Impressive work by your 14-year-old son on the breaker panel – any tips for those of us looking to try it ourselves?
Asked by Antoine Gagné 
6 months ago
Last Updated: June 26, 2024
I had a proud dad moment recently when my 14-year-old son took on the challenge of hooking up the breaker panel in one of our tiny houses. I think he did a pretty good job for his age and it being his first time doing it on his own. I had to give him a few pointers, but overall, I was impressed with his effort. We just need to get some new breakers that actually fit and work in the box. I’m open to feedback if anyone has any suggestions for improvement – he thinks I’m being tough on him because he’s my son.
Lacking a proper grounding method. It’s important to separate the neutral and ground, not just place them on different sides of the panel but keep them entirely separate. Make sure to use phase tape on the lines and main neutral. What’s going on here?
Other than that, I wish my 17-year-old could do something even half as good.
Hey reg Hill, just make sure to use the bond screw.
Hey reg Hill, if it’s disconnected, it also needs a ground rod.
Hey reg Hill, that would be the incorrect connector. It’s a clamp style.
Hey reg Hill, for single phase, phase tape isn’t necessary and the neutral has a yellow marker stripe.
Hey reg Hill, if you’re wondering about what you circled, I think it’s the circuit for the mini split, but I could be mistaken
Hey , it seems like there are two separate thhn wires going to the split, am I seeing that right???
Seems like loose THHN wire being secured with a x connector.
Reg Hill what are these exposed wires? rounds?
I think so
Reg Hill I had the same question about the mini split wiring and I’m not an electrician, but a carpenter who wired my own house and passed all inspections.
Has bare copper grounding
Kidding right?
You can’t bond the neutral and ground unless the panel is the initial means of disconnection from the service, and if it is, a separate ground wire must go to a ground rod.
Reg Hill if it’s not, then it requires a fourth wire in the feed. If it’s a small house, it might not be installed on-site yet
Reg Hill bonding doesn’t occur at the first disconnect, it happens at the service disconnect and they’re not always the same
Reg Hill this isn’t the first disconnect, it’s the service disconnect. An emergency disconnect could be the first one, but not the service disconnect
Pagliaro the yellow label doesn’t meet the NEC requirements
Reg Hill If this is the initial means of disconnection (which is likely the case – given that it’s a small house panel), you shouldn’t isolate the ground. You’ll notice a bonding bar at the top that connects the neutral and ground bars, with the screws holding the bar in place also serving as bond screws in this panel type – they go straight through to the metal housing. There’s no need to separate them, in fact, they could be connected to the same bar. You’re absolutely right about the incorrect connector picture though.
Reference the code. It must be “clearly labeled” as mandated, and indeed it is
Absolutely… mind-blowing
Haha, I totally agree
You’re doing a great job as a father.
I certainly attempt to be. Some days can be incredibly challenging.
The essence of being a man.
Child labor and minimum wages, haha
If I did that, it would mean I’m paying him, .
Children can work in a family-owned business, according to .
Thinks they should… I’m sure you’re a very proud dad.
Hey, are you now policing families, ?
Wait, a fuse panel?
Yeah, I didn’t phrase it right.
In a sub panel inside the building, make sure to keep the grounds and neutrals separate and do not use a bond screw.
For a detached structure on the same service, still keep them separate with no bond screw, but also install a grounding rod with acorn and bond wire into the sub panel.
They are only connected on the same bars in the main panel, usually with the meter like an all-in-one setup.
Why in the world would a tiny home need more than 1 panel? It should be the main one
In many cases, the tiny homes/guest houses in my area are powered by a main service that feeds the property or an existing home on the lot. Then, the tiny home is added with a small sub panel.
May I ask where the ground wire for the feed is located?
It even has the main breaker.
A MBO can be used as a sub panel.
If this is a main panel, it would require a grounding electrode conductor connected to an outside ground rod.
It seems like you just need a bonding screw.
¿Por qué no incluye la barra de tierra? No empiece así, después se les queda como un mal hábito
Reat job, buddy!
Yellow stripe indicates round, not Neutral. Everything else looks good.
Domingue so the underground triplex that supplies meters and disconnects doesn’t include a neutral wire? Please remove your comment, silly
Domingue appears to be the service lateral cable from the Utility. Not officially approved for indoor wiring.
Domingue Yellow stripe = not considered neutral or ground. Yellow indicates a phase color
Thumbs up for the next generation, let’s stay positive! The child received praise and was respected for addressing their issues and making necessary improvements.
‘s critique is not meant to be negative. He welcomes the feedback and has addressed some of the issues. We have ordered all new breakers to ensure they all fit properly.
It’s recommended to have AFCI’s installed for certain circuits.
I would settle for all the right brand, says .
Not at 50 a piece, . That’s just dumb.
A bonding screw is needed. reat work!
Circuit 11, what is he talking about? Haha
Reeeefffffffaaaaa Rasta hhhh
What’s the deal with all the different types of breakers? Any inspector will catch that.
So, explained in the post that he ended up using things from my scrap bucket. Apparently, there are some challenger breakers in there that are junk no matter what. I’ve decided to purchase all new breakers and ask him to swap them out.
