This is perfectly fine for determining if the breaker is open or closed. Step two would be to remove the breaker and test it for continuity. If it seems OK outside the circuit, clean up the wire connection and try again - it may start tripping normally now. If you still have your doubts, swap it with another in the box with the same current rating and see if that trips. Then start looking for shorts...
Excellent tutorial- with this, I repaired my 40A breaker- it was partially pulled out of it's socket. Don't know why, but this saved me some cash from not bringing in an electrician.
@fmdtech This video is intended to educate and help the home owner. Regardless of how you personally feel, homeowners are going to do this kind of work. So my intention is to show them how to do this as safely as possible. I cannot help that you do not like or agree with this. As an electrical contractor myself, I would rather do the work, but in some cases that is unrealistic. So I help out this way.
They used to teach this in basic electronics class in high school ( along with a lot of other classes) dam shame they don't do it anymore. Maybe the sheeple would be people again.
Very informative, thanks for teaching me why a defective 240 breaker will still show 120 volts. It was a mystery that my water heater wasn't working even though I still supposedly had half the voltage needed.
About ten years ago I bought a small, name-brand table saw from a big box store for a small project I needed it for that weekend. I had never had a problem with the wiring in my old detached garage, which had been updated with a new breaker box and receptacles had been added using modern wires a few years before we bought the property. The saw was rated for 120 volts and drew about 13 amps when you first cut it on. As I remember my experience, it would hum and the blade turned slowly, before finally getting up to speed, but didn't have enough power to cut a board. This occurred the first time I tried to use it. I assumed the saw was defective, and packed it back into the original box and took it back to the big box store with my receipt, and they cheerfully gave me another saw exactly like it. As before, it was brand new and the whole box was wrapped in clear plastic or cellophane, to show that it was exactly as it had been when it left the factory. Had the same experience as before, when I plugged it in and tried to use it. I reasoned that the odds were against two brand-new small table saws from the same reputable manufacturer being bad. So I turned to the electrical wiring, starting with the breaker box, after cutting off the power feeding that box. I found that the former owner's son had done the wiring, not a licensed electrician, and that a number of the screws securing the connections to the ground bar and to the circuits inside that small box were loose, with evidence of arcing. I tightened up every screw in that box, whether obviously loose or not, replaced the breakers and turned the power back. Problem solved. And I still use that table saw occasionally. Recently some of my LED shop lights have started flickering, so I'm getting ready to check the circuits again, before tossing them out with the trash.
Thanks. I am going to troubleshoot a bad outlet. I get 120 ac Volts, and the wiring looks OK. The breaker box is in the weather and is about 60 years old. None of the breakers tripped, so it might be the problem. Thanks again. Video was straight to the point: I don't need to watch a 30 minute video on what you showed me in 2 minutes and 43 seconds.
YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER !!! I had a multimeter I use for my electronics projects, but I had no idea how to read the breakers.. One of the breakers didn't trip, but went out. Your video helped me get my identify the bad breaker .. the previous owner had not labeled the all the breakers .. THANK YOU !!!!!
*Thank you for posting this 12 years ago! Nobody thinks a girl with nails, makeup, etc, can replace a double pole breaker. But ive had to fend for myself since I was 16, so being 37 now, ive picked up a few things over the years that I normally wouldnt have. After rewiring the lighting in 1 of my bathrooms, replacing a breaker in the panel will be a piece of cake. Thanks again!* *PS- For the nosey mf'ers thinking I shouldnt be doing this...I am a single parent on a budget, so if I dont do it myself (or learn how to), IT WONT GET DONE! So unless youre gonna pay for me to have an electrician out, mind your own business!*
Wow hear what you're saying the more power to you.. in all cases always be careful when dealing with electricity. Yep always attempted with a clear head, alert in that feeling angry with anything cuz you might tend to forget how to be safe I forgotten because I get angry sometimes for me it's not good to attempt any repairs electrically if lm angry or mad at something. Good luck stay safe and save money
Well done video. Short and easy to understand. Some these videos I watch are 10, 15, or over 20 minutes when they could have been much shorter. Some would need the longer videos if they have very little experience and need a bit more in depth information. I took electric shop in high school, 2 years didn't get into that line of work. So I had a fair knowledge of electricity. Also over the last 50 plus years I've done a fair amount of wiring. But I didn't know how to test a breaker. Now I do. Thanks. I had a breaker went bad but when you tripped it it seemed fine. Was to the water heater. Replace an element but still no hot water. Thermostats had been replace about a year ago so I was at a loss. Decided what the heck, put a new breaker in and now hot water. Thanks again.
