Churning with voltage and resembling an explosion at the wire factory, the breaker panel exudes mystique. But it's just a big switch, filled with other smaller ­switches, which lead to the switches ...

A 240-volt service powers heavy-duty appliances like ovens, air conditioners, water heaters and electric dryers. If something goes wrong in that panel, it may cause those systems to fail, damage the ...

Circuit breakers are used in nearly all electrical systems — from residential dwellings to electric utility facilities. We rely on them to protect our systems from damaging overcurrents and short ...

They’re inexpensive and easy to use, and they help keep you safe when doing DIY electrical work. Solution: Test. Use. Verify. First, test the tester by holding it to a known live circuit, like a ...

What you don’t know about circuit breaker markings can trip you up. Most of us pay little attention to markings on circuit breakers. Yet, these markings can be the difference between a safe ...

Working safely should be a technician’s No. 1 priority; especially while working around electrical circuits and devices. Electricity is a powerful force that could kill or cause severe harm if ...

Circuit breakers are designed to keep you and your family safe from fire, but one brand of breaker might not only fail to protect your family – it could actually cause a fire. “There’s thousands of ...

This article is not about workers’ compensation insurance. But it’s a good jumping-off point for our opinions on electrical work. Workers’ comp is based on the danger level of a given job: The more ...