Are the circuit breakers in your home’s electrical panel on the older side? If so, they’re going to start to give out on you sooner or later.
There are some circuit breakers that can last for up to 40 years, if not longer. But you might also find that a circuit breaker will need to be replaced before that.
Fortunately, replacing a circuit breaker isn’t too difficult to do. You might even be able to take out a broken circuit breaker and put a new circuit breaker in its place without any help from an electrician.
But you will need to take the right approach to replacing a circuit breaker. Here are four tips that will help you get the job done.
1. Identify the Old Circuit Breaker That You’re Going to Replace
First things first: You’ll need to figure out which circuit breaker that you need to replace before you get to work. You should be able to tell which circuit breaker is broken based on where you’ve lost power in your home.
You should also search for a new circuit breaker to install. Visit https://baypower.com/westinghouse/circuit-breakers to find the right circuit breaker for your home.
2. Get Your Hands on the Necessary Tools to Replace a Circuit Breaker
Once you know which circuit breaker you need to replace and you have a new circuit breaker to install, you should gather the tools that you’ll need to perform this particular home improvement project. This will include things like:
- Insulated gloves
- Shoes with rubber soles
- Voltage tester
- Insulated flashlight
- Insulated screwdriver, pliers, and wire strippers
You should also stick a non-conductive surface, like a rubber mat, in the area where you’ll be standing. This could keep you safe if you happen to touch a live wire.
3. Make the Proper Preparations Right Before Replacing a Circuit Breaker
In addition to getting all the tools that you’ll need to replace a circuit breaker, you should also make the proper preparations. We just mentioned how you should place a non-conductive surface on the ground. But you should take things a step further than that.
You should cut off all of the power coming into your home before working on a circuit breaker. You should also verify that you don’t have any power coming into your home by using your voltage tester.
4. Remove an Old Circuit Breaker and Replace It With a New One
As long as you’ve done everything else that we’ve discussed here, you should be ready to remove your old circuit breaker and replace it with your new one. To do this, you’ll have to:
- Unscrew the cover for the circuit breaker and pull it towards you
- Disconnect the circuit breaker and remove it
- Install your new circuit breaker in the same spot as your old one
- Connect your new circuit breaker and screw it into place
- Restore the power to your home to make sure your new circuit breaker works
If you don’t feel comfortable with the idea of taking one or more of these steps, you can always contact an electrician to help you. But you should be able to make your way through these steps and get your new circuit breaker working without encountering too many issues.
Replace a Broken Circuit Breaker With a New One Today
It’s going to be difficult to live in your home with a broken circuit breaker for too long. You won’t be able to use the electrical outlets in certain parts of your house when this is the case.
It’s why you should work on replacing a circuit breaker that needs to be replaced ASAP. Use the tips found here to get the job done in no time.
Find more useful home improvement hacks by reading through our other blog articles.
