If you don't care about turning off other breakers, you can find any breaker very quickly by using a strategy that programmers call binary searching. First flip half the breakers in the house. Light off? It's in that half. Light on? In the other. Then take the half it's in and flip half of those. Repeat until you've found the breaker. If you have 40 breakers, flipping them all one by one will take 40 flips. Flipping them in this way will identify it in 6, maximum.

@thinktank8286

Жыл бұрын

What an interesting practice! I'm curious as to how this is used in the programming world of work.

@MichaelBarnathan

Жыл бұрын

@@thinktank8286 lots of ways, it's very handy! The most common usage is searching for a number in a sorted list. Even if the list is large, you can pull out the middle number and cut it in half repeatedly depending on whether it's greater or less than your target. The number of steps you need is the base 2 logarithm of the list size, much smaller than the size of the list itself. The principle is also used to partition data into "binary" trees (two branches at each node of the tree), where going down either branch cuts the problem in half, recursively

@JL-uc7xp

Жыл бұрын

That is an interesting concept, but it’s not accurate to say 6 flips vs 40. You mean 6 “rounds” or groups of breakers operated. For example if you have 40 breakers, in the first round you flip 20, in the second round you flip 10, in the third round you flip 5, etc. So far 20 + 10 + 5 = 35 plus the last few rounds of 1-2 breakers each. Compare this to flipping all one by one. In both cases, you have to flip almost 40 breakers total (maximum if you are unlucky)… Or less if you are lucky. Right?

@MichaelBarnathan

Жыл бұрын

@@JL-uc7xp that's true, but if you're working alone, that might be the difference between 6 trips back and forth to the panel and 40

@chrisE815

Жыл бұрын

@@thinktank8286 it's used for searching. Say you have an ordered list of data, say customer names. If you want to find a specific customer, you can use this method to find the customer name dramatically faster than looking through the list sequentially

I know they weren't adults, and they didn't have cell phones to help you identify all the circuits, but the fact that you included your kids is awesome. You're doing parenting correctly and they will have those memories for life. They have a great example of what a dad is supposed to be. Huge props to you (and the kiddos)!

@SavageVoyageur

11 ай бұрын

And thats why you test the circuit after you turn off the breaker.

I labeled every outlet and switch in my house with circuit number, amperage and if it was gfci and or afci. It has been very helpful through the years.

I ran into a breaker for an electric furnace that was off but the circuit was still live. Never assume the circuit is dead until you check with a meter

@adammorgan9304

Жыл бұрын

So the breaker wasn’t off evidently. Always assume the power is on until you’ve tested otherwise.

@pbarnrob

Жыл бұрын

Moved into a nineteen-fifties’ “starter home” ($US~15k) in ‘78, with a garage-bedroom conversion (obv. by a previous owner/helper) that popped a breaker reliably. Replaced that old Pushmatic breaker, found one that popped on the other phase. They had double-fed that loop from both strings of outlets !

@dracula3811

Жыл бұрын

@@adammorgan9304 not true. I've seen a guy get shocked on a circuit while the breaker was off. Not a shared neutral either. We replaced the breaker and the problem went away.

@twestgard2

11 ай бұрын

I’ve seen multiple ways that the breaker is off but there’s still power to the device. Yes, there’s always an explanation, but that’s kinda the point. If you check for power before working, then you’re alive and healthy when you’re figuring out how the thing was wired.

@warlock529

10 ай бұрын

Sometimes when I'm being lazy, I simply short the conductors together with pliers or something after turning off the breaker I think is the one. or before... 😮

I am a Master Electrician in Toronto .The most hated task is tracking and labeling circuits .It's enough to make you go crazy .I use the Greenlee.Goes up to 600v and great for 347V lighting circuits

Always include the kiddos They 1st are learning and 2nd they feel important Thus was an awesome video. Back 12 yrs ago my son helped me rewire an 1930 school dormitory and it also had at least 6 sub-panels. What a nightmare trying trace what went where. Again awesome to see thekid helping.

@outlet6989

Жыл бұрын

It would be best if you remembered that young kids and some adult helpers quickly get bored.

@johncspine2787

Жыл бұрын

@@outlet6989 I just got bored after purchasing the cool Klein tool after two rooms..it’s a drudgy pain to track this stuff down!

That was not an insulated screwdriver. That is a Klein by the looks of it and says right on them that it will not protect against electric shock. Insulated has a plastic coating over the shank.

@theddavis

5 ай бұрын

I think he meant a screwdriver with the handle insulates him. Since this video doesn't seem geared for experience wireman.

