How to Install a Breaker Box
The most important thing when doing electrical work is to be safe and to do it properly. Check the code requirements with your local city office. The power company will often not connect or reconnect the power unless it meets those codes. You can find a guide at local hardware stores that inform you of common mistakes that keep you from being code
compliant.
- Have the electric company turn off the power.
- Connect the external breaker box under the meter box to the pole.
- Drill holes through the studs in your house as needed to get to the internal breaker box.
- Run 440 wire from the external breaker box to the internal breaker box.
- Run 220 wire and 110 wire to where the outlets will be placed. Use negative and positive wires separately. All outlets should have a ground wire connected.
- Put the 220 amp into the external breaker box, leaving it unconnected for now.
- Connect the 220 wires to a 60-amp breaker and put them in the internal breaker box.
- Connect the 110 wires to a 20-amp breaker and put them in the internal breaker box.
- Connect the outside breaker box to the 440 wire. Connect it to the inside breaker box.
- Connect the 220 amp to the external breaker box.
- Have the work inspected to assure it is all safe to use.
- Contact the electric company to turn on the power.
- Check all outlets with a voltage meter to assure that everything is on.
Additional information that's good to know:
- Always use a test meter to assure that the circuit is not live before you handle it.
- Leave extra wire from the internal breaker box. This can come in handy when you need to change breakers at another time.
- Make sure the breakers are on before testing the external and internal boxes.
- Make sure breaker boxes are properly grounded.