Circuit Breaker Wiring Diagrams
Also see:This page contains wiring diagrams for circuit breakers including 15, 20, 30 and 50 amp breakers, as well as a ground fault circuit interrupter breaker. The breaker is installed in a service panel so that it makes contact with one of two hot bus bars that run down the middle of the box.
The hot wire for a circuit is connected to the breaker by a set screw on the base. The neutral and ground wires for the circuit are connected to a bar along the side of the service panel box. The neutral and grounding bars in the service panel may be separate or the same bar may be used for both purposes. We use the same bar for neutral and ground in these diagrams.
Wiring a 15 Amp Circuit Breaker
This wiring diagram illustrates installing a 15 amp circuit breaker for a 120 volt circuit. The 14/2 awg cable for this circuit includes 2 conductors and 1 ground. A 15 amp circuit is usually used for wall receptacle outlets and light fixtures.
Wiring a 20 Amp Circuit Breaker
This circuit breaker wiring diagram illustrates installing a 20 amp circuit breaker for a 240 volt circuit. The 12/2 gauge cable for this circuit includes 2 conductors and 1 ground. A 20 amp circuit is used for heavy household appliances like refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers.
Wiring a 30 Amp Circuit Breaker
This circuit breaker wiring diagram illustrates installing a 30 amp circuit breaker for a 240 volt circuit. The 10/3 cable for this circuit has 3 conductors and no ground. A 30 amp circuit like this is usually found in older installations for clothes dryers and kitchen ranges.
Wiring a 50 Amp Circuit Breaker
This circuit breaker wiring diagram illustrates installing a 50 amp circuit breaker for a 240 volt circuit. The 6 gauge cable for this circuit has 3 conductors and 1 ground. A 50 amp circuit like this is used for clothes dryers and new kitchen range installations.
Wiring a GFCI Circuit Breaker
This diagram illustrates wiring for a circuit breaker with a built-in ground fault circuit interrupter. This 20 amp ground fault interrupter breaker is a form of gfci that can be installed at the circuit source. This kind of circuit is used for garbage disposals, whirlpool spas and other locations where water contact is likely.