@ibeleaf

2 ай бұрын

they just write that for insurance purposes, the handle is most certainly insulated because i often work on 600 with mine, just gotta know where the spicy parts are and dont touch em

have done this chore many times over the years. One or two helpers, tops. If you are by yourself and don't have fancy tools / testers, just use a long extension cord and a radio turned up so you can hear it from the basement. Start with breakers off and when the radio comes on you go up and see which outlets are working via the long cord. This way you don't have to carry the radio around so much. Leaving light switches on will aid in finding those circuits along the way. Do the big appliances the same way... turn them on one at a time.

@outlet6989

Жыл бұрын

Great idea. Ensure the radio plugs into the outlet and doesn't use backup batteries for power.

@rupe53

Жыл бұрын

@@outlet6989 ... not to point out the obvious, but I think you would figure that out while setting up the extension cord.

Not only is this guy a pro electrician, he's a pro dad as well.

@paulkaakee4051

Жыл бұрын

This guy is no pro

@johnmcdonald9977

Жыл бұрын

​@@paulkaakee4051 please explain your comment

@critters5236

Жыл бұрын

Look closer he is not a professional and Alive electrical equipment without our Clash equipment no hard hat no gloves no such thing as too safe

@timg6850

8 ай бұрын

@@critters5236 Answer: He knows what not to touch and its not an Industrial environment. Further to that :That level of PPE is not needed in this instance as he is just tracing circuits.

A potential tip for narrowing down everything you are testing would be to put a piece of painters tape on every device/outlet that you positively identify that way you remember you can ignore it as you continue to go through the panel.

@binaryglitch64

Жыл бұрын

I use this technique too.

@Doug-gp2qw

Жыл бұрын

Good idea. You can also mark the tape with the circuit number.

@binaryglitch64

Жыл бұрын

@@Doug-gp2qw lol... I do that as well.

Just bought a Klein ET310 and had to watch the video when I saw this. What a great tool.

While it may not be the most efficient way to get that job done those kids are getting life lessons and are learning and spending time with their pops, you can't get much better than that.

Your kids are adorable...the little girl holding the flashlight for her brother was great. Thanks for your channel...Im an Elec. Eng. and do a lot of my own work but learn so much about NEC.

Some very useful tips, Joel. Your 8 little helpers are adorable and I admire your patience.

@jacobplank

Жыл бұрын

Yes patience! I struggle with that with my kids lol

That Kline (Klein) tracer is a good tool. I always wear a “head” light style flashlight when performing these jobs. Keeps the hands free.

@brian644

Жыл бұрын

i have had one for about a year now and have found that many times the unit gives false reading.... not sure why it does it

@hankkline7300

Жыл бұрын

It's spelled Klein.

@lorenrickey5481

Жыл бұрын

@@hankkline7300 I guess I’m dyslexic or Spellcheck got the better of me

i would avoid having young children doing lots of plugging in and unplugging, especially with those angle cords. it is too easy to get fingers into the space with the prongs while still making contact. i know this can happen because it actually happened to me when i was little. the older kid might be OK.

@munsters2

Жыл бұрын

RE:Phil Howard. I was thinking that, too. I have shocked myself a few times when I got in a hurry or when the plug is small/tight and difficult to get a grip on and I reached a little too much around the back of it.

What a great video!! Well presented and TONS of info made understandable by you!! Thanks!!

I've done this a few times. I first make a sketch of the floor plan, and note each receptacles location on the plan. While checking, I note the breaker number on the sketch. This ensures, I don't miss any, sometimes there is an odd breaker in the mix that you don't realize.

For my house I created a spreadsheet that lists every single outlet, switch, etc. For example, "Bedroom 2 outlet on west wall", or "Bedroom 2 all outlets", followed by the breaker#. I keep this on the wall next to the panel (along with the basic floorplan from the purchase documents / appraisal). It has been quite useful over the years. Doing the investigation to set up the spreadsheet also helped us identify abandoned circuits (we also live in an old house) which we were able to remove from the panel. The spreadsheet detail also made the panel labeling much easier. Over the years this has saved us a lot of time.

@BW12149

Жыл бұрын

We have the same thing. Our previous owner had identified each breaker. But recently we had an electrician came in to replace a lot of receptacles. We discovered that the original list was wrong. Our living room and master bedroom are connected to one 20amp circuit. Kind of disturbing, but that’s how the house was originally wired. Built in 1981.

@intheshell35ify

Жыл бұрын

Then you can line the litter box with it.

