How Do Electrical Panels Work - An Explanation of All the Parts!

As electricians, we know that panels are where we source our power for devices, fixtures, and equipment. But how do they really work? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explores this topic in the hopes of helping us understand.

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#electrician #electrical #electricity

To start, lets explain the basic components that are in electrical panels. We have incoming lugs. This is where you would land the wires from the SOURCE feeding the panel itself. You will have one for each phase (or hot) conductor, one for the neutral, and one for the ground. Next, we will have the panel interior itself. This contains the buss for each of the phases and is where the load side breakers will attach. It also contains a few pieces of insulating material that keep the phase busses isolated from the metal current carrying pieces within the panel that it shouldn’t touch. Finally, we have a main breaker. This allows us to shut the entire panel off with one throw of a single switch. It also provided overcurrent protection for the panelboard as a whole. There are instances where a MCB (main circuit breaker) are not needed, in which case you will only have the MLO (main lug only) that we discussed above. As a side note, main breaker kits are available for some panels, so you have the provisions to add that main breaker if desired or necessary.
The buss bars within the panel alternate and are usually the point that many starting out electricians have confusion. Breakers in panels are generally lined up in two rows. Odd numbered circuits on the left and even numbered circuits on the right. So, the top slot usually contains circuit numbers 1 & 2. These are on the A phase (or the black incoming wire). The next slot contains circuit numbers 3 & 4. These are on the B phase (or the red incoming wire. This pattern repeats itself all the way down thru the entire panel. A, B, A, B, A, B……... This changes a little when we introduce a 3-phase panel in that the sequence goes A, B, C, A, B, C…... So, breakers across from each other are on the same phase, but the breakers provide a different circuit for each.
What is important to know here is that via the breaker, the outgoing wire, your load, and the returning neutral form a complete circuit (loop) allowing current to flow. The current leaves the breaker, travels thru the load (or loads) and comes back to the panel on the neutral (or other hot if you are using a 2 or 3-pole breaker. In the panel itself, the neutral wire is attached to the neutral buss, which is attached to the neutral wire back to the transformer. The phase that you are using is also attached to the incoming phase wire from the transformer. The loop is now complete, and current is allowed to flow.
The individual breakers in the panel provide protection for the conductors and the load that they are serving. They also allow us additional control of those loads by affording us the opportunity to shut them off if needed. These breakers can come in several different ampacity ratings and a few different protection types (AFCI and GFCI being among them). Breakers can also be single pole (serving one single circuit), 2 pole (serving 2 hots) or three phase (serving equipment that utilize 3 phase power like motors, other panels, transformers, etc.).

[lukerussell]

Dustin I just started an apprenticeship 4 weeks ago and honestly I feel lost and dont know wtf is going on most of my working hours but you have a way of explaining electricity that is just so sublime. You really explain everything in a way that just makes it click in my brain and I cannot thank you enough. You're a great teacher and if you are ever in the Chicago area I would love to buy you a beer! Take care man :)

[petelucci]

Nice job! Clear, concise and knowledgeable. Keep up the good work and I'll be tuning in often. Thank you!

[davidkingsbury]

I'm so glad this man is helping a lot of people out I guess I've been doing it too long because it's just 2nd nature to me. But I remember when it was not.

[Madsleepy]

I love your videos. I'm an estimator working in construction and not having been a field guy, your videos go a long way to demystifying the electrical work.

[shanh]

You literally made everything crystal clear man thank you.

[anthonygiordano]

This had to be the best informative video about how a circuit breaker panel works. Very informative, interesting, and easy to understand. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[raymond]

Your introduction alone is electrifying.

[cheesesyrkyer]

I'm not in trades and you explained this perfectly. Thank you. You actually made me understand this !

[FSAUDIOGUY]

This guy is worth his weight in gold as a pro & a teacher! TY E.U.!

[bshwin]

Wonderful videos, the dots are starting to connect and soon I will have a circuit!

[mikegrimaldi]

Excellent explanation. Explains why only half of ny circuits worked after having service panel replaced. Discovered one phase was loose in connection coming into house.

[romanotsup]

Great video. Really good explanation. The only two things are missed.
1. I do not have main 200A breaker at home on main panel, so how I can switch down all electricity when I need to install a new 60A breaker for electric car?
2. You do not show how exactly new breaker should be inserted, how it locks inside the panel and how to remove a breaker if needed.

[seaandra]

I just found your channel today. I am not an electrician, but I am trying to understand the problem we are told we have in our older house. I enjoy learning, and I am wanting to gain a better understanding of what the electrician was explaining. In our breaker box, the white wires and bare wires are in the same place. He was trying to explain how the grounding and grounded should never be like that...and that is how I landed myself searching your videos! Do you have anything else that explains this? I am really wanting to understand it better.

[lockpickingvlad]

Hey Dustin! Nice video, as always. Thank you for all your work. I recently came across an A/C unit which was wired with 12/2 romex in a pvc conduit going to 40 amp Square D breaker in a GE panel. I tried to explain to the customer it’s not the way it should’ve been done, but she didn’t seem to understand what the big deal was. Could you please do an experiment where you have too much current traveling through a 12 ga wire 😅

[Qiktime]

Yo. So cool to meet you in person at the NECA BBQ. Once again thank you for all I’ve learned from you on my journey to master!

[raymond]

Am so happy the day I come across your channel and be a subscriber, because I learned so much which definitely opened widens my knowledge.

[GorillaStunter]

Hey brah…… could you explain how to determine a lose neutral on service side? I want a clear explanation on signs or steps to see this faster….. I know two pole breakers can mess with readings

[durangodave]

i conected my power source to 100 double pole breaker. This allows me to avoid a hot bar n hot lugs when working on panel, everything is dead with breaker off. I fed my sub panel using lugs of main panel as jumpers to sub. Appears to work great.

[noahesken]

This is one of my favorite videos. Thank you

[ChefShaunParker]

I'd love to see some videos about solar wiring. Especially line side tapping vs load side and ground neutral bonding at the solar ac load distribution vs at the home.