Hi. I've a newbie question.
My circuit breaker panel has 240volt service entering it. I removed
the cover to investigate how the breakers are installed and tested some
of the breaker leads with a voltmeter. The breakers are arranged in 2
columns, with 6 breakers in each column. I see two black cables, one
to each column, and one white cable to the neutral bus.

While holding the probe to the lowest circuit breaker in the first
column ("R#1, C#1") , I found that the next row up in the same column
("R#2,C#1) had no difference in potential. But both were 120V above
neutral (which makes sense to me). However, the difference between
R#1,C#1 and R#3,C#1 was 240 volts. Same for R#1,C#1 and R#4,C#1. R#5
& R#6 go back to no difference in potential over R#1.

Is there some type of standard crisscross pattern of feeders behind the
circuit breakers? I remember reading about this somewhere... maybe to
reduce the chance of overloading one feeder over the other??

I'm sure any electrician or someone familiar with an empty breaker box
can answer this. Please help.

Thank you.
Anthony M. Falcone

Most modern breaker panels alternate L1 and L2 vertically in each column of
breakers. Some models like zinsco and ITE pushmatic do it horizontally



wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi. I've a newbie question.
My circuit breaker panel has 240volt service entering it. I removed
the cover to investigate how the breakers are installed and tested some
of the breaker leads with a voltmeter. The breakers are arranged in 2
columns, with 6 breakers in each column. I see two black cables, one
to each column, and one white cable to the neutral bus.

While holding the probe to the lowest circuit breaker in the first
column ("R#1, C#1") , I found that the next row up in the same column
("R#2,C#1) had no difference in potential. But both were 120V above
neutral (which makes sense to me). However, the difference between
R#1,C#1 and R#3,C#1 was 240 volts. Same for R#1,C#1 and R#4,C#1. R#5
& R#6 go back to no difference in potential over R#1.

Is there some type of standard crisscross pattern of feeders behind the
circuit breakers? I remember reading about this somewhere... maybe to
reduce the chance of overloading one feeder over the other??

I'm sure any electrician or someone familiar with an empty breaker box
can answer this. Please help.

Thank you.
Anthony M. Falcone

In addition to what was said below it sounds as though you have some twin
breakers in your panel. Instead of one breaker per slot, you actually have
two which is why you don't have 240 volts between adjoining breakers.



"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...
Most modern breaker panels alternate L1 and L2 vertically in each column
of
breakers. Some models like zinsco and ITE pushmatic do it horizontally



wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi. I've a newbie question.
My circuit breaker panel has 240volt service entering it. I removed
the cover to investigate how the breakers are installed and tested some
of the breaker leads with a voltmeter. The breakers are arranged in 2
columns, with 6 breakers in each column. I see two black cables, one
to each column, and one white cable to the neutral bus.

While holding the probe to the lowest circuit breaker in the first
column ("R#1, C#1") , I found that the next row up in the same column
("R#2,C#1) had no difference in potential. But both were 120V above
neutral (which makes sense to me). However, the difference between
R#1,C#1 and R#3,C#1 was 240 volts. Same for R#1,C#1 and R#4,C#1. R#5
& R#6 go back to no difference in potential over R#1.

Is there some type of standard crisscross pattern of feeders behind the
circuit breakers? I remember reading about this somewhere... maybe to
reduce the chance of overloading one feeder over the other??

I'm sure any electrician or someone familiar with an empty breaker box
can answer this. Please help.

Thank you.
Anthony M. Falcone

wrote:
Hi. I've a newbie question.
My circuit breaker panel has 240volt service entering it. I removed
the cover to investigate how the breakers are installed and tested
some of the breaker leads with a voltmeter. The breakers are
arranged in 2 columns, with 6 breakers in each column. I see two
black cables, one to each column, and one white cable to the neutral
bus.

While holding the probe to the lowest circuit breaker in the first
column ("R#1, C#1") , I found that the next row up in the same column
("R#2,C#1) had no difference in potential. But both were 120V above
neutral (which makes sense to me). However, the difference between
R#1,C#1 and R#3,C#1 was 240 volts. Same for R#1,C#1 and R#4,C#1.
R#5 & R#6 go back to no difference in potential over R#1.

Is there some type of standard crisscross pattern of feeders behind
the circuit breakers? I remember reading about this somewhere...
maybe to reduce the chance of overloading one feeder over the other??

I'm sure any electrician or someone familiar with an empty breaker box
can answer this. Please help.

Yes. The bus for each leg serpentines to alternate connections. Next time
you're at HD, look at an empty box and it'll be crystal clear.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi. I've a newbie question.
My circuit breaker panel has 240volt service entering it. I removed
the cover to investigate how the breakers are installed and tested some
of the breaker leads with a voltmeter. The breakers are arranged in 2
columns, with 6 breakers in each column. I see two black cables, one
to each column, and one white cable to the neutral bus.

While holding the probe to the lowest circuit breaker in the first
column ("R#1, C#1") , I found that the next row up in the same column
("R#2,C#1) had no difference in potential. But both were 120V above
neutral (which makes sense to me). However, the difference between
R#1,C#1 and R#3,C#1 was 240 volts. Same for R#1,C#1 and R#4,C#1. R#5
& R#6 go back to no difference in potential over R#1.

Is there some type of standard crisscross pattern of feeders behind the
circuit breakers? I remember reading about this somewhere... maybe to
reduce the chance of overloading one feeder over the other??

I'm sure any electrician or someone familiar with an empty breaker box
can answer this. Please help.

Thank you.