This honestly was a wonderful video I really enjoy that you got your family involved and testing the lights and Reporting back to you very professional I've learned a lot and honestly thank you for sharing so very much I really appreciate you

electricity and water=fire? interesting. Instead of overloading a breaker and tripping it, the water will combust into fire?......does that makes sense? I love how electricians are "above" doing certain jobs such as cleaning up their mess, labelling their work or previous electricians work.

Proper PPE is essential when removing the cover from a live electrical panel.

Great video. Thank you for sharing.

Great video, I learned a ton. Thanks!

Broadcast facilities we use stick on numbers on each end of wire any wire …. and excel spreadsheet Wire number - origin - destination - function

Timely video. I have this project scheduled for my niece's house soon. Great video!

Joel, @20:38 Klein insulated screw drivers are orange as are almost every single one in the market. Also, u seriously have 8 kids? !!!! Ur a brave one 🤣

@illestofdemall13

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that one isn't insulated that he keeps saying is. Lol

Great video, Thanks for making it. I have seen homes with 1 or more sump Pumps that use larger breakers as well.

Great video! That's how to get it done, bring the kids with!! It's always a good exercise to do it by yourself.

Much respect Joel you have great children busy household and busy workplace ❤ as always thinking Joel with nice tips.

Great video keep them coming!

Awesome way to include your children in real world family tasks, working together. Also, thanks for video, I am doing this task at my son-in-law's 1920 house this week.

Nice work everyone! I know you've done this Joel, at least by accident, but we've resorted to the Blue Flame Test (dead short) IDs and tests breaker! I understand why you chose not to mention it. We had a commercial building with multiple panels sharing circuits (color to color joined illegally in j boxes) all over the damned building. Iding the circuit, BUT, it was still hot at the open breaker, so my advice is to add the step of checking the terminal with the breaker OFF, just to make sure. YOU ROCK BROTHER!!!

Thank you for your information

awesome video bro. densely packed with important info.

Man... Just last week, I completed identifying all my circuits, deleted abandoned wiring as far back as my opened walls gave access to (then taped and labelled "ABANDONED"), tidied up wiring within the panel's gutters, then created a detailed (and date-stamped) panel schedule for my 30-space Square D panel in my 60s house. Since I was adding circuits, I decided to snip pieces of Romex insulation to also put labels on the wires at the breaker termination so that there's less guess work to do during servicing. After watching your video today, I feel good about having not missed a step. Thanks for documenting and sharing the master electrician's process! Also, working around 7 sub-panels must be extra time consuming... Glad you got quality help!

Thank you. Really instructive video. Congratulation on your large family. May God bless you all.

Seemed like your kids really loved doing this with you. Awesome!

Great video for the average homeowner. Ordered one of the circuit testers. THANKS!!!

I need me some crazy lights 😂. I did this to my whole house. Every outlet. Took probably 4 hours. Also labeled the MWBC and gauge used. (There weren’t any handle ties). Put it all in an excel doc and printed it out. Very helpful for finding code violations and working on upgrades

@Jeff-xy7fv

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! Every time I do a panel upgrade, labeling is not only a Code requirement to pass inspection, it also allows me to discover things that are wired to circuits they're not supposed to be wired to. I can use that to sell more work in the future.

You guys are thinking of everything way to go!

I did a breaker identification at my house a couple of months ago. I turned on all the lights and all the appliances and ran back a forth looking for what turned off when I shut off each breaker. I did it by myself and boy did I get a workout!

do yall do any 3 phase panels? i dont get to see much of that. great videos! i watch them all lol

Didn't expect to learn much from this video lol but I love that Klein tester with the alligator clips. Usually I go with the non-contact and listen for the sound but that other tester you used would work great for disconnect switched and a lot of situations.

Nice Time with the kids, thanks for explaining

Enjoying your channel

Love the Klein tools I’m a big fan. I have and use the Klein et450, et310, ncvt-6, cl700, et45 and the rt250. Thank you for sharing and encouraging code violations

That circuit tester is definitely on my wish list. Love how you got the kids involved, never too young to start learning.

Oh also! I used to plug in a boom box to ID outlets by myself from different rooms. Great show sparky.

I recently got that Klein circuit tracer kit and love it to pieces.

@ralph5450

Жыл бұрын

@snok: Put it back together and get to work.

An excellent and informative video- subscribed. I just picked up a Klein ET450 circuit tracer kit as my home (built in 1978) could sure use some mapping out of the circuits. Nowhere near the complexity of dealing with sub-sub-subpanels as you had there, but definitely a couple of unique configurations to put it mildly. I know of two Edison (multiwire) circuits, one of them in the basement where they originally used the clothes washer receptacle device yoke to split it up... I corrected that fiasco a number of years ago. The other one on the main level is a REAL head-scratcher! A few others are puzzling to say the least.

