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joshapollo · Sep 26, 2009, 09:53 AM

My lights in my kitchen along with my washer,and a/c all went out one day. This has happen before, and all I needed to do was go to the breaker box and flip things back on. Well it's done it again but this time when I flip the breaker they don't come back on.. I was wondering if it is possible that one of the wire on the outlet became lose or maybe got blown off with a surge? Because you must understand that my stove, refrigerator, washer, and a/c are all on this breaker.. (hey I live in NYC) if what I'm thinking is true, wouldn't I just have to go around and find the lose wire in the outlet attach it and things should work? Plus I can't really recall if it a 15 amp or 20 amp breaker but I do understand that what ever it is I should upgrade it right?

hkstroud · Sep 26, 2009, 12:59 PM

When you say flip the breaker back on are you speaking of the main breaker in the panel or are you speaking of the individual breakers. Surly you don't have all that you listed on one circuit. Where does you power come from, a meter or is your panel a sub panel off main panel somewhere?

joshapollo · Sep 26, 2009, 02:17 PM

Is there any chance I could email you. I've got to show you a picture of my breaker box..

joshapollo · Sep 26, 2009, 02:27 PM

Look

joshapollo · Sep 26, 2009, 02:28 PM

Can a breaker trip in its off setting?? Even though it's on?

joshapollo · Sep 26, 2009, 02:31 PM

Oh and I just found out that all those things are not on the same breaker. Just the stove, with electric start, frig. two outlets in the kitchen, two over head lights in the kitchen, along with a GFI in the bathroom.

hkstroud · Sep 26, 2009, 03:41 PM

OK, you do not have a main breaker. Yes, breakers can some times be tripped but not all the way to the off position. Reset them by turning to the off position then to the on position. However it is unlikely that you would have all of these breakers trip at the same time. It is more likely that you are a sub panel off a main panel some where. One half of the breaker in the main panel, which is a double pole breaker, has tripped. I'm guessing that this is an apartment. Building maintenance should reset the breaker in the main panel.

joshapollo · Sep 26, 2009, 06:03 PM

See this is the problem... all these breakers are on, the one on the right (top row in the second pic) were installed backwards, (top pic) you see how they are set in the off position labeled on the breaker itself, but yet in marker above that row is wrote on, I did not write these. But in the off position labeled on the breaker, give power to the circuit. Tried flipping one of them on (labeled by the breaker) and had lights go out in the living room. Weird right why would they install the breakers backwards? In all the other places that I have lived I recall turning on breakers by switching them to the center and off switching them outward.

hkstroud · Sep 26, 2009, 07:55 PM

I agree the top row of 20 amp breakers appear to be off. You can't install a breaker backwards. Even if you could, off would still be off and on would be on. Are you saying that you move one of the 20 amp breakers to the center (on ) position and power went out?

The 20 amp breaker lower row right looks like it may be tripped. Hard to tell from picture. Have you tried resetting it.

stanfortyman · Sep 26, 2009, 08:17 PM

Whoever labeled that was wrong.

ALL those breakers should aim towards the center bar when on.