[mellotts]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I went into our garage and looked at the circuit breaker box and it looked like I found the one that is not working and purchased a replacement at Ace yesterday.

Just curious about the circuit breaker box? I can easily make sure the light switches are off in the kitchen.

Do these circuit breakers of which they had a number of 20s in basket at Ace just plug into the board or do you have to take the whole door off and do wiring? Eaton Cutler-Hammer 20 amps Plug In Single Pole Circuit Breaker


https://www.acehardware.com/departme...breakers/31481

I will probably just call an electrician but am interested in why they would sell these out in a basket in Ace if a lot of work is involved? Lots of different kinds of screws holding the door on.

And I do not feel like electrocuting myself by taking the door off as it looks like it still will have power coming in from above even if the circuit board's main power switch is off?

I am a Villager and can check it for you and replace if necessary. Im an electronics technician by trade. Built and wired several homes. 970-201-four nine nine three.

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by taltarzac725

thanks for the various replies. I will do that.

from all of us
thank you

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

OP, our house (2013 vintage Gardenia) has several SETS of ceiling lights on ONE circuit breaker, Labeled GENERAL lighting, this feed goes to 3 or 4 switches which control each set of lights. As mentioned above, this sounds like a switch, it also sounds like to are very uncomfortable working around electrical equipment. I recently used Hayes Electric and was very pleased with their work and price, if you want a licensed electrician. NOTE: a switch replacement is typically allowed to be done by the homeowner, and you can use a handyman to do the switch replacement.
Tip, on our house, when the lights are off the DIMMER has a small green light, if the green light is off, either the circuit is dead, the switch has failed, or ALL of the light bulbs on that circuit have failed.
Hope this helps.

Worth adding that if those lights are on a dimmer switch and you replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs, the dimmer switches may not work properly, the LEDs May flicker or stop working, etc. There are dimmer switches made specially for LEDs. You may need to have new ones installed.

[rsmurano]

Everybody on this thread is giving the OP too much info that is confusing. Each house is different. For example, all of our kitchen lights are controlled by 2 switches. If the OP took the advice on swapping 1 of these switches, not knowing they are a 3-way, you would have a problem.
IMO, if somebody doesn’t know much about electricity, I would keep the conversation simple like checking the breaker, or changing the light bulb.

[OhioBuckeye]

I switch out my own breakers but if you don’t feel comfortable doing it themselves, definitely get a electrician but be prepared to pay pretty heavy for this 10 min. job. Breakers just snap in. Once you unsnap the breaker the break is dead. Just don’t touch the brass bar that the breaker touches. Or you can just flip the big whole house switch at the top & then the whole breaker box will be dead. But in your case call a electrician!

[Glewellen]

Watch this youtube. It is a good explanation of the procedure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6OGF66IskI

[Nordhagen]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I went into our garage and looked at the circuit breaker box and it looked like I found the one that is not working and purchased a replacement at Ace yesterday.

Just curious about the circuit breaker box? I can easily make sure the light switches are off in the kitchen.

Do these circuit breakers of which they had a number of 20s in basket at Ace just plug into the board or do you have to take the whole door off and do wiring? Eaton Cutler-Hammer 20 amps Plug In Single Pole Circuit Breaker


https://www.acehardware.com/departme...breakers/31481

I will probably just call an electrician but am interested in why they would sell these out in a basket in Ace if a lot of work is involved? Lots of different kinds of screws holding the door on.

And I do not feel like electrocuting myself by taking the door off as it looks like it still will have power coming in from above even if the circuit board's main power switch is off?

Check if any GFI outlets in the kitchen have tripped.

[JOEMAN]

I mean you no disrespect, but if you are asking these questions then you really shouldn't be opening your breaker box.. it's an easy fix if you know what your doing, so it shouldn't cost an arm or a leg.

[rsmurano]

Why are posters telling the OP how to change out the breaker when nobody knows if that’s the problem. IMO, a bad breaker would be the last piece I would look at replacing.
Do we know if the breaker has been reset? How about the secondary test button/switch on the breaker? Most circuit breakers made in the past decade or more have a test button/white switch on them that can reset. I’ve had to replace some of these for garages because they will flip too easy when hooking up air compressors or worm drive saws with high amperage ratings. So not only you can switch the main breaker on/off, you can press this test button/white switch on the breaker on/off too.

I have a test pen that beeps when close (not touching any wires) to a hot wire so what I can do is take off the switch plate on the switch for the lights that don’t work, and with the switch off (not a 3-way circuit), you should have the pen light go on pointing to either the top or bottom screw on the side of the switch. If you don’t have power to either screw, then you don’t have power coming in to the switch. If you do have power coming into the switch, then after you flip the switch on, you should have power going to both screws on the switch. If you don’t, you have a bad switch. This is not for a 3-way light circuit.
Also, I’m not telling you to do any electrical work or that you should touch any electrical wires, you should hire this out. Do not use the old fashion pins to test your circuits, only use the test pens with the plastic tips so you can’t create an arc.
To be safe, hire any job out that you don’t understand, especially electricity and natural gas

[Nucky]

Hey Tal, switch a lightbulb that you are certain that is functional with one of them there pesky ones that won’t turn on. You may find it’s a lightbulb dilemma.

I had Pikes Electric change each light in the kitchen to LEDS lately and the difference is dramatic but it ain’t cheap. Good luck!

[ron32162]

The whole panel needs to be off to change this. One mistake will kill you or knock you to the other side of the garage.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by ron32162

The whole panel needs to be off to change this. One mistake will kill you or knock you to the other side of the garage.

That's the information I need. Thanks. I just thought you plug the new one in and that is it.

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

That's the information I need. Thanks. I just thought you plug the new one in and that is it.

I really wish you had called me, I am a retired professional electrical engineer, and would be glad you help you trouble shoot your problem.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

I really wish you had called me, I am a retired professional electrical engineer, and would be glad you help you trouble shoot your problem.

We have a lot of other things going on with the electricity.

[DDToto41]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I went into our garage and looked at the circuit breaker box and it looked like I found the one that is not working and purchased a replacement at Ace yesterday.

Just curious about the circuit breaker box? I can easily make sure the light switches are off in the kitchen.

Do these circuit breakers of which they had a number of 20s in basket at Ace just plug into the board or do you have to take the whole door off and do wiring? Eaton Cutler-Hammer 20 amps Plug In Single Pole Circuit BreakerI will probably just call an electrician but am interested in why they would sell these out in a basket in Ace if a lot of work is involved? Lots of different kinds of screws holding the door on.

And I do not feel like electrocuting myself by taking the door off as it looks like it still will have power coming in from above even if the circuit board's main power switch is off?

Please make sure you get a reliable electrician, I worked 31 years in a steel mill as an electrician, supervisor and a Technical Advisor while going to collage to get a degree in Electrical Engineering. Theen worked as a project Electrical Engineer for a fiber manufacturer and a paper mill. When I moved here I had a neighbor ask me to check out his outlet for his Microwave. I did and found his receptacle had the common wire shorted out to the box. The wood around the box was charred. He replaced the receptacle and everything was fine. I also found a receptacle in my house with a loose wire and repaired it. Later while working at Publix an electrical contractor came in and I waited on him and asked him if they were hiring, and he told me the hire me to install the receptacles, switches and lights for a price. I did not want to get into a set up like that. Knowing that you may want the electrician to check out the wiring in your lights.
Plus make sure the breaker you bought is the same make and size as the circuit breaker you are replacing.