When we did this in a complex setup we would use painters tape to tag out the devices/outlets/switches, to avoid retesting. Yeah, it's not fun, but it does help with any later work. Great video.

Helpful video; lovely family.

The voltage detector and filling the breaker is a genius move.

Loved your little helpers ... I bet that was Mama Bear manning the camera ... Great little vid and I'm a Klein addict too 😂😅🤣 Thx for posting ...

The best video I've seen all day 🙌

This tool kicks ass! I just did this with my 1970s house While we have no sub panels here to add to complexity, I did have 2 breakers that often toned together... No idea about that! And yes, I did reset the tool each time before toning a new circuit But overall, I love the tool! Thanks for the great video!

@andreismirnov7200

Жыл бұрын

Cool man. Does this Klein remote tester test only on dead/turned off circuits or it can test also while circuit is still live?

I have that same LCD-equipped outlet tester. It's dope!

You Got A Great Electrical Video & Family Time As Well....

Excellent video! I just ordered a Klein circuit tracer.

Great Crew!

That is nice that you can tell whether a breaker has been tripped or manually set off. We do not have that in Europe. But I like more the way we hae here so that the label is next to the breaker so you do not need to match any numbers.

When wiring a new home, i always leave a short piece of NM insulation on my branch circuits and label that so I can easily identify the circuit with the cover removed.

Great video!! very easy to follow. Question, do they make a tester to trace a circuit that has no power and panel has no label and all breakers are on?

On a whim I bought the circuit tracer at Harbor Freight. Other than the soft button that likes to get bumped ( i fixed it by adding a manual switch ) it does fairly well for somebody on a budget. The only downside other than the switch is that it can occasionally lock out on testing and give a false negative on all circuits, to remedy this just restart the thing and start over. the time saved getting things labeled will certainly make up for an extra 10 seconds running down all the breakers again. I have actually used it on an actual an fuse panel and had great success, on some older breaker types it is a little iffy.

You are the coolest dad, and you have been blessed with a beautiful family! Cheers brother! ron:)

Great video 👍

I had a new Span panel installed in August 2022 and I've been slowly documenting all of the receptacles so I can have a comprehensive list of outlet/receptacles. The house was built in 1977 and hasn't had a panel upgrade until now.

Thank you !!!!

Great video...learn a lot... I'm retired, but good to watch someone explain every detail. I've done this a lot, but without the tracer.. going to get one. I don't do much anymore, but make sure the church I go to keeps going and correct any problems. Ok, now... I noticed the panel your standing in front of you said and showed the neutral and ground together and it was feed from another panel, so that also makes it a sub panel. I ran into this in the church. The building was built in the late 30's. The other panels are the same as yours. Ok, so I'm trying to say is that when you find something like that, do you just leave it the way it is? What can happen which hasn't happened yet or any other time that I know of if it's left the way it is?

Great video just came across your site. I should have had more than 2 girls. But now I could call on the grand and greats.

A super nerdy way I did this recently was to use an IoTaWatt whole house monitoring system (the kind with the clip-on CT) and walk around the house with a load like a hair drier. Just flip on switches as you go into rooms to see the spike for lights and plug the hair drier into each outlet you want to test. Way fewer trips back to the panel since you can watch the graphs on a cellphone or similar

@dubmob151

Ай бұрын

The Emporia Vue has the capability to monitor 16 individual breakers and is able to plot the current draw as it changes, which shows everything in detail. Comparison with the utility bills matched the kWh charges. It was well worth it for the capability to track things-

Nice video, but the fact that you have 9 children is mind blowing, congrats on your success and blessings

I might need to reconsider my career as you make electrical work fun.

Just the other day I located the circuit that powered the coal-fired water boiler that hasn't been used in probably 6 or 7 decades. Of course, it was live. And the dishwasher was correctly labeled on one of the equally old fuse boxes ... someone had scratched "Dishwasher" in the outside of the fuse box case. It was easy to see once you're no more than 5 inches away from it. :)

Nice video! Kind of surprised to see you work in your ring. I tried that once too many times.....

Nice video boss

I live in a house built in 1770. I've been working on its 4th set of wiring. 1920s ( ceramic wire nuts & bakelite junction boxes ), 1950s ( 2 wires, no ground, metal boxes ), and 1980s ( 3 wire Romex - all white ). The main circuit panel is 1980s SquareD as is the 90amp sub-panel. Walls and ceilings are plaster. What a mess.

