Breaker Panel Basics

[@applianceassistant]

You are obviously correct that opening a live electrical panel is dangerous and should be left to a licensed electrician! I must however disagree that there is no room for private study or a basic understanding of how the systems and appliances of your home work for non professionals on a basic level. Especially with the volume of untrustworthy and dishonest trades people that are "serving" people these days. Thank you for your comment.

[@geobeard3804]

Hello from Student of Sam. Thanks for sharing!

[@deezynar]

The 2 hots are there to give you both 120V & 240V. They can share the same neutral because they're out of phase. Remember, this is alternating current, it is constantly ALTERNATING DIRECTION. That means the neutral and the hot(s) supply & return power equally but at alternating times. The difference between the neutral and hot(s) is the neutral is grounded. It's grounded to protect the power lines from lightning, but grounding it makes the other wires dangerous to touch if you're grounded.

[@KingdaToro]

The neutral bypasses the meter, so the two meter wires are L1 and L2. In service entrance cable the neutral conductor is bare metal strands wrapped around the insulated conductors, these are pulled to the side and twisted together to make connections. You should see this behind the line connections in your meter socket. The voltage from L1 or L2 to neutral is 120v, from L1 to L2 it's 240v. In the breaker box the rows of breakers alternate between L1 and L2.

[@applianceassistant]

@dragonfly45371 The switch needs to be tipped so that only off is showing. Its okay to flip them as much as you need so you can always flip them all one way and then see if the lights work, if yes try the other way :) Good luck, thanks for the comment.

[@alex681219]

@applianceassistant tkx!!! it bring me a light

[@applianceassistant]

Thanks for the comment!

[@OthmanAlikhan]

Thanks for the video =)

[@dayomom]

Great video, but it is a bit too fast for those of us who don't know a thing about breakers. However, I do enjoy watching a professional like you.

[@tline1069]

What does rec mean on a breaker? Does it mean room

[@dallaspilotcar9293]

What if you have an draw on the 4 wires with the dryer turned off?

[@alex681219]

Thanks for share! Why my electric metter have 2 wires in and 2 out (I supose l1 and neutral) and my braker box have 3 vires L1 L2 and neutral, where the other wire comes from?

[@dieseldan3545]

Have a question about my main breaker.My panel is labeled as 125 amp ,the main wires coming in are 2 gauge copper but. they are hooked up to a main 60 amp main breaker .I think this main breaker must have been changed by previous owner by mistake.Shouldnt my main breaker for this be a 125 amp?

[@applianceassistant]

60 Amps is definitely too small for a main breaker switch... I would advise having an electrician look at things, with a DIY job like that it would probably be good to have someone who knows what they are doing check the house out! It's nice you have copper input wires, thats a good sign!

[@dieseldan3545]

Electrician on Justask.com said i could do all 100amp.He said that the breaker may have been replaced when the original breaker failed and that was all that was available.

[@applianceassistant]

DIESELDAN 3 sounds good. The main breaker is a little touchy to replace, because if the power is on to the home at the meter those wires will be hot with no protection! Be carful, Good luck!

[@alexheat0678]

Told the girlfriend I was an electricity expert

[@dragonfly45371]

im soo stumped, dpnl wants me to turn all breakers off, but you can see the words on the switch itself on and off, so really how do you know!!! AAggh

[@applianceassistant]

@alex681219 check out "Home Breaker Boxes Explained" by hofpodcast here on youtube. He gives a very good explanation of how the L1 and L2 are our of phase in the Alternating Current wave to produce the high and low sides of the complete AC wave, and also the neutral and ground buss bars.

[@Eclipsepctech]

@alex681219 you don't.. you will always have l1 and l2 .. plus nuetral

[@jim1550]

0:41 When the drugs kick in

[@applianceassistant]

Yea that was a little trippy.

[@jalster2]

I don't think you are correct about the 240V dual breakers. Two 120V breakers cannot add together in parallel to get 240V. They must each be 240V, and if tied in parallel allows double the current before the breaker opens.

[@applianceassistant]

It's correct each bus bar carries 120Volts but the sine waves are out of phase with each other, so when one wave is at its crest the other is at its trough and the difference between them is 240Volts

[@applianceassistant]

Bummer, sorry it didn't help. Good luck!

[@Yzyenthusiast]

y

[@hamdoginc1]

Wrong wrong wrong!!!!!