How to Hook Up an Electrical Breaker Box

Your home’s breaker panel consists of a set of switches that allow the circuits within your home to be turned off and on.  Installing one within your home is simply a matter of attaching the incoming power source and its wiring to a breaker.

Things That You Will Need

• A breaker box


• A 120-volt breaker


• A 240-volt breaker


• Some wire


• A pair of wire strippers


• A screwdriver


• Some screws


• An Allen wrench

1. Use screws to mount the breaker box where you want it.  Make sure that the three electric cables that run from the electric meter box are located where they can be pushed inside of the box after you strip an inch of insulation off of them. 


2. Use your Allen wrench to turn the screws own until your cables are firmly fastened.


3. Run the wires for your various circuits making sure that they terminate within the breaker box. 


4. Use a pair of wire strippers to strip the outside insulation from the wires to about an inch from each end. 


5. Push the end of each black wire into the hole that is located under the screw on the circuit’s breaker.  Tighten the screws to hold the wires in position.


6. Install the 240-volt breakers in the same way that you installed the 120-volt breakers.  Attach the two black wires to the 240-volt breaker then snap the breaker into place.


7. Fill in the circuit list that is located on the inside of your breaker panel door.  This should be done as you install each circuit so that you will be able to easily identify them whenever necessary.