I bought that exact same tool to identify circuits. Its awesome

I got the same problem in our house! I have been slowly trying to tackle each box on each level of the house.

Hi Joel, I’m enjoying your videos. Just noticed the dryer ducting on the wall. All the ells, I think I count 3 including the one at the back of the dryer, effectively add about 15’ per ell to the overall length of the ductwork. Like the flow of electricity, it adds resistance to the air flow creating lint buildup and blockage. I run a diagonal, smooth aluminum piece from the back of the dryer to the last ell. Just a suggestion.

Nice video. Many great comments below. I label the face of every box, outlet and fixture I work on with the breaker number using a Brother label maker label with white letters on clear tape for dark color plates, and black letters on clear tape for light color plates. Inexpensive, reasonably discrete and easy. Same stuff also used to label cords and cables for AV and IT equipment. Panel labeling is an art to be concise, unambiguous, and terse enough to fit the space in the directory. It can be difficult for catch-all circuits that have lights and receptacles scattered all over the place. A floor plan showing all the devices is a tremendous help both for maintenance and for remodeling. Watch out for multiwire branch circuits where the breakers are missing handle ties. Also never assume, always test, that when you open a disconnect or switch off a breaker that the power is actually off on all hot legs. Don't ask me how I know that.

A time consuming process, but one I recommend to all home owners. I recall doing this without help using a radio and running back and forth to the panel. Inalky buying a Klein circuit finder has been well worth the investment. Even with the circuit finder having a helper is a time saver. I now mark the circuit breaker # inside the receptacle or switch plate even when the panel has been properly labeled. Even with a panel properly labeled I sill use a receptacle or non contact tester to confirm power is off to an outlet before working on it. Learned this the hard way many years ago when working on a receptacle when I found the hard way it had been used as a junction box and had two live conductors. Fortunately just startled and not injured, but learned a valuable lesson.

I can only assume that you just moved in, Ive seen your other install videos and these examples look nothing like your work. Great detail for the homeowner!

Great to have your kids learn about electricity in your own home!

I picked up the same Klein Circuit Breaker to confirm and label the panel in my house. Albeit my house is a single panel, but I wanted to take out the guess work while I was replacing all the old light switches and receptacles.

If your service disconnect is on the carriage house, why is this basement panel not wired as a sub panel with gounds and neutrals separate ? I think I saw gounds and neutrals together.

Good video, thanks. So, that Klein remote tester can test only on turned off/dead circuits or it can also test while circuit is still live?

Now my serious comment as a fellow Master Electrician and CSHO you should be the example and show wearing Electrically Voltage Rated gloves when opening and exposed to live voltages. Electricity doesn't care who you are and it only takes a second to change your life. Be Safe Steve

Gracias.

I was helping somebody who is having difficulty seeing and they needed the breakers labeled. The brand new apartment that they moved into was nice enough to print out a sheet identifying what was what however they failed horribly on distinct there's at least two things that registers as hot water heater and more circuits than what I could identify Outlets of and this is only an 12 breaker panel. I was simply able to enlarge what was there but what really needed to happen was re-identification into identifiable names with no ambiguity.

Just had to do this in my new house. Used the exact tool too. Made the job easier, but i still wanted to torch the place when i was done.

Lol, sounds like you got a few electricians on board.

I just rebuilt a double-wide manufactured home that had 15A circuits throughout the house except, of course, for the furnace. I ran a new circuit for my outside work and installed a 20A, so that's the only circuit I could use my tablesaw or compressor with.

💯💞💯 8 kids!!!!!! Wowzer!Wonder!! Great video, as always. Please, one little note of concern, from the viewing angle. Pulling those testers out of the sockets seemed difficult to, especially the young ones. So, wiggling, and getting those fingers close to the prongs, of energized, could prove detrimental to those tiny little fingers and attached bodies. Thank you for all you do

Joel better order up 8 more service vans...cuz those kids are ready to head to the job site!

I finally broke down a bought a new tracer and it's exactly that klein one, it still has false positives(but that might be the mess wiring in this house I bought) but it's so much better than my ideal one.

Have you tried plugging in a bunch of wifi smart outlets and then just looking at the smart home app on your phone to see which ones go offline when you flip the breaker?

I thought you said the voltage tester you recommended at the end of the video was a Klien PT310. I can't find that nomenclature in the Klein website product list.

I don't understand how the main shutoff for the panel can be a 125 amp breaker but you have so many 20, 30, and 60 amp breakers.

@Jimmy-B-

Жыл бұрын

Diversity.. unlikely to use all at once