Straight forward, uncomplicated thorough explanations. Thank-you. I have an older home I just purchased. Electrical is a mess. 40 space panel box. Tons of junction boxes under house in crawl space. Can't seem to get an electrician to come out. Each video of yours I watch, I become far more confident. I've done some simple wiring before and I do have common sense so I've been successful. I have 7 very old and broken baseboard heaters that I want out. I don't want to remove them and cap off the wires. I would prefer to remove them (220) from panel altogether. You've taken away the mystery of the service panel for me! Thank-you again.

I just had to do this on a Sunday morning. Never done it before and this helped me out greatly.

The labels on the door. Don't forget those! 🎉

Don't forget to update your breaker index labels on the back of the panel door, if necessary.

Electrician here; Great video, clear and concise.

You were so in the money when you said the G. E. breaker brand usually goes bad. I wanted to see which breaker was being used for my circuit, I found it and turn it off so I could add another outlet. Bad mistake tuning it off, now none of my five outlets work. I turn the breaker back on and nothing happened, all my outlets were wired correctly. I tested the breaker, and sure enough, it was bad but not tripped. A new breaker from Home Depot solved my problem. Thank you for posting your videos. They are very helpful.

Make sure the bare conductor is fully inserted behind the screw plate on the breaker connector (you should see a little bit exposed through the other side of the plate - as you did) and ensure you properly torque the screws (applies to the neutral and ground bars as well). I picked up a box of those Wago butt connectors for just such use, as well as receptacle side extensions in case they are short. They are very handy for this.

Awesome video. Answered every question I had!

Excellent content as always.

Dude thank you! I never have ever messed with a breaker box and today I just fixed some! I feel manly now! lol thank you!

Thanks Scott for another great video!!

WOW, you work fast, like "The Flash" Thank you for posting this video. I've done that more than I care too. I am competent but not comfortable, but being forced into austerity, by poverty is what I must do. I'll visit your Amazon again. I purchased Wago from your Amazon before but they didn't have butt splice. I am redoing every wire nut I happen across with Wago because it's just so much better, than twisting and straining the wires. Especially in this house. I have to be careful because the Romex Jacket on my wires has asbestos, so I don't want to be splicing wires and pulling back the jacket on Romex, creating dust. I really like Joel and Electro Pro Academy. He's the best in my book.

Thanks for the video. Very helpful

Thank you for the trick about extending the wires. I have to do exactly that and move a couple breakers to the bottom for an interlock kit that I want to install. Keep up the great work.

Good video, well done! Thanks for the info.

Square D ( Schneider Electric) also makes a plug on neutral style box. Those are different design breakers that eliminate the need for an extra neutral for AFCI and GFCI breakers.

I did exactly as you did for my generator and had to move a vreaker from top right to bottom left to free up my single 30A breaker for my 120V generator and make it usable with my interlock kit

Awesome Scott ! 👍

Nice video. And don't forget to relabel your panel description sheet.

Great explanation. 1:30 It is very smart of you, to point that they are still hot wire live even if the main breaker is close. The tree main wire coming from outside should be cover to protect electrician. There is no reason for company not to do that, except money. I f you ever want to inspect if they are well connected you could remove the ''cover'' Is not all DIY who now that. People might say, if they don't know (DIY) there should not be working inside the panel, well some DIY think that everything is safe because they been told to shut the main breaker. I remember telling somebody who was installing a breaker to watch out, and he freak out because dint realize that.

Actually I moved a breaker from top to the bottom and the wire was short so I extended that wire with a wago connector. But I was wondering if doing that was okay and now after watching this video I'm so much relieved that my action was okay.

We still have a lot of homes where I live that have fuse panels...and many of those homes have fuses screwed in that are blown, with a penny behind them LOL. Its surprising the large number of homes around like this, and even more surprising they haven't burned down due to poor electrical wiring, panels, etc.

Thanks. I am considering wiring a 30amp inlet for a generator to my panel but my main is near the top of the box with only 120v breakers but I want to move them so I can make room for a 240v for interlock.

