On 4/7/2011 12:41 PM, Scott Hall wrote:
> Now...before I just Google "how to replace a breaker" and do that, I
> thought prudence dictated I ask someone smarter than me (that's you guys
> :-) ).
Well, the "correct" answer is "hire an electrician" or "shut off the box
main to the whole house and replace it." Swapping or adding a breaker
on a live panel is standard practice though -- at least for licensed
pros. What they do is flip off the breaker; each one hinges in at the
center of the panel (at least on every modern panel I've seen worked
on); pull at the outboard edge to swing it out; unscrew hot lead;
reconnect to new breaker with it TURNED OFF; insert into center hinge;
snap down into outer power rail; switch on.
Disclaimer: Any amateur foolish enough to attempt this possibly lethal
task should probably at least try it on a dead panel first. Note --
even if you switch off the main, the leads in from the meter and the big
terminals are still hot. And the ground and neutral bus are only
non-hot in theory.
Even though almost all brands of breakers and panels are mechanically
interchangeable, you have to match brands and products to be NEC compliant.
-w
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