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Usually there is no voltage coming out if the screw terminal where the hot wire is landed. In some cases you can tell because the breaker doesn't have the resistance when you reset it. Or are you asking how to check voltage on the breaker output?
Usually there is no voltage coming out if the screw terminal where the hot wire is landed. In some cases you can tell because the breaker doesn't have the resistance when you reset it.
Take off the inner cover.
Put your meter on V-AC. depending if the meter is auto range or not you. Want 000.0 on VAC or VAC setting if auto range. Hang the meter securely on something.
Put black probe on either ground or neutral lugs. ( those would be a bunched up set of white wires or bare copper wire Take the red probe
Now
On the breaker one side will have a screw terminal. Under that terminal there should be a wire. Either black possibly red. Those are your hots. Touch the red probe to each screw terminal. Whichever terminal does not show a 110-120VAC reading is the bad breaker. Some breakers have a tab with screw and are screwed in some are snap in ( removal or install)
If you have a no touch probe you just touch it to every hot wire but it may give bad reading because wiring is so close.
Please turn off the main breaker when swapping out to a new one and get the same rating.
Last edited by Electrician4you; 01-28-2014 at 05:52 PM..
It's pretty rare for residential breakers to go bad. If in doubt I simply replace them. The low cost under $5 for a single pole breaker why would you take a chance?
When you deal with commercial and industrial size breakers there are specialzied companies that test and repair them. Those breakers cost thousands of dollars so repairing and testing them is justified.
It's pretty rare for residential breakers to go bad. If in doubt I simply replace them. The low cost under $5 for a single pole breaker why would you take a chance?
When you deal with commercial and industrial size breakers there are specialzied companies that test and repair them. Those breakers cost thousands of dollars so repairing and testing them is justified.
eddie1278
I had residential ones go bad. In go fact I just had one go bad at my rental a few weeks ago. Outlets worked one day and the next stopped working. Just a basic GE breaker 8 bucks. Yes they don't go bad a lot but they do go bad.
How does one check out which circuit breaker is bad...
I have multi-testers?
One multi-tester probe on the breaker screw and one on the neutral bar.
Flip the breaker on then off. The meter should tell the rest.
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