A breaker box or circuit breaker is placed securely in every home. It’s the only tool that safe your home from every cause and damage of electricity. Interrupting the high voltage or electricity and prevent the uneven electric shock is appreciably done by the circuit breaker in just taking a few minutes.
As it’s never so easy to touch the circuit breaker without safety precaution, then how can it be advisable to easily do it yourself the installation of wire to the breaker box!
Wiring a breaker box is not a DIY project at all. Behind the project, it’s a nightmare for most of the people working with electrical components. It’s obvious to think so. It’s better wise to call a licensed electrician to solve the project.
Besides, if you’re so unsure about the layout of the circuit breaker and confident to deal with it, then you can try this once. But, we’re giving you a description and instructions about how the professional electrician deals with the project.
Step by Step Process to Run a Wire from Meter to Breaker Box:
To run a wire from meter to breaker box is done with few basic steps. At this project, must be ensured about the safety precaution and tools you have. Let’s looking forward to the project-
Step 1: Gather All the Necessary Tools
Working as a professional is a better opinion to follow their standards as well. Every licensed electrician has their toolbox to work with the project. Even, make the result worthy it’s necessary to complete the work with attention.
Without any mess, it’s good to know your tools properly and gather them in front of you. The following tools that you needed to do the project successfully –
- Screwdriver
- Hammer
- Wire stripper
- Voltage tester
- Electrical tape
- Circuit breaker
- Electrical wire
Step 2: Turn off the Main Switch
Before starting the project, you need to turn off the main power switch carefully. Make sure the supply line of electricity is disconnected.
To find out the exact location of the main power switch, you need to look at the top of the breaker box.
Unscrew the breaker box cover and pull it. Next, check the power is correctly switch down or not. Here, you’ve to use a voltage tester to check the power.
Use a voltage tester, one probe against the ground bus bar and then another against the screw of the breaker box. If there have no voltage sign at all, then it’s completely done. Now look forward to the next step.
Step 3: Insert the Four-Conductor Cable into the Clamp
Firstly, remove the cover from the hole located at the top side of the breaker side. Next, unscrew the nut lock before attaching the clamp. Insert the clamp through the hole and tighten the lock nut perfectly.
After that, push the four conductive cables in the cable clamp and then tighten it.
Step 4: Find the Ground Bus Bar
To attach the ground wire, you need to find the exact location. To learn the layout, carefully look at the metal strips arranged with a row of screws. It’s a ground bus bar.
Now, cut 1inch at the end of the wire with a wire stripper. Next, unscrew one of them and then push the copper ground wire on it. Let’s tighten it carefully.
Step 5: Find the Neutral Bus Bar
Like similarly grounder wire, it’s a metal, slightly white with rows of screws on it. Now, unscrew on them with a flathead screwdriver. Cut the neutral (white) wire one inch at the end and then push it on the hole. Don’t forget to tight it properly.
Step 6: Insert the Hot Wire
Select the right size of the new circuit breaker to work with. Simply, it indicates where to push the black hot wire as well as red also.
Just attach them perfectly to the back of the breaker box. Here, you can see two sets of clips to hold the circuit breaker properly. Push them at the right side of the back into the plastic bar.
Step 7: Install the Circuit Breaker
It’s now time to set the circuit breaker at the box properly. Push the breaker at the left sets of the clips.
It’s completely done. Before, switch on the power, make sure it’s successfully installed or not. Take advice from the expert electrician, then turn the main power switch.
Frequently Asked Question: How to Run a Wire from Meter to Breaker Box
Question 1: How Far Can a Breaker Box be From the Meter?
Typically, there’s a maintaining distance between a breaker box and a meter. But how long? There’s no limited distance from the outside of the house. But, inside the house, it’s better to maintain a distance of about 15feet.
Question 2: Where does the Ground Wire go in a Breaker Box?
In the breaker box, there are metal strips arranged with a few holes or screws. For a ground wire, it’s slightly white metal strips to push the ground wire. Besides, some of the breaker boxes have a green ground bus bar.
Question 3: What Size Should Ground Wire be?
Generally, the perfect size for ground wire is 16gauge. But, the 14gauge and 12gauge wire also use respectively at the voltage 25amp and 20amp.
Question 4: What does AWG Stand for in Electrical Wire?
AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. It’s the USA standard measure for electrical components.
Question 5: What Happens if you Bypass your Electric Meter?
Bypassing your electric meter is about dealing with the electric wire to move, connect, or disconnecting. Although there’s a low voltage running into your house’s electrical component, it can give you an electric shock of a sudden. So safety is a priority.
Conclusion:
Learn the breaker box layout properly, know your wire, connect the right wire in exact locations, know your meter box perfectly– those things are keywords for the project.
Though it completely seems an easy task, it’s quite risky. As I said before, it’s not a DIY project, so keep in mind not to take a challenge to do the project if you’re just a beginner.
Safety is a priority. So, call an expert, make sure what to do! If it doesn’t seem to do by you, let it go! Simply, fix the installation of wire in a breaker box without any risk, pressure, or hesitation.