There are many big components that come along with your home, such as your HVAC system and your plumbing network. At the center of it all is a basic electrical panel box. Understanding the components that make up your panel box and how they function to provide power for your house is an absolute necessity.
It All Starts With the Main Switch
Depending on the overall design of your home, your panel box will typically be found either in your basement or near a utility closet. It will be a steel box that has a panel that opens up on the front. When you open the panel, you’ll see a number of different switches that control the various circuits throughout your house.
At the very top of the box, you’ll see a large wire that comes into the middle of the box. This is the power feed that connects the electrical panel box in your home to the electrical power lines that are outside. When you open the access panel to your panel box, at the very top, you’ll find an on/off switch. This is a much larger switch than the rest of the switches in the box. This switch is referred to as the main power switch and is responsible for turning power to your entire home on and off.
Understanding Circuit Breakers
There will typically be two rows of switches that run down both sides of your panel box. Each switch is referred to as a circuit breaker. It has three positions, which are off, tripped, and on. Next to each circuit breaker, there should be a label describing what that circuit is connected to.
For example, the label may say “upstairs bathroom outlets.” This lets you know that if you turn the circuit to the off position, it will disconnect the power from your upstairs bathroom outlets. Every single outlet and light throughout your home will be connected to one of these circuit breakers. Most of the time, similar rooms are grouped together.
Certain appliances throughout your house may require their own dedicated breaker. For example, a stove, furnace, or dryer will likely be put on its own circuit breaker. In cases where a particular appliance requires more energy than an individual breaker can provide, such as with a dryer, there may be two breakers connected to each other. This can be referred to by many different names, such as a tandem breaker, twin breaker, or double breaker.
By understanding how all of the components of your electrical box work together to power your home, you can feel more comfortable using it. If you’re having a problem with your panel box, then be sure to call for panel repair and replacement service from Circuit Doctors in Waldorf, MD.