It looks like some of the circuits powering 15 amp loads are actually connected to a 20 amp breaker. This is fine as long as the wire is at least #12 gauge and the outlet is a 20 amp outlet. Make sure to connect the ground wires to the ground strip in the can, not the neutral bars. I noticed there isn’t a ground wire in the incoming conduit.
Could you clarify for me where you think the problem with the 15 and 20 amp breakers is located?
Mentioned that he can read 20 amps on most of the breaker handles. Are you from the USA? It seems like the rules may be different there compared to Canada.
Reat idea, I was thinking the same thing! 🙂
That’s how I work with boss Fredo Larieux, when you go to the panel, Each bracker identifies itself
The main ground to ground rods and bonding screw are missing because this is not a sub panel. If yellow stripe represents ground, how can it be considered ‘fine’ when a neutral is missing?
Reat work!
Ignore the harsh critics, I believe you’re an excellent father and your son did an amazing job on his first panel. Keep it up 👏
A. Is this the main disconnect? If it is, where are the bonding screw and the wires for the cold water/ground rod? If not, this is just the start of the issues I can spot. B. Most of those circuits require arc fault breakers.
Are there really two separate THHN wires leaving the panel in the top left corner for the split unit?
Yep, . The grounding is done through the metal frame structure.
Both of you did an amazing job!👍👏
Electricians are not fans of many things.
Every profession has its high and mighty critics. No matter how well a job is done, they’ll always find something to criticize.
For me, it’s all about how the wires are arranged and secured. I take pride in my work. It seems pretty good for a beginner, but he should focus on creating perfect 90-degree angles for the ground wires. And when it comes to the loops, try to make them neater and more consistent. The more uniform it looks, the prouder you’ll feel. Especially when the power turns on. Keep it up, little sparky!
I told him not to make any cuts until I see it and make sure nothing needs to be redone.
Is doing a great job teaching, especially for a young person. Please pass along some positive feedback from me.
In the main service panel, the ground and neutral wires are bonded together and to the enclosure.
If it’s a subpanel, the neutral is kept separate from the enclosure and the ground; they remain disconnected after leaving the main service.
Oh, and don’t forget that all metal parts and enclosures need to be connected to a grounding pathway!
Oh, pointed out that the bus is made of metal. Just thought you should know
That’s fantastic!
This is pretty much where I spent most of my weekends when I was 14. Other than the breakers that don’t match, which you mentioned you would replace. The only thing that concerns me is if the first means of disconnect is a bonding screw. If not, then a separate ground bar would be needed. And let’s not forget about the THHN in the romex connector. Your kid is doing a great job!
I wonder if Mickey Mouse was his mentor when it came to landing the feeders
Missing plastic bushing on PVC male connector. Use the same type of breakers from the same manufacturer on the panel. Also, there’s a missing main bonding jumper. THHN conductors need to be in conduit, not exposed through framing members.
He’s only 14!
We should teach him the right way 🤦♂️
Labeling CKTs as trash is totally unacceptable
Seriously, who gives a damn, man
Exactly!
👍
Definitely not that guy
Who even cares about your snooty opinion anyway
I can’t help but laugh at the snobbery 🤣
Being lazy is just being lazy!
Let the kid have a shot at improvement! Maybe some proper training would help!
I see some potential in this kid
I mean, why settle for mediocrity when you can aim for excellence
Well done for a 14-year-old, you and a few others have pointed out the mistakes.
Appears to be fine.
Definitely
Really good indeed
Just your average breaker, right?
Hey, Kimball mentioned some stuff from the scrap bucket
Nonsense
Just make sure the screws are nice and tight.
The enclosure lacks proper grounding. All exposed conductors should be connected to a separate ground bar that is then attached to the metal enclosure, with a bonding jumper linking it to the neutral bar.
I just wanted to mention how awesome it is that you’re passing on your knowledge to your son and he’s eager to learn. His strong work ethic will take him far. I started bringing my son along at 3 years old. He’s now 18, just finished high school, and working for the family business. He can wire up an entire house!
We do remodeling work, so it’s not always about installing new panels. Usually, we focus on replacing outlets and switches. However, Josh observed a couple of guys working on panels, replacing stablock and other parts like that.
I just want to say thank you for all you’ve done for me – spreading the word about your company is the least I can do! Your hard work always puts a smile on my face. We need more people like you in the world. Keep up the great work! – Levi T Wilkerson
There isn’t a bonding screw – it’s not there.
You’re doing a great job, young man. Everyone has their own opinions, and you’ll keep learning as you work on customers’ equipment! Keep it up – we need more skilled tradespeople.
You know, I’m trying to tell him the same thing, but at 14 he already thinks he knows it all. Have you heard the saying “hire a teenager while they still know everything”? That really fits my son. He’s giving different things a try to see what he enjoys before considering higher education. We already know he’s not a fan of flooring and plumbing, so that will save us some money on plumbing school.
That’s nice – what’s funny is he does better than some who are twice his age.
Hey Dad, just curious, are you a licensed electrician?
I’m actually a handyman who specializes in remodels and new construction.
1- The neutral wire should be white, not green with a yellow stripe.
2- The ground wire on the left should be connected to the frame of the electrical box, not the neutral bar.
3- In Canada, branch circuits should not be run through where the main wire connects to the main breaker.
Please make sure you understand the trade and learn the code before sharing your opinions that could confuse others. It’s no joke, electricity is no joke.
Incredibly amazing
Reat!
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