I love TH-cam and helpful instructors like you. I have saved myself so much money with these tutorials and troubleshooting my problematic water system. thanks for your efforts and the time that you put into these videos to help home boners like me.
Thanks for the straightforward video. I came home to a failed circuit for all the lights and outlets in one room. I thought it was a thrown breaker. Nope. Then I replaced the only GFCI with a new one. Nope. Then I found your video, broke out my multimeter, and tested the breaker. It's fine. I don't know what to try now.
Yes, one of my basement rooms has TWO GFCI outlets. One I checked and the other was hidden by a piece of furniture. I reset the hidden one and all was well. I hope you get your problem resolved as easily.@@rudething4u
@@rudething4uif you are getting power to the breaker but not the outlet, test cables behind outlet if no power there then only thing left is damaged wire somewhere.
Thanks so much for the most clear concise video I've ever seen on the subject. I was able to isolate one of my Breakers and found all I really needed to do was reset it. Thanks again!
Thanx for short and simple tutorial I have a daisy chain issue on one side of house and need to troubleshoot breaker box first.....music is intense and classic!!!
Well done! Most You-Tube tutorial never get to the root of the problems! Either it has to much talk or unnecessary extra loud music in the fore and background and constantly dance about giving very little information on how to do it yourself! Thank you for posting making it plain and simple! If I'm still stump on my findings I will call my local electrician. Thanks again! Larry
@rasheedgamerfb The electrical service in your home is 220v. This comes in directly from the utility. Its only when you use one leg of that service that you get the 120v that you are accustomed to. So if you want 220v to run an appliance etc, you will need to use the appropriate sized double pole breaker.
Thank you for saving another life. No random probing happing now, I know right we're to check. Thank You 1.6 millon views, your doing something right sir.
Thank you for this video. I will be testing my breaker today for my hot water heater. I purchased a new water heater and it is not heating up the water. Again, THANK YOU!
Ok the short answer is that you have a loose connection in one of the wires feeding through the light boxes going up to your office/garage. Since the basement is closeest to the panel, this would be why they stay on and everything else flickers or goes out. The loose connection will be in either the light box or switch box as power feeds tend to bounce from box to box to distribute power. This can be labor intensive to find, and but easy to fix when you do.
I am glad you posted this. This is a perfect example of why home inspectors should not be judging or telling people how to do electrical work. When using a meter, it does not matter which wire goes to the hot or which is going to the neutral or grounding bar. The breaker will not trip. The leads are only there to serve as a sensors. If you have been telling people that, you do not know the first thing about electricity.
Awesome 👌 I have a question..Light flickers on the house. When the heater is on, master bedroom power goes out. I took the panels off and tested every breakers and I am getting around 123-125. What could cause it? What else can I do before I spend $400 for the tech to come out
Thanks so much for a simple explanation to checking this. I am also reading Cindy Brown's sting here and I believe it is leading me to my answer as well. Thanks much.
Its possible your breaker is getting weak, in that case it would need to be replaced. But you need to consider the possibility if it happens again that you either have a loose connection in the line (meaning one of the junction boxes or device boxes) or you have a intermittent short. Either way if it happens again you will need to get the line traced and fixed.
Are you sure that the basement lights are on the same circuit as the office/garage? When you removed the wire from the breaker, did the basement lights remain on?
Now in reply to this, I have very specific reasons for saying this. People who aren't electricians and are looking for guidance do not want any holes in the advise given. So I am very specific. You are correct that with AC it does not matter, but for a novice that will only serve to confuse them more by telling them this. That is why I give very specific directions. If you don't like what I posted here, your free to make your own videos. Good luck to you.
What if I get a reading of “zero” on a double pole breaker when putting the leads on the breaker terminals but a reading of 120 volts when testing them individually
for those new to MM lead placement, and whats not covered in this video is exactly WHERE to plug the leads FROM the MM.. Pictured in the still was the black lead in COM, but the red, do yoo use the FUSED side or the not FUSED side?
