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Label the breakers on an electrical panel - PEP BB electricity.sand.label

BB electricity - sand badge
posted 4 years ago
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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Electricity.

In this Badge Bit, you will label an electrical panel.  Don't you hate it when you're trying to install a garbage disposal in your guest bathroom and you can't figure out which breaker to turn off?  Let's get that panel labeled!

Here's one video to get you started.  The gentleman has a "circuit detector" that looks like it would be very helpful:


To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
  - accurately label an electrical panel

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, provide proof of the following as pics or video (less than two minutes):
   - the poorly labeled panel you're starting with
   - the wonderfully and accurately labeled panel once you're done
COMMENTS:
 
Mike Haasl
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posted 4 years ago
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Hey, I got to do this today.  Between the old label with moved breakers (arrows) and the scribbles, plus my notes about the work I've done, I was able to type up a better version.  
Before.jpg
Before
Before
After.jpg
After
After
Zoomed-out-before-to-show-it-s-the-same-panel.jpg
Zoomed out before to show it's the same panel
Zoomed out before to show it's the same panel

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Staff note (Mike Barkley) :

This BB is complete!

 
Inge Leonora-den Ouden
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posted 4 years ago
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Next new Badge I want to start: electricity. I am better with screw-drivers than with saws and hammers. My dad was an electric engineer and my mum knew how to repair fixtures and switches ...
Soon I'll need a new lamp at the ceiling in my bedroom. But first I'll label the breakers, for safety.


This is what we call in Dutch 'meterkast', a closet full of meters for gas, electricity and water.
The breakers are here at the top. No labeling at all.


Close up before


After labeling. In this way it is easy to understand for me.

"Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them" (Luke 6:31)

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!

 
Mike Haasl
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Hi Inge, the intent is to label it so that if you need to shut off the power to a part of the house, you know quickly (and correctly) which breaker to shut off.  Do you have something posted nearby that says what 1, 2 and 3 means?  

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Inge Leonora-den Ouden
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posted 4 years ago
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Mike Haasl wrote:Hi Inge, the intent is to label it so that if you need to shut off the power to a part of the house, you know quickly (and correctly) which breaker to shut off.  Do you have something posted nearby that says what 1, 2 and 3 means?  


Mike, it is in the same photo, the white paper down at the left. Of course it is in Dutch, and maybe the photo is not very clear ... but it is there.

"Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them" (Luke 6:31)

 
Mike Haasl
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posted 4 years ago
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Ha, now I see it.  Thanks!

SKIP books, get 'em while they're hot!!! Skills to Inherit Property
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Opalyn Rose
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posted 3 years ago
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Approved submission
Here is my submission for Electricity - Sand - Label Breakers on an Electrical Panel.

To document the completion of the BB, I provide the following:
1  - the poorly labeled panel you're starting with
2  - the incompletely but accurately labeled panel
3  - behind the cover showing 2 empty circuit breakers
4  - the wonderfully and accurately labeled panel once you're done
1-unlabled.JPG
Poorly Labeled Breaker Box
Poorly Labeled Breaker Box
2.JPG
Labeled Breakers!
Labeled Breakers
3-behind-the-cover.JPG
Behind the panel cover showing two empty circuit breakers
Behind the panel cover showing two empty circuit breakers
4-labeled.JPG
All Circuits Labeled and Empty Circuits are OFF
All Circuits Labeled and Empty Circuits are OFF

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Staff note :

What about the two in the middle on the top row?

Staff note (Mike Barkley) :

I certify this BB is now complete.

 
Ashley Cottonwood
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posted 3 years ago
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Approved submission
Here is my BB submission!

Before (Tiny house = tiny breaker)


After

Like my shiny badges? Want your own? Check out Skills to Inherit Property!

Staff note (gir bot) :

jordan barton approved this submission.
Note: Great job!

 
Julie Harris
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posted 3 years ago
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Approved submission
Now I just need to get new batteries for the magnetic flashlight...

Photos are grainy because it's pretty dark back there.  Put it into a page protector; that's why the camera glare.
panel-label-before.jpg
[Thumbnail for panel-label-before.jpg]
panel-label-post.jpg
[Thumbnail for panel-label-post.jpg]
panel-label-up-close.jpg
[Thumbnail for panel-label-up-close.jpg]

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing.

Staff note (Mike Barkley) :

I certify this BB is complete & gets a new air badge too!

 
J Crozier
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posted 3 years ago
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Approved submission
The main breaker in my house has most of the breakers mis-labeled. The numbers in the lable did not properly correspond to the breaker numbers in most, but not all, cases. Needless to say this led to some frustration and danger. They are now all relabeled properly. The left side has a mix of upstairs and basement, so those have been colour coded for added clarity.
CD6F8D8B-E429-4516-84CC-F7916DFECB7B.jpeg
Old label on the left side.
Old label on the left side.
11048A98-21CE-47BA-AD5F-10D5A840EAD4.jpeg
Old label on the right side.
Old label on the right side.
65882362-A575-496E-B643-2556C7B492E0.jpeg
The new label.
The new label.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.
Note: good job!

