How to Determine Main Breaker Panel Capacity

The electrical breaker box in a building splits the incoming electrical current from the power grid. The electrical current is divided so that several smaller circuits within the building are independent of each other and cannot draw excessive current. You can determine the maximum current available through an electrical panel. This information allows for adequate planning when adding additional electrical devices.

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the building's main breaker box.
- 2
  Open the main breaker box.
- 3
  Locate the "Master" or "Main" power breaker. This breaker is most commonly found in the uppermost portion of the breaker box and, in most cases, possesses the largest on-off switch.
- 4
  Read the face of the breaker for amperage information. This information is displayed as a number embossed on both the on-off switch and the body of the breaker itself. This number is the largest amount of electrical current available to the home or building at any point in time.

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