Testing a gfci breaker is not the same as testing a double pole 220v breaker. Can you tell me more of what the problem is? Is your gfci breaker a single pole or double pole?
voltage with a wave sine symbol on Top. this wave is for a.c. current. the dot and dash marks on top are only for dc current. mainly battery but some motors too.
Thanks for this video! I'm trying to sort out a water heater that doesn't work. There's no power at the heater. There's ~124v on each leg of the breaker, but the wire leaving the wall into the junction box near the heater is dead. The wire appears to be a straight ~25' run from the heater inside the base of an exterior wall to the breaker panel located just inside an entry door. It does not leave the wall and run under the house someplace that the squirrels and I can access it. Do I need to open up the wall and trace the wire? It's just aluminum siding and thin sheathing... Or have I missed something I can do before taking that step?
In my housing development, the main power is controlled by the condo management. There are 528 comments for this video which I do agree is very helpful and to the point. But the one thing that is NOT CLEAR for me is DOES THE MAIN POWER SOURCE HAVE TO BE SHUT OFF TO TEST FOR THE BAD BREAKER if I am using a multimeter?
if the breaker reads 120 volts , can the breaker still be bad if the ohmns reading is not good, because if there is no load,it may read 120, but when you put a load on it , it fails . Does that make any sense, would like your opinion please ,
Now, could a bad breaker be the cause of dimming lights? As in the lights dime when the A/C kicks on, or when the microwave is started. I'm running into that issue and so far, (not being any kind of familiar with electrical work) I LOVE your videos! Thanks a million. I hated contacting some electricians and they tell me it's going to be $150-$200 BUT for me not to worry because it's an "Easy Fix". That's what made me feel that I could at least do the troubleshooting myself, if not the repair.
Joshua Hernandez it’s not a bad breaker, it’s the load on the breaker. Technically the AC should be on its own circuit. What’s happening is, when the AC or Microwave initially turn on, they draw a certain amount on amps & that’s when you see the light dim. Id suggest splitting the loads onto different breakers.
Great Information ! Thanks I will start in the morning as you say,to find the short.My refridg outlet and micro,keeps going off and on every 10 minuts ? E
my power died on all the plugins on one side of room. checked and replaced the ones that looked questionable (burnt spots) tested each one before install and still nothing at plugs. got power above (lights ,fan, etc) what is it ? dont really want to go in attic where wires run. could only half the breaker be working? it is a 15 amp one.
I just had a double pole 20 circuit breaker go bad. There were two hots connected to each screw. I had the power turned off at the main breaker. After disconnecting the circuit breaker I turned the main breaker back on for light. I took my tester and checked the four wires I just disconnected. One of them was still hot. How can that be? It is not connected to a breaker/ I would appreciate your feedback.
I tried to copy what you did. But I got no readings on any breakers? But I have power in my house ao that can't be true. I did power lead to back of breaker and ground lead to the grounded area on breaker box.... maybe I didn't do it correctly? So strange. Trying not to call an electrician, but I just might need to...
I have a gfi breaker servicing two outdoor receptacles. One is a gfi. No power on either. I reset breaker and receptacle. Nothing. Do I really need a gfi breaker with a gfi receptacle? Should I put a regular receptacle in?
My breaker keeps flipping when I use my welder, I have asked other welders and they said I need a bigger breaker outlet and wires, for example I probably have a 15 amp breaker and outlet and I probably need a 20 or 30 amp breaker outlet and wires. Will that fix it? And if so do I need to get an electrician to check my work for it to be legally installed? Or as long as I follow instructions I’m ok?? Thank you Vlad
I have 4 outlets quit working. two in the living room and two in bedroom. All but one reads 0.00 but the one reads 0.06. What do you think might be wrong? The breaker wasn't thrown.I have reset them all and also the GFI's. Thanks, Kevin
Hi I have a pushmatic panel box. I recently started having problems with losing power to office and garage lights while the basement lights are wired on the same breaker and stay on. I have taken panel cover off and there is only one wire. I unscrewed this wire and moved it around a little and the power to the office and garage started working but when I tighten the screw down it doesn't work. Any idea what my problem is?
I don't think so, I used several on the bar myself, still got readings. Only problem for me is that all of my breakers held the proper voltage, so now IDK WTF is wrong with my outlet. Maybe a squirrel, a mouse, a chipmunk? Who knows? I have no idea where the damaged wire is.