 
Brandon Gladefield
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posted 2 years ago
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Submission flagged incomplete
Did a switchboard changeover to a more modern one for a customer today. Makes it look nice and spiffy but I apologise for not getting photos of the old one
20211207_134157.jpg
Unlabelled new switchboard
Unlabelled new switchboard
20211207_134419.jpg
Labelled nice and pretty
Labelled nice and pretty
20211207_134437.jpg
Cover down and done
Cover down and done

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. - Job 1:21

Staff note (gir bot) :

Someone flagged this submission as not complete.
BBV price: 1
Note: the BEFORE picture is required

Staff note :

Certifier # 17 here.  I think the before pic you posted is adequate but the labels aren't descriptive enough to be useful.  If you change the "protected power" ones to say something a bit more specific, I would've approved it

 
Brandon Gladefield
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posted 2 years ago
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Approved submission
Round two, this is hopefully a lot more specific like I should've done last time. Cheers team!
20220205_130824.jpg
Newly installed switchboard
Newly installed switchboard
20220205_141016.jpg
Numbered them all including the spares
Numbered them all including the spares
20220205_141554.jpg
The new list of identified curcuits
The new list of identified curcuits
20220205_141632.jpg
Done!
Done!

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. - Job 1:21

Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Haasl approved this submission.

 
Cam Lee
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posted 2 years ago
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Any tips for finding circuits? I may also have some empty breakers, but the water heater for instance has to be somewhere on the board!

Am I scavenger-hunting right?

 
Mike Haasl
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posted 2 years ago
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You can always turn all the lights, TVs, radios, etc on and then flip the breakers to see which turn off.  Lots of clocks to reset afterwards but it's probably the simplest way.

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Raphaël Blais
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Approved submission
Pv solar system. One of my braker box wasn't labeled, the other was too pale. Did a job on the two of them.
20220722_080607.jpg
No labeling
No labeling
20220722_080639.jpg
Pale writting
Pale writting
20220722_082022.jpg
12 and 24v labeled
12 and 24v labeled
20220722_082035.jpg
Touch up done!
Touch up done!

Radis.
Living and growing on my small homestead near a project of permaculture school.

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Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.

 
Addy Fletcher
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posted 1 year ago
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My breakers were labelled as room 1, room 2 and room 3 which isn't very helpful in an emergency as I don't know which room is which. I relabelled them with the correct rooms and added the kitchen to the breaker panel.
Breakers.jpg
Breakers before
Breakers before
After.jpg
Breakers after
Breakers after
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Haasl approved this submission.

 
Brian Vause
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posted 1 year ago
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Approved submission
Labeled two panels at a new property today. Uses a plug checker and a non-contact voltage tester to verify the circuits. These tools are so helpful!
416CB4A7-84CF-48B4-B61C-A77762922AB9.jpeg
Meter base panel before
Meter base panel before
69101311-A1CE-4C6D-B9F9-75B05F5E72D0.jpeg
Meter base panel properly labeled
Meter base panel properly labeled
28B7600D-25A7-472F-8B61-E388A14F9EEF.jpeg
Shed interior panel before
Shed interior panel before
6F08BF82-C3C2-4DD6-A0E9-13C2AC51C5A0.jpeg
[Thumbnail for 6F08BF82-C3C2-4DD6-A0E9-13C2AC51C5A0.jpeg]
5B8C1D41-C963-45D0-A27B-6545BF444023.jpeg
[Thumbnail for 5B8C1D41-C963-45D0-A27B-6545BF444023.jpeg]
A00EE8E8-14F9-45AB-8A2F-7309B46D4D70.jpeg
Shed interior panel properly labeled
Shed interior panel properly labeled

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Staff note (gir bot) :

Someone approved this submission.

 
Theresa Garrison
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posted 1 year ago
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Looks like the label was original to the house and was badly faded.  Now easy to read.
electrical-panel-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for electrical-panel-01.jpg]
electrical-panel-02.jpg
[Thumbnail for electrical-panel-02.jpg]
electrical-panel-03.jpg
[Thumbnail for electrical-panel-03.jpg]
electrical-panel-04.jpg
[Thumbnail for electrical-panel-04.jpg]

"Never take counsel of your fears."

Staff note (gir bot) :

Paul Fookes approved this submission.
Note: I certify this BB complete.  Well done

 
R West
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posted 8 months ago
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We are in the middle of entirely renovating our kitchen, and we’re at the electrical stage right now. Our house is a confusing electrical hodgepodge, so even an accurately labeled breaker is still a bit of a pain… but at least we know now the breaker labeled “garage” had nothing to do with the garage, and is actually “mudroom!” And “TV room” is actually two random outlets on the west side of the house. Sigh.

Husband had to run all over the house with the voltage tester thingy while I flipped breakers on and off, just to FIND the offending outlets.
B78BC507-9F64-4AC5-961F-8FA8A1DE679D.jpeg
ick
ick
5C9754EF-2B1E-4F77-B4E3-88077B3F8B64.jpeg
new labels
new labels

"If we are not willing to fail we will never accomplish anything. All creative acts involve the risk of failure." - Madeleine L'Engle

Staff note (gir bot) :

Someone flagged this submission as not complete.
BBV price: 1
Note: wonderfully and accurately labeled panel once you're done

Staff note :

Sorry R West, although this labeling may work for you, we are looking for clear labels that a stranger to the house could easily read.

 
R Parian
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posted 7 months ago
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Approved submission
I replaced an old main panel with a new one (forgetting to document several possible BBs along the way), but I did take the opportunity to document the labeling of the breakers.
20231122_102819.jpg
The poorly labeled panel I started with.
The poorly labeled panel I started with.
20240218_160012.jpg
Starting the new labeling.
Starting the new labeling.
20240222_191026.jpg
The wonderfully and accurately labeled panel.
The wonderfully and accurately labeled panel.

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Staff note (gir bot) :

Paul Fookes approved this submission.
Note: I certify this BB complete.  Well done

 
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