There's a good topic here of unusual things non-electricians rarely realize which gets them into trouble when it applies. One of the breakers moved to a different phase. There are older houses with non-obvious multiwire branch circuits and if phases are improperly switched there's a double loaded neutral, i.e. fire hazard. Do not trust red and black wire colors. Keep breakers on the same phase or do absolute validation that it is safe to change.

Thanks for the video, it is very good! Since there are hot wires still inside the panel, I suggest to wear protective electrical gloves as an extra safety precaution. Regards,

Perhaps already mentioned, but those service lugs should be protected by service barriers. I was a little nervous watching you work so close to those uncovered lugs. Great video, though!

Square D QO breaker does the year matter if it has like type breaker or the type with the hook?

HINT : I had the same problem....adding a double-pole breaker for an interlock kit ( in my case, the line power and main-breaker were on top, and I needed space at upper/right positions, 2 and 4). To cope with the "too-short" wire problem you discuss at 4:50...where you show the WAGO connectors to lengthen the wire.....I simply moved the entire array of remaining breakers down 2 more positions....to open up the needed top-2 positions I needed. My point?---> each breaker has enough "slack" to allow re-positioning 2 slots....without having to add extra wire length. Of course, 1.), I need to have 2 open positions below for this to work, and 2.) the label-index written on your door needs to be updated.

Are you a licensed electrician? How do you go about deciding whether you need to get a permit? I'd like to install a 120V outlet for my new gas stove (it only needs 120V/20A dedicated circuit). I'm confident that I can do it on my own, but my concern is that I need a permit before I begin. Do you normally get permits for all of your work or does your home state not require that? Thanks!

If i move a breaker from one side to the other side ,do i need to move the ground to the other side also?

THANKS SCOTT,JUST THAT EASY…IF WE FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTIONS 🤗💚💚💚

For your upcoming backup power, I'm wondering if you thiught about using an automatic transfer switch

How would you move a 50amp from top to bottom

My townhouse was built in 1994. Every once-in-a-while (once or twice a month) I notice a short dimming of lights when a regular appliance is turned on. Does this mean I should get my panel checked out. And how long, on the average, do circuit breakers last.

To extend a wire in the panel could you just twist and solder the wires using heat sink to cover the splice ?

I would take my wedding ring off while working in a live panel.

I have a question, what can i do if i have 2 free space in my breaker box but no free blank space on the cover. Can i just cut it and make space? Its that gonna violate the code?

What if you don’t have a main breaker in the panel?

What about balancing out circuits? I have some with too many things on it and others with barely an outlet on it. What to do?

thank you sir

How do you know you need to replace your breaker ?

Where the video you were pointing at I couldn't access

I turned off my main braker once and it never came back on... I was told to turn off all the other ones first before turning off the main switch. Not sure if that would matter in all cases but for me it killed the breaker for some reason.

I think my breaker broke. I try to turn the breaker back on but it keeps springing back and I have tried do the full off then on again. The switch feels very loose.

Mine doesn’t have a main visible. ?

SCOTT, What do you mean by Nuisance trip? how do you measure or troubleshooting nuisance trips

Hi. Does anyone know if Wago Connectors can be used in Canada ?

I thought best practice is to trip all the breakers before the main. Was told the main is not designed to handle being tripped under load.

My brother in law "moved some of my breakers" to install a hot water heater. My ceiling lights & fans don't work. What do I do now? I don't understand what he moved.

03:33 all wires connected to breaker should be screwed at top of screw to go same direction under screw righty tighty wires go clockwise same as screw or could come lose

I’m convinced wago is a cult !

It would've been more helpful for you to have worn safety glasses, gloves and insulated screw drivers. You were too comfortably close to the 2 hot lines at the bottom. Also, it is very important to inform everyone that these 221-2401 WAGO connectors to only be used in junction boxes and never outside one to prevent sparks and fire and comply with codes. I like these connectors. Game changer! thx

I have a Zinsco breakers and I've been told that it's out of rated...No electricians want to deal with it. They want me to pay them to change the whole circuit breaker? Is that necessary? My whole neighborhood has the same circuit breakers.

