Repairing and Replacing Industrial Circuit Breakers

It is important to know how to repair or replace an industrial circuit breaker in case one fails. There is definitely risk involved with any work regarding circuit breakers so if there is any doubt for safety, call in a professional. Certified electricians and professionals from power suppliers should handle the repairs and replacements for industrial circuit breakers. It is a dangerous process, especially if you are unsure of what to do. Follow the proper procedures for repairing and replacing circuit breakers.

First Steps for Working with Industrial Circuit Breakers

When conducting any work on industrial circuit breakers the most important step is to first turn off the power through the main disconnect switch or breaker to avoid electrocution. Be sure to keep a flashlight handy. Open the panelboard and test it using a voltage tester to make sure that there is no power.

Repairing and Replacing Industrial Circuit Breakers

To find out if an industrial circuit breaker needs to be repaired, test it by resetting it to see what happens. There can be a short in the switch if an industrial circuit breaker trips immediately during this process. It is possible for more than one industrial circuit breaker trips and needs to be repaired. To repair it simply unscrew the broken circuit breaker.

If an industrial circuit breaker has failed then it needs to be replaced. In order to replace the failed industrial circuit breaker first find out which one has failed and find out the type and model in order to order another one if a spare is not on hand. For homes and residential areas circuit breakers are usually inexpensive and it is better to replace a failed circuit breaker with a new one instead of a used one. There is a certain level of risk with replacing a failed circuit breaker with a used circuit breaker in a residential area. However, used industrial circuit breakers are common for commercial areas since they are usually reconditioned every few years even though they last a lot longer than the time they are used for.
Industrial circuit breakers can load right into the load center of the panelboard. The bus bar is also located where the industrial circuit breakers are installed so use extreme caution when loading the circuit breakers. The bus bar is the metal piece where electricity flows through to get to the industrial circuit breaker. Even though the main power is off, the bus bar may still be energized, causing harm.

Sometimes if an industrial circuit breaker keeps tripping then there may be an electrical overload. This can occur if there is too much electricity flowing through one breaker causing it to continuously trip. The electrical load may have to be separated through multiple industrial circuit breakers.

Performing any type of work on industrial circuit breakers can be dangerous. For areas that have a higher risk when repairing and replacing industrial circuit breakers it is best to call an electrician for this type of work.