I changed a double breaker 60-60. one wire was red and one was black. When I put the new breaker in, I wasn't sure if the red was from the top or bottom. I put them in the way I thought they had been. Does it matter?
Hey I’m new to this and I’m trying to learn. How do you locate ground if it’s your first time looking at something new and you’re trying to measure voltage? Is there always something there like green screw or a green or white wire?
Good content & easy to understand. The music is kinda intense. Was waiting for Pirates or Vikings or some other dangerous entity to attack you. Stay Brave!
@DynastyQg9 - I dont remember what the sound track is called, but it comes from the TV show "Cold Case" - I really like that show, and figured it would be great as background music for the videos.
Alright E-Doc, that just saved me a lot of bucks calling someone out here. I have a digital and analog volt meters. I know I have a bad breaker, I just didn't know which one, this did the trick, thanks again!
@dsastrclan - No in order to check to see of the breaker is working, it will need to be checked with the unit on. Just remember that when you do this to take every precaution so as to not get shocked. Meaning, use leather gloves, safety glasses and a rubber mat or plywood to stand on.
Can you please help me. I turned off the switch to the microwave. I can feel the breakers slightly electric like static electricity I touched it with a plastic bag. Should I get someone to fix something? What is happening?
Its just how I did it in the video. But if I am checking a double pole breaker, its just force of habit for me to check one side to the other first, then each pole to neutral or ground. But in reality so long as you do all those checks, the order does not matter.
I have a 40 amp, 2 pole Square D that reads 120v to ground for both terminals but, 0 volts terminal to terminal. I still can't figure out how that is possible for a Delta circuit.
Ok if your getting that kind of reading on that double pole breaker, test another double pole breaker in your panel to see if your getting the same results. If your not, then change out the breaker, if you are, then you will likely have another issues such as a bad main or even service issues to your home.
14 years old and STILL helping people now... Thanks!
Now 15 years old and really helpful! Man, a sub 3 minute video PACKED with exactly the information you need to safely check for a bad breaker.
14 years and still helping people. Thanks for this.
bro! thank you for not dragging this video out for 20 mins! very helpful and right to the point! Thank You God Bless you!
This was from before people could cash in on a vid longer than 10 minutes.
I literally watched 11 different videos to find what to use as the ground and you did it in 10 seconds. Thank you!
9 years later and your video is still helping ppl, TY.
Great tutorial. Though the intense music made me feel like the fate of the entire world rested on me changing my breakers correctly.
Revolution 313 same lol
Revolution 313 lmfao
Revolution 313 😁
Lol. But it does....
Hahaha this is serous business!!!!
This is perfectly fine for determining if the breaker is open or closed. Step two would be to remove the breaker and test it for continuity. If it seems OK outside the circuit, clean up the wire connection and try again - it may start tripping normally now. If you still have your doubts, swap it with another in the box with the same current rating and see if that trips. Then start looking for shorts...
Excellent tutorial- with this, I repaired my 40A breaker- it was partially pulled out of it's socket. Don't know why, but this saved me some cash from not bringing in an electrician.
@fmdtech This video is intended to educate and help the home owner. Regardless of how you personally feel, homeowners are going to do this kind of work. So my intention is to show them how to do this as safely as possible. I cannot help that you do not like or agree with this. As an electrical contractor myself, I would rather do the work, but in some cases that is unrealistic. So I help out this way.
This just saved me a $150 site visit for a fix that took like 30 seconds. I truly appreciate it.
*Youre a God-send, thank you!*
They used to teach this in basic electronics class in high school ( along with a lot of other classes) dam shame they don't do it anymore. Maybe the sheeple would be people again.
I wish you discussed what setting you are using on the multimeter.
@@dannymincks Best response. Couldnt add anything even if I wanted to. As sad as that is, its 100% truth.. and honestly just made my day.
Very informative, thanks for teaching me why a defective 240 breaker will still show 120 volts. It was a mystery that my water heater wasn't working even though I still supposedly had half the voltage needed.
Explain the settings to use on multimeter. For this Do you use volts AC or volts DC?
