Title: Single-Pole Breaker (Electrical Systems) - Troubleshooting
Course: Troubleshooting Labs > Section: Sample Troubleshooting Component Pages

Single-pole breaker - Check AC voltage; also flip the switch - Klein

Single-pole breaker - Check AC voltage; also flip the switch - Greenlee

Common Component Failure Problems

NOTE

If the breaker was turned off, it may be necessary to talk to others and investigate if it has been turned off for a reason.  Remember, if someone turned the breaker off to work on something, turning the breaker back on could electrocute them.

- Breaker is turned off
  - Check the position of the breaker
    - Breaker is off
      - Turn it on
- Tripped Breaker
  - Check the position of the breaker
    - Breaker is off (Some breakers show "off" when tripped)
      - Turn it back on
    - Breaker shows a tripped position which is typically halfway between on and off (Some breakers show "tripped" when tripped)
      - Turn it back on
- No power upstream
  - Check the position of the breaker
    - Breaker is on
    - Check voltage (multimeter set to 200 VAC) - measure from breaker screw to ground.  Should measure around 12 to 15 VAC.
      - If the voltage is not around 12 - 15 VAC check the power upstream from the breaker.

Troubleshooting Instrumentation/Tools

- Multimeter (200 VAC setting)

Troubleshooting Step-by-Step Example

Additional Troubleshooting Information

Schematic for a single-pole circuit breaker:

Where to Purchase:

15-amp single-pole breaker - Lowe's

20-amp single-pole breaker - Lowe's

Unless specified otherwise, any and all work on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.