A Guide For Labeling Electrical Panels

Labeling the electrical panels may seem unnecessary, but it can help prevent many electrical dangers. It is advantageous everywhere, whether it be your home, office, or any other place. Labeling is a creative step toward making electricity control easier for every person around the home or workplace. During an electrical emergency, this act can be life-saving as any individual can quickly locate and turn off the circuit breaker that services a specific area.

Without indicating circuit breakers by proper labeling, it can be challenging to identify them when you need to shut them off. Labeling erases confusion in finding the right breaker and also saves time.

Safety labels can be used to warn people of potential dangers. These labels usually include a word of warning, symbol, or a safety message. On the other hand, identification labels can be used for clarifying the connections and the kind of electrical signal that is being used. Here is what you should know about electrical panel labels.

The first task before starting labeling

 If your electrical panel is already labeled, you need to confirm the current indexing is working or out of date. In case the indexing is outdated, then clear all the labels and make the panel fresh ones. Avoid writing over existing labels as it can be confusing. Writing over previous labels by changing writing styles can lead to confusion. And remember that you are labeling to remove confusion, not for increasing frustration. So always consider new labels.

The basic requirements

If you are thinking of indexing your house’s electrical panel, you will have to consider some basic requirements. Indexing requires two people. You need to place one person at the main panel and another one should be in charge of testing switches and assisting the person who is at the main panel. They can contact each other through mobile phones when one is in the other room for testing devices. It is good to do labeling in the daytime as you have to turn off or on all circuits. Moreover, there are some basic things that you will need in labeling:

Follow this step by step guide to label an electrical panel:

Use a piece of paper and make a diagram of the circuit. Write the numbers on the paper that you have written on the panel. Do not write the numbers close to each other and maintain a proper distance between them to describe each circuit. And it will be the real index that you will place on the panel.

Once you complete locating all circuits with the connected devices, you can move ahead.

Now check each paired breaker and their connected appliances. Moreover, some single breakers control only a single appliance, including dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, etc. In that case, locate all these types of breakers and their connected appliances. If you have to test a water heater and its circuit breaker, open the control panel and use a voltage tester as the water heater takes time in showing the result.

Describe particular places in the house on the index with a pencil to be updated easily. Paste the index inside the panel. Moreover, you can draw a plan for each area of the home to represent outlets, lights, and wired electronics. Also, you can use multiple colors to draw circuits so that one can distinguish the circuits easily.

By following the simple steps mentioned above, you can easily label your electrical panel. If you need professional help, contact us.

Source: Electrical Panels

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