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The breaker box is the heart and soul of your home’s or business’s electrical system, so it's important you understand what it is, what it does, and what's inside it. To help you get up to speed, RM Electrical, a trusted and dependable electrician in Belleville, IL, explains everything you need to know about your breaker box.

3 Things You Should Know About Your Breaker Box

1. What Is a Breaker Box?

Breaker boxThe box takes electricity fed in through lines outside your house and distributes it safely to the circuits that power different zones of your house. Each circuit is controlled by a breaker switch that lets you manually or automatically shut down power to that zone.

2. What Do Breakers Do?

If you want to work on a circuit, you can flip the breaker switch inside the breaker box to turn off the power to the circuit. Also, if the breaker detects a surge of electricity, it will automatically shut off power to that circuit to prevent fires or electrical damage. Essentially, the breaker box houses your electrical system's backup safety system. It is a step up from an old-fashioned fuse box, which performed a similar function by sacrificing a fuse, which would burn out and shut down power to the circuit when too much current tried to pass through.

3. What Happens If You Trip a Circuit Breaker?

If your system tries to draw too much current, the safety system engages, tripping the circuit breaker. When this happens, the lights, outlets, and any built-in electric appliances on that circuit will all stop working.  It may affect only one part of a room, or it could affect multiple rooms, depending on how the circuit is set up. To restore power to the circuit, find the breaker box—often in a basement or utility closet—and look for a breaker switch that is set to "Off." Flip that switch to "On,” and the lights and outlets should work again.

If something is wrong with your wiring or breaker box, or you need to hire an experienced commercial or residential electrician for an addition or new construction, contact RM Electrical in Belleville, IL. This family-owned business has been serving St. Clair, Madison, and Monroe counties for the past decade, and they've developed a reputation for quality work and fair pricing. Visit their website to send them an online message, or call (618) 939-0422 to speak to an electrician.

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