When home electrical systems had fuses, a person could determine if the fuse was in need of replacement with a visual inspection. Today, electrical panels have circuit breakers, which can be reset easily after a problem. But even circuit breakers can wear out over time. After the breaker has been tripped many times, it can become unreliable. When this happens, the breaker may need to be replaced, and determining whether or not one is bad involves more than just a visual inspection.

Instructions

  • 1

    Locate the main electrical panel for the home. The panel is usually located close to where the electric line enters the house from the meter. If you notice any bare wires outside the electrical panel, a qualified electrician should be called to remedy the situation.

  • 2

    Locate the breaker in the panel for the circuit that is having a problem. If the breakers are not labeled, you may need to turn breakers on and off and observe which circuits are controlled by which breakers. Ensure that no one in the household is using a computer, which may suffer damage if it is suddenly without power. Also ensure that any other electrical item is taken into consideration before disrupting its power. A household may have medical devices that should not be without power.

  • 3

    Set the multimeter to Volts AC. Ensure that the battery in the multimeter has a charge by testing an electrical outlet you know to be working.

  • 4

    Touch one prong of the multimeter to the breaker’s terminal screw and the other prong to a ground. If the needle on the multimeter does not register that there is any power in the breaker, it is probably bad and needs replaced. Ensure that you do not touch any part of the panel with your bare hand except the switches of the breakers.