How to Install an Electrical Breaker Panel | This Old House

Heath Eastman installs a new breaker panel at Cape Ann

Heath Eastman and his team of electricians have been wiring the Cape Ann house for weeks. Today it’s time to bring everything together. Kevin O'Connor finds Heath in the basement installing a breaker panel with an innovative design.

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This Old House is America's first and most trusted home improvement show. Each season, we renovate two different historic homes—one step at a time—featuring quality craftsmanship and the latest in modern technology. We demystify home improvement and provide ideas and information, so that whether you are doing it yourself or hiring out contractors, you'll know the right way to do things and the right questions to ask. Our experts Norm Abram, Tom Silva, Richard Trethewey, Roger Cook and host Kevin O'Connor give you the tools you need to protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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How to Install an Electrical Breaker Panel | This Old House

[matthewostendarp]

The plumbing in the background is impressive

[Dredpath]

That wiring job is how it should be done! Great job, Heath!

[blakelivesmatter]

I'm sorry, how does this tell you how to install a panel?

[brad]

Is it wrong to be most excited about my new construction home for the neat and organized electrical & plumbing? I've never yet lived in a house without wire and plumbing seeming going everwhere.

[mrdpwr]

The bad part, instead of an $8 breaker, it's a $50 arc fault breaker, each.

[IAmKyleBrown]

That is so cool. Almost makes me want to rip out my old panel just to get that clean look

[andybankston]

That’s a hell of a clean install. The best I’ve ever seen. Wish mine looked like that….. I got a case of “panel envy”

[garthbutton]

This is really good information for a lot of DIYers and home owners.

[Noah-qtrq]

I just learned how to install a panel start to finish! Thanks TOH.

[Space_Debris]

Time to scare the heck out of those with screw-in and/or cartridge fuses.
(Just kidding ... I like the fact the brains are out there making things easier, smarter, and safer!)

[beardedelephant]

Crazy. Def need this done on my house built in ‘76

[MasterChief-slro]

What they don't tell you.. Every time that breaker trips. It burns that Neutral Bus Bar...I had to replace 2 so far.. As it the breakers below it. Lost their Neutral as well...

[TheRealTonyCastillo]

So their feeding the panels from the gutter underneath, why didn't they flip the panels upside down so the mlo feeds are on the bottom? Seems kinda weird. Must have a 320 or 400 amp main outside. Does seem a little misleading title. Should be "Check out the new SQD QO Plug on neutral panels".

[GreenAppelPie]

It’s hard to imagine an arc with low current, but upon googling it is possible.

[VolpeInCalze]

If this where the job site im on now, half that new panel would be KO seals and doughnuts..
Very nice work! Love a clean panel.

[fmartino]

An arc is like a toaster not enough to trip a breaker but enough eventually To start a fire.

[ChickenPermissionOG]

hope people enjoy going to the breaker every time they vacuum

[scottfurlong]

I almost always select Eaton/Cutler Hammer panels because of the vast array of breaker combinations available. When retrofitting an older home, I find them quite easy to tie in. I'm not going to try any new designs until I'm sure I'm not getting into another Federal Pioneer stab-loc or Bulldog push-matic situation.

[brentfrederick]

One your title it as installation of an electrical panel show work or don't show it at all

[DW]

Greetings from Germany, you finally arrived in the second half of the 20th century regarding breakers . My breaker panel was of the style shown was already so old when I bought my house that I had it replaced ;-)