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 If your electrical panel is already labeled, you need to confirm the current indexing is working or out of date. In case the indexing is outdated, then clear all the labels and make the panel fresh ones.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:

• Electrical testers
• Walkie talkie or mobile phones
• Pen and paper
• Sticky labels
• Flashlight if needed
• Felt tip marker

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

• After doing all the necessary tasks, you can move ahead. Now you have to assign all circuit breakers in the electrical panel a specific number. You can start with #1 at the top left. Let the numbering process go down. Write down each number with the felt tip marker on a square sticky note and place all labels close to the circuit breaker.

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. 

• In this step, you have to turn off all the circuit breakers and start testing. You need to test all lighting fixtures and outlets in the home to find the corresponding circuit breaker. You know lighting fixtures can be identified quickly by turning the switch. But to determine outlets, plug any electrical items. You can also use a test lamp. After confirming the first circuit’s devices, you have to move on to the next and so on. 

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

• Now you have to power the devices by turning on the specific breaker. You should note down the result. The electrical items around the home can have different circuits. However, a circuit can easily supply power to kitchen and bathroom lights. In the end, you should have outlets, switches, and their corresponding circuits when you complete this process. Remember that you also have to confirm outdoor outlets and fixtures.

• When dealing with an electrical panel, you might have noticed that some breakers are available in sets of two. And all these dual breakers can control an appliance with 240-volt like a water heater, dryer, stove, etc. All you have to do is to count each set of breakers as one and assign only one number for it. 

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. 

• Now we are at the final step. So you have to collect all results with a short description of every circuit. Then mention the description on the index in front of the corresponding number of breakers. In modern homes, all electrical items of each breaker can be located in a particular area of the house. But you will not get these things in older homes. 

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