About ten years ago I bought a small, name-brand table saw from a big box store for a small project I needed it for that weekend. I had never had a problem with the wiring in my old detached garage, which had been updated with a new breaker box and receptacles had been added using modern wires a few years before we bought the property. The saw was rated for 120 volts and drew about 13 amps when you first cut it on. As I remember my experience, it would hum and the blade turned slowly, before finally getting up to speed, but didn't have enough power to cut a board. This occurred the first time I tried to use it. I assumed the saw was defective, and packed it back into the original box and took it back to the big box store with my receipt, and they cheerfully gave me another saw exactly like it. As before, it was brand new and the whole box was wrapped in clear plastic or cellophane, to show that it was exactly as it had been when it left the factory. Had the same experience as before, when I plugged it in and tried to use it. I reasoned that the odds were against two brand-new small table saws from the same reputable manufacturer being bad. So I turned to the electrical wiring, starting with the breaker box, after cutting off the power feeding that box. I found that the former owner's son had done the wiring, not a licensed electrician, and that a number of the screws securing the connections to the ground bar and to the circuits inside that small box were loose, with evidence of arcing. I tightened up every screw in that box, whether obviously loose or not, replaced the breakers and turned the power back. Problem solved. And I still use that table saw occasionally. Recently some of my LED shop lights have started flickering, so I'm getting ready to check the circuits again, before tossing them out with the trash.
The music fits how I feel anytime I do electrical work perfectly.
The same music plays every time an electrician walks into a chaotic room. ;)
Thanks. I am going to troubleshoot a bad outlet. I get 120 ac Volts, and the wiring looks OK. The breaker box is in the weather and is about 60 years old. None of the breakers tripped, so it might be the problem. Thanks again. Video was straight to the point: I don't need to watch a 30 minute video on what you showed me in 2 minutes and 43 seconds.
What a life saver!!! You showed this woman a new needed lesson!!
Thank you!!!!!!!
YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER !!! I had a multimeter I use for my electronics projects, but I had no idea how to read the breakers.. One of the breakers didn't trip, but went out. Your video helped me get my identify the bad breaker .. the previous owner had not labeled the all the breakers .. THANK YOU !!!!!
Thank you! I cannot imagine that this video was 15 years ago. It is very helpful now.
15 years old this was perfect straight to the point thank you
Thank you for your help. My week long frustrations with our water heater are closing to an end. It was the breaker. Showers coming soon. Shalom!
Clear and useful. Just tested a 2-pole breaker, following these instructions. Thanks.
Thank you, my breakers are not labeled and couldn't tell which one is the bad one to get power back in the room having the issue, appreciate it
*Thank you for posting this 12 years ago! Nobody thinks a girl with nails, makeup, etc, can replace a double pole breaker. But ive had to fend for myself since I was 16, so being 37 now, ive picked up a few things over the years that I normally wouldnt have. After rewiring the lighting in 1 of my bathrooms, replacing a breaker in the panel will be a piece of cake. Thanks again!*
*PS- For the nosey mf'ers thinking I shouldnt be doing this...I am a single parent on a budget, so if I dont do it myself (or learn how to), IT WONT GET DONE! So unless youre gonna pay for me to have an electrician out, mind your own business!*
I feel you girl...check my channel for some other DIY projects- from auto to appliances
You go girl!!! Girls can do anything boys can:)
Wow hear what you're saying the more power to you.. in all cases always be careful when dealing with electricity. Yep always attempted with a clear head, alert in that feeling angry with anything cuz you might tend to forget how to be safe I forgotten because I get angry sometimes for me it's not good to attempt any repairs electrically if lm angry or mad at something. Good luck stay safe and save money
Extremely helpful. Straight to the point no extra info
Well done video. Short and easy to understand. Some these videos I watch are 10, 15, or over 20 minutes when they could have been much shorter. Some would need the longer videos if they have very little experience and need a bit more in depth information. I took electric shop in high school, 2 years didn't get into that line of work. So I had a fair knowledge of electricity. Also over the last 50 plus years I've done a fair amount of wiring. But I didn't know how to test a breaker. Now I do. Thanks. I had a breaker went bad but when you tripped it it seemed fine. Was to the water heater. Replace an element but still no hot water. Thermostats had been replace about a year ago so I was at a loss. Decided what the heck, put a new breaker in and now hot water. Thanks again.
I love TH-cam and helpful instructors like you. I have saved myself so much money with these tutorials and troubleshooting my problematic water system. thanks for your efforts and the time that you put into these videos to help home boners like me.
does the breaker has to be in the ON position before testing?