Put the wires on the top so the screw pulls it in not out then you don’t have to use metal pliers to hold it in place. I am not an electrician but I am about to change one and wanted to be 100 and that looks wrong to me.

1) Take a picture of the panel manufacturer’s sticker. It’ll include all the breaker models the panel is designed to use. 2) Learn at the manufacturer’s what the various breaker model codes describe … it’s about more than just getting one with the same amperage rating. Example: I have a Cutler-Hammer panel. They often use a 6 alphanumeric model name: letters that describe what kind of breaker it is, numbers describing its amperage and 1 pole vs 2 pole etc. 3) Verify the amperage sticker or marking on the lever matches the breaker’s model. Mistakes happen. I currently have a 20A breaker that the manufacturer mislabeled as a 30A on the lever. You’ll get tripped breakers that way if it’s really a 30A circuit, or a breaker that’ll never trip before the wire burns if a 30A breaker gets mislabeled as a 20A, for example.

Looks like whoever fitted the that board did it blindfolded. Other issue is if you move your live/hot to say the number one position in the board the neutral for that circuit should be in the number one terminal on the neutral bar.......

I would always get a licensed electrician to do this. if only for insurance purposes

I know the breaker was tripped, but you really should turn it off prior to touching the hot screw. It would normally be live otherwise. And would probably arc if there's a load.

Nice video however, an inexperienced person in dealing with electricity should not go into an electrical panel for safety reasons. Also, always first turn off the individual breakers before turning off the main breaker and removing the load wire from the individual breaker. Also, don’t wear your ring or other jewelry/watch when with electricity. Lastly, “wire nut(s) is a registered trademark of Ideal Industries. “Wire Nuts” refer to a specific brand of electrical wire connector even though it is used generally by everyone to describe a wire connector. Technically, they should be saying, “wire connector”. This is similar to a “Xerox copy” for a photocopy and Kleenex” for a facial issue.

Reading these comments are hilarious 🤣 hire a certified professional electrician, bc when your insurance ask for the permit and the CE person the did your electrical box after the fire well you’ll figure it out.

Don't you need rubber gloves, boots and mats for safety? Just asking, not an electrician.

I don’t think you mentioned the fact that these breakers must to be torqued to manufacturers specifications in order to meet code. That’s very important. Most DIYers don’t have torque screwdrivers.

Just watched this person replace a qo square d breaker... i like to know if he a licence electrician....if you put the wire of the circuit on top the wire tightens it self when you tighten the screw...

I don't know a single person replacing gas appliances with Electric ones. From an economics point of view, you'd have to be an idiot to do that. The same would apply from an environmental point of view. Natural gas appliances are more environmentally friendly due to NG being a very clean burning fuel. Even states like California who have gone batsh*tcrazy and are destroying the natural gas power plants have been quietly buying power from out-of-state that is either produced using Natural Gas and quite often Coal. Just the other day i saw a guy driving an electric car with a bumper sticker that said "powered by coal". As for the economic perspective, 1kWh here in California costs between $0.27 and $0.54 depending on the time of day or what consumption tier you're on. Natural gas costs pennies in comparison.

Are you an electrician?

Get a helmet

Please take this video down. As a retired electrician you made me very nervous on how close you were coming to the hot main conductors in this panel. Dude you are going to get killed or get someone else killed doing this type of work. All your breakers are wired wrong (the wire should be inserted on the other side of the clamp so the screw pulls the wire in instead of push it out. Look at the left side middle screw hole in the panel right before you put the cover on, Do you see you have the wires threaded very close the where the screw is inserted? Guess what happens when you turn on the main breaker and that wire is now grounded? (Flash explosion) Also never move wires in a panel because some circuits need to be on a specific phase or you will overload your neutral returns causing a fire. Electricians go to school so this stuff does not happen. And then there is the lability of this video. A lawyer would have a field day playing this in court.

GET A GUY that stands in front of Home Depot. They will do it for $50

What's a main disconnect mean . Do you mean the main breaker switch on the panel?

I have a 40 amps braker in my panel for AC. Should be 30amps?