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    ajherlihy's Avatar
    ajherlihy Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Mar 27, 2008, 10:05 AM
    How do you shut off and turn back on main breaker in your home?
    How do you shut off the main breaker in your home, and turn it back on.
    topladyj's Avatar
    topladyj Posts: 323, Reputation: 13
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    #2

    Mar 27, 2008, 10:08 AM
    You should have a fuse box a bunch of switches weather it be in a closet, hallway, or garage. One of these is the main if you flip it everything will go off, It might or might not be marked saying main. If not you can always flip them all that way you know everything is shut off.
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
    		  
    #3

    Mar 27, 2008, 10:10 AM
    If it's a breaker its just like a light switch. Flip it one way and everything goes off, flip it the other way and it (hopefully) comes back on.
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
    		  
    #4

    Mar 27, 2008, 10:22 AM
    Would you tell us a bit more about what you are doing? Why do you need to open the main? The main is the biggest breaker switch in your panel at the top. Kep in mind that when you open the main there may be several things in your home that need to be reset.
    stanfortyman's Avatar
    stanfortyman Posts: 5,598, Reputation: 279
    Electrical & Lighting Expert
    		  
    #5

    Mar 27, 2008, 12:01 PM
    Many times in older settings there is no "main", instead there are several "mains". These are called split-buss panels. There can be up to SIX main breakers in panels like this.

    Or possible there is a main somewhere else, like out side on the house or on a pole if it is a trailer.
    donf's Avatar
    donf Posts: 5,679, Reputation: 582
    Printers & Electronics Expert
    		  
    #6

    Mar 27, 2008, 12:21 PM
    Top Lady,

    As with the other's here, before we on any further we really need to know what you are intending to do after you open the main breaker.

    I don't know if you know this or not, but if you open the door and open the main, you do not have access to the insides of the panel until you remove the face plate.

    And just because you have the main breaker's open does not mean the panel is safe to play around in. It not! Opening the main breaker only shuts down power to the circuits below the main. The supply feed of the power company is still hot and if touched could still be fatal!
    caibuadday's Avatar
    caibuadday Posts: 460, Reputation: 10
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    #7

    Mar 27, 2008, 05:28 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by ajherlihy
    how do you shut off the main breaker in your home, and turn it back on.
    It is best that you turn off all smaller(amp) breakers before you turn off main (bigger) breaker, to turn it back on you do the bigest one first
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