If you have a breaker that won’t reset, turn the main breaker off. If the breaker in question resets with the main off, it’s still good.
Thanks for the straightforward video. I came home to a failed circuit for all the lights and outlets in one room. I thought it was a thrown breaker. Nope. Then I replaced the only GFCI with a new one. Nope. Then I found your video, broke out my multimeter, and tested the breaker. It's fine. I don't know what to try now.
Did you figure it out, I'm in the same situation?
Yes, one of my basement rooms has TWO GFCI outlets. One I checked and the other was hidden by a piece of furniture. I reset the hidden one and all was well. I hope you get your problem resolved as easily.@@rudething4u
@@rudething4uif you are getting power to the breaker but not the outlet, test cables behind outlet if no power there then only thing left is damaged wire somewhere.
Thanks, it worked for me. Found the problem and power is back. Thank you for your time to do the video.
This video is the best explanation of checking for a bad breaker i have found yet.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks so much for the most clear concise video I've ever seen on the subject. I was able to isolate one of my Breakers and found all I really needed to do was reset it. Thanks again!
Thanx for short and simple tutorial I have a daisy chain issue on one side of house and need to troubleshoot breaker box first.....music is intense and classic!!!
Well done!
Most You-Tube tutorial never get to the root of the problems!
Either it has to much talk or unnecessary extra loud music in the fore and background and constantly dance about giving very little information on how to do it yourself!
Thank you for posting making it plain and simple!
If I'm still stump on my findings I will call my local electrician.
Thanks again!
Larry
And the unnecessary long intros.
@rasheedgamerfb The electrical service in your home is 220v. This comes in directly from the utility. Its only when you use one leg of that service that you get the 120v that you are accustomed to. So if you want 220v to run an appliance etc, you will need to use the appropriate sized double pole breaker.
Thank you for saving another life. No random probing happing now, I know right we're to check. Thank You
1.6 millon views, your doing something right sir.
What if you find a breaker that is floppy and the circuits read 70 to 8o bolts w/ light s on a timer coming on but barely visible?
Thank you for this video. I will be testing my breaker today for my hot water heater. I purchased a new water heater and it is not heating up the water. Again, THANK YOU!
Ok the short answer is that you have a loose connection in one of the wires feeding through the light boxes going up to your office/garage. Since the basement is closeest to the panel, this would be why they stay on and everything else flickers or goes out. The loose connection will be in either the light box or switch box as power feeds tend to bounce from box to box to distribute power. This can be labor intensive to find, and but easy to fix when you do.
Thank you for your video. You explained it very well where other ones didn't. I appreciate it
I am glad you posted this. This is a perfect example of why home inspectors should not be judging or telling people how to do electrical work. When using a meter, it does not matter which wire goes to the hot or which is going to the neutral or grounding bar. The breaker will not trip. The leads are only there to serve as a sensors. If you have been telling people that, you do not know the first thing about electricity.
No mention of settings on the tester or if the breaker is supposed to be on ?
Are the breakers to be in the on position ? Setting on multimeter to V ?
Awesome 👌 I have a question..Light flickers on the house. When the heater is on, master bedroom power goes out. I took the panels off and tested every breakers and I am getting around 123-125. What could cause it? What else can I do before I spend $400 for the tech to come out
Thanks so much for a simple explanation to checking this. I am also reading Cindy Brown's sting here and I believe it is leading me to my answer as well. Thanks much.
Its possible your breaker is getting weak, in that case it would need to be replaced. But you need to consider the possibility if it happens again that you either have a loose connection in the line (meaning one of the junction boxes or device boxes) or you have a intermittent short. Either way if it happens again you will need to get the line traced and fixed.
Are you sure that the basement lights are on the same circuit as the office/garage? When you removed the wire from the breaker, did the basement lights remain on?
Now in reply to this, I have very specific reasons for saying this. People who aren't electricians and are looking for guidance do not want any holes in the advise given. So I am very specific. You are correct that with AC it does not matter, but for a novice that will only serve to confuse them more by telling them this. That is why I give very specific directions. If you don't like what I posted here, your free to make your own videos. Good luck to you.
