Tips for Arizona homeowners: Have you labeled your electric panel?

Your electrical panel can provide a lot of essential and useful information. It is important to know how it works and how to find your way around its components. If you are unfamiliar with your panel and don’t know how it works, it would be best to have an electrician check it for safety and label the breakers. Safety comes first, last, and in the middle.

Where to look for your electrical panel

You will need to locate where the electrical meter is on your home. This meter is also called the SES or Service Entry Section. If the panel on the box next to it has a door that opens, open it, and you should see the circuit breakers that govern the flow of electricity into your home.

If the circuit breaker box is not directly next to the meter, it won’t be far away. Sometimes, you can look on the inside side of the wall directly behind the meter, and the sub-panel will be there.

This collection of wires and circuits has several names. Originally known as the fuse box, current terms include panel box, circuit breaker box, or sub-panel. Whatever name you call it, that’s your next stop.

What you will see inside your electrical panel

Inside the panel, you should see circuit breakers aligned in vertical or horizontal rows. Next to each circuit breaker, there should be writing that describes what area of the house that specific breaker controls. Labels could say kitchen, AC unit, bedroom-guest, bedroom-master, etc.

Not labeled

Commonly, over the past couple of decades, code has required the individual circuits to be identified. If they are not labeled or the labeling has faded, there are some steps you can take to remedy the situation.

1. Go to your local hardware store and look for a three-wire receptacle testing device. They range in price from $10 to $20. They are well worth the price and are a handy device to have around even after the testing.
2. Begin the testing by turning on lights, both overhead and table lamps. Then, turn off one circuit breaker at a time and walk through the house to see which rooms have no lights. Use the receptacle tester to determine which outlets in that room have power by simply plugging the device into the outlet. The lighted indicators on the testing device will light if power is present.
3. Once you have determined all the lights and receptacles that do not have power, you can go back to the circuit breaker panel and appropriately label the area of your home whose power is controlled by that specific breaker.

You will need to repeat this process for every breaker in the panel. Breakers marked as 50 amps (amperage is how breakers are rated) might take some special testing. These breakers control large electric usage items such as electric ranges and air conditioning units. These appliances will need to be running to determine which breaker controls them.

Labeled electrical panel

If your electrical panel is labeled, there are still reasons to verify that label’s accuracy.

1. The labels have worn off. Over time, the writing can be obscured or worn if the original labeling was not done with permanent ink.
2. Paper labels have deteriorated. Deterioration is common when the panels are outside and subject to temperature swings and humidity.

If the writing on the labels of your electrical panel isn’t clear, start over and use the procedure mentioned above in the “Not Labeled” section.

Added tips for using your electrical panel

1. When you label each breaker, be sure to use a permanent marker.
2. Never assume a breaker is off. Always verify with the tester.
3. Somewhere on the panel, write the date that you performed the testing. There is safety in knowledge about your home’s electrical systems.

This link to the Rosie on the House article about your home’s electrical systems may be helpful — type “electrical safety at home” in the search bar for more information on this topic.