Sunday, October 11, 2009

How To Check Your Electrical Breaker Box ?

By Scott Rodgers

When it comes to ensuring the electrical safety of your home, an electrical breaker box panel deserves a mandatory look-in. The common problems such as overload, short-circuits etc. are notified by the breaker box only. Hence, the breaker box site must be known to every home inmate in general.

Now and then, a casual examination of the breaker box can always be performed by you and you don't need to be a professional to handle the task. Some basics if followed correctly would ensure a smooth supply of electricity to different sections of the home.

When a part of your home faces a partial electricity cut-off , it somehow indicates the abstract operation of the breaker box switches or the electrical fuses. A breaker box acts as a gateway to the various areas of your home as far as the catering of electricity to your home is concerned. Each breaker switch operates and controls different parts of the electricity framework of your home.

The panel constitutes the circuit breaker switches and the traditional electrical fuses. The amperage load information is provided on the breaker tip. In addition, the alternative electrical fuses usually find a place in a normal breaker box.

A first sight into the breaker box can give you a good idea about the working state of your home electricity supply or whether there are any hindrances to the normal power supply .If all switches are facing the same direction, it indicates sound electricity supply to different home divisions. If the case is otherwise then alter the direction of that particular switch and turn it on. This would restore power to the faulty area as well. Before closing the issue, switch off all the switches once and then switch them on once again.

The main power supply can be optionally driven by the electrical fuses. They control the electrical aberrations and irregularities by cutting-off the power supply to that circuit. The metal strip filament breaks off as soon as it experiences an exceeding surge in the voltage/ampere level. This prevents a potential hazard or fire that could've broken out. Checking the fuse includes taking a general notice of any broken or burnt filament in the breaker box.

To check the normal functioning of the fuse, a multimeter( available in the market) could prove handy. Set multimeter to R (Resistance) and check the reading .If it is 1, it means fuse is offering infinite resistance and not allowing electric current to pass through it. This would indicate an incorrect operational state of the fuse( short circuit).

Hence , inculcating a regular inspection( in a span of 3-4 days) of the electrical breaker box in your itinerary would ensure maximum protection to you and your family.

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