What if I get a reading of “zero” on a double pole breaker when putting the leads on the breaker terminals but a reading of 120 volts when testing them individually
Short, clear and very helpful. Great demo. Thanks
You, my new friend, have the blueprint for how tutorials should be done. Way to kiss it
for those new to MM lead placement, and whats not covered in this video is exactly WHERE to plug the leads FROM the MM.. Pictured in the still was the black lead in COM, but the red, do yoo use the FUSED side or the not FUSED side?
Testing a gfci breaker is not the same as testing a double pole 220v breaker. Can you tell me more of what the problem is? Is your gfci breaker a single pole or double pole?
my multimeter looks different than his- what setting do i put it on?
voltage with a wave sine symbol on Top. this wave is for a.c. current. the dot and dash marks on top are only for dc current. mainly battery but some motors too.
Thanks for this video! I'm trying to sort out a water heater that doesn't work. There's no power at the heater. There's ~124v on each leg of the breaker, but the wire leaving the wall into the junction box near the heater is dead.
The wire appears to be a straight ~25' run from the heater inside the base of an exterior wall to the breaker panel located just inside an entry door. It does not leave the wall and run under the house someplace that the squirrels and I can access it.
Do I need to open up the wall and trace the wire? It's just aluminum siding and thin sheathing... Or have I missed something I can do before taking that step?
Thank you for this video. It's exactly what I needed.
In my housing development, the main power is controlled by the condo management. There are 528 comments for this video which I do agree is very helpful and to the point. But the one thing that is NOT CLEAR for me is DOES THE MAIN POWER SOURCE HAVE TO BE SHUT OFF TO TEST FOR THE BAD BREAKER if I am using a multimeter?
Yes the power does have to be on in order to do this test.
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Keep up the good work.
Do the power have to be. OFF or ON? THANKS
If I have a breaker that keeps tripping off can I still test the breaker when it’s off?
Dear Sir, will we may change the fuse circuit breaker with a normal breaker(On/Off option manual)
if the breaker reads 120 volts , can the breaker still be bad if the ohmns reading is not good, because if there is no load,it may read 120, but when you put a load on it , it fails . Does that make any sense, would like your opinion please ,
Thank u brother, other videos on this were confusing. And calming music.
Now, could a bad breaker be the cause of dimming lights? As in the lights dime when the A/C kicks on, or when the microwave is started. I'm running into that issue and so far, (not being any kind of familiar with electrical work) I LOVE your videos! Thanks a million. I hated contacting some electricians and they tell me it's going to be $150-$200 BUT for me not to worry because it's an "Easy Fix". That's what made me feel that I could at least do the troubleshooting myself, if not the repair.
Joshua Hernandez it’s not a bad breaker, it’s the load on the breaker. Technically the AC should be on its own circuit. What’s happening is, when the AC or Microwave initially turn on, they draw a certain amount on amps & that’s when you see the light dim. Id suggest splitting the loads onto different breakers.
Loose grounds can cause flickering when large current draws happen
Joshua Hernandez just remember. Brown to the right. Green/yellow to the middle. Blue to bits
Do you test it with the power still on or off? I'm asking cuz I don't want to get electrocuted
does the breaker need to be off before i check it?
THANKS FOR TEACHING YOUR METHOD ON HOW TO CHECK C/B ON PANEL.
Great Information ! Thanks I will start in the morning as you say,to find the short.My refridg outlet and micro,keeps going off and on every 10 minuts ? E
If you are testing 240 volts from 1 breaker branch to another do you go from load side to load side or line side to line side?
my power died on all the plugins on one side of room. checked and replaced the ones that looked questionable (burnt spots) tested each one before install and still nothing at plugs. got power above (lights ,fan, etc) what is it ? dont really want to go in attic where wires run. could only half the breaker be working? it is a 15 amp one.
I just had a double pole 20 circuit breaker go bad. There were two hots connected to each screw. I had the power turned off at the main breaker. After disconnecting the circuit breaker I turned the main breaker back on for light. I took my tester and checked the four wires I just disconnected. One of them was still hot. How can that be? It is not connected to a breaker/ I would appreciate your feedback.
I tried to copy what you did. But I got no readings on any breakers? But I have power in my house ao that can't be true. I did power lead to back of breaker and ground lead to the grounded area on breaker box.... maybe I didn't do it correctly? So strange. Trying not to call an electrician, but I just might need to...
I have a Klein Tools MM300, what do I set the dial to for this test?
I have a gfi breaker servicing two outdoor receptacles. One is a gfi. No power on either. I reset breaker and receptacle. Nothing. Do I really need a gfi breaker with a gfi receptacle? Should I put a regular receptacle in?
i have a 2yr old heat pump water heater that has recently started to trip the breaker . how do i troubleshoot my situation.
Simple and straight to the point. Thank you!
If you have one bad bresker on two throw 208/230 circuit . Would you resd any voltage at the disconnect ?
My breaker keeps flipping when I use my welder, I have asked other welders and they said I need a bigger breaker outlet and wires, for example I probably have a 15 amp breaker and outlet and I probably need a 20 or 30 amp breaker outlet and wires. Will that fix it? And if so do I need to get an electrician to check my work for it to be legally installed? Or as long as I follow instructions I’m ok??
Thank you
Vlad
Epic battle music. Thought the electrician was going to start throwing lightning bolts at any moment. Sadly this did not happen.
best damn sound track of any repair video in the universe...
Plot twist: it's not from our universe.
I have 4 outlets quit working. two in the living room and two in bedroom. All but one
reads 0.00 but the one reads 0.06. What do you think might be wrong? The breaker wasn't thrown.I have reset them all and also the GFI's.
Thanks,
Kevin
Can I put the panel screws in my pocket?
hey is there a way to tell if it's bad without using that meter?
@Bubi2337 Here in the US, breakers are sized at 15amp 20amp etc.
Great Tutorial Man, God Bless Your Life for share your knowledge
Hi I have a pushmatic panel box. I recently started having problems with losing power to office and garage lights while the basement lights are wired on the same breaker and stay on. I have taken panel cover off and there is only one wire. I unscrewed this wire and moved it around a little and the power to the office and garage started working but when I tighten the screw down it doesn't work. Any idea what my problem is?
Helpful. It doesn't matter which screw on the neutral bar you touch?
I don't think so, I used several on the bar myself, still got readings.
Only problem for me is that all of my breakers held the proper voltage, so now IDK WTF is wrong with my outlet.
Maybe a squirrel, a mouse, a chipmunk? Who knows? I have no idea where the damaged wire is.
i tried that and i got a big pop and spark did i do something wrong?
I changed a double breaker 60-60. one wire was red and one was black. When I put the new breaker in, I wasn't sure if the red was from the top or bottom. I put them in the way I thought they had been. Does it matter?
No. Red and black wires are both hot, so it won't know the difference.
Love that music! What is it called??
Hey I’m new to this and I’m trying to learn. How do you locate ground if it’s your first time looking at something new and you’re trying to measure voltage? Is there always something there like green screw or a green or white wire?
Good content & easy to understand. The music is kinda intense. Was waiting for Pirates or Vikings or some other dangerous entity to attack you. Stay Brave!
@DynastyQg9 - I dont remember what the sound track is called, but it comes from the TV show "Cold Case" - I really like that show, and figured it would be great as background music for the videos.
I like watching the "out" take videos...learning from others' mistakes can be quite entertaining.
Alright E-Doc, that just saved me a lot of bucks calling someone out here. I have a digital and analog volt meters. I know I have a bad breaker, I just didn't know which one, this did the trick, thanks again!
so should I start with checking each switch and outlet for loose connection?
@dsastrclan - No in order to check to see of the breaker is working, it will need to be checked with the unit on. Just remember that when you do this to take every precaution so as to not get shocked. Meaning, use leather gloves, safety glasses and a rubber mat or plywood to stand on.
Is the disconnect feeding power to the circuit in question? Or is the breaker protecting the disconnect?
Can you please help me. I turned off the switch to the microwave. I can feel the breakers slightly electric like static electricity I touched it with a plastic bag. Should I get someone to fix something? What is happening?
Why do you not make contact with neutral first then red?
Its just how I did it in the video. But if I am checking a double pole breaker, its just force of habit for me to check one side to the other first, then each pole to neutral or ground. But in reality so long as you do all those checks, the order does not matter.
I have a 40 amp, 2 pole Square D that reads 120v to ground for both terminals but, 0 volts terminal to terminal. I still can't figure out how that is possible for a Delta circuit.
Ok if your getting that kind of reading on that double pole breaker, test another double pole breaker in your panel to see if your getting the same results. If your not, then change out the breaker, if you are, then you will likely have another issues such as a bad main or even service issues to your home.
Let's do this tomorrow. Thanks!!