate that that is

not in fact neutral but is a secondary

hot and there we go now that lets

anybody who's working on this in the

future know that this is a secondary hot

not a neutral line you can kind of

figure that out if you're looking at it

but let's not make it any more difficult

than it needs to be number eight on our

list is what are called double tapped

circuit breakers now this is illegal or

against code at least in some areas and

then in other circumstances and

situations it's actually totally okay to

do so you have to know when you can use

this and when you cannot now you can see

for example if I were to feed two

different Hots or two different lines

into this one circuit breaker that may

or may not be against code it depends on

how this one was designed you can see on

this Eaton circuit breaker for example

this 20 amp really is designed just for

one wire to be fed in if you look at the

specs on the side it shows a 14 to 10

gauge an eight gauge or even a six to

four gauge and it has all the specs for

that that's okay but it doesn't say

anything about applying two different

wires to the same circuit breaker that's

because it's not up to manufacturer's

specs to land two different wires into

this thing however if you look at the

Square D home line series for example

these typically tend to allow for that

if we take a look on the side here you

can see there's a very clear

illustration of mounting one wire in or

two wires so we can follow those

guidelines and again if you flip over to

the side and see the lug here it's got

two plates where you can clearly receive

two different wires based on the

curvature of those plates now double

tapping is kind of a frown upon practice

mostly because it means you've got two

home runs or two lines running off the

same circuit breaker it makes it a

little bit trickier sometimes to

troubleshoot especially if those two

areas of the home or the business are

not right next to each other that can be

problematic to troubleshoot as well

number nine on our list is missing

filler plates you're your circuit

breaker panel cover has these different

Knockouts for different circuit breakers

you want to make sure to only knock out

those that are filled with a circuit

breaker what can happen is sometimes

some changes are made in the home maybe

some circuits are rewired to a sub panel

and then you have these open slots here

or perhaps you got a little aggressive

and you knocked out too many of those

Knockouts and you have more open holes

than you have circuit breakers to fill

in that case that's actually totally

against code again because someone could

just reach their fingers in there and

put their fingers where they're not

supposed to it can be dangerous and it's

an easy fix you can buy filler blanks

right from the store you sell these at

Home Depot and Lowe's you can buy them

on Amazon these are pretty easy so get

these filler plates put one of those in

there make sure you don't have any open

holes in your circuit breaker panel now

we're almost on our last one but I do

want to remind you that I will have a

video coming out about how to install a

new sub panel I'm putting one in my

garage for example and I'll walk you

through step by step all of that you can

check that out using the link at the end

of the video or in the description below

and as always every product that I show

in this video you can check out that

little shopping bag in the lower left

corner to see those from Home Depot or

Lowe's or other stores like that or you

can check out the links in the

description below now on to number 10

which is not torquing your screws down

to the right tension all of the lugs or

screws inside this panel have a specific

tension that they need to be torqued

down to and if you look for example on

our different circuit breakers just like

we saw earlier it shows how much

pressure these need to have in fact

we've got a breakdown right here for

example that this says 36 inch pounds or

4 newton meters so that same thing

applies to the lugs on here but then

there are different measurements or

ratings for our bigger lugs over here

and those are typically located on the

inside of the panel so you want to make

sure to do that up to code and make sure

you're following those specifications

most people don't have something like

this this is a tour Fork screwdriver and

it allows you there's different ways to

adjust these banks on the brand and then

when it maxes out it's no longer going

to apply that tension so I keep turning

into turning and then it'll get to that

in this case it's set to 50 inch pounds

of torque and then when it's done it's

not going to turn anymore so I know I've

got it just at the right spot and in a

lot of companies nowadays they're

actually going around and they're

actually once a year just testing all of

the screws and lugs to make sure that

they're tightened the appropriate amount

and this is a smart thing to do in your

house as well now I will say I think

most of the time diy-ers especially like

myself we're not necessarily going

around and saying okay I've got to get

it right to 36 inch pounds but believe

it or not these only cost about 40 bucks

I know it's not super cheap but to make

sure that you're getting it just right I

think it's a good little investment and

again I'll put links to that in the

description below so that you can make

sure that you're getting all of these

set to just the right torque now just

one last little bonus issue that I want

to throw out there here's an example of

a beautifully wired and and beautifully

patterned panel I love looking at

something like this to me it's a form of

art it's done well it's easy to

recognize it's easy to trace the lines

and it's easy to add on more here's an

example of what we want to avoid a

tangled Rat's Nest like this can be

really difficult to find out what's what

and it makes it easy to accidentally

touch wires when you don't mean to or to

remove the wrong one because it's hard

to trace so the more organization you

have the more of a pattern that you

apply to your layout inside your panel

the better off you'll be in the future

as well as anyone working after you

while we're on the topic of wiring you

might enjoy this video right here it

shows six mistakes diy-ers make when

wiring outlets and some of these are

pretty surprising I was going to say

shocking I restrain myself yeah I can do

that I'm Nils with learn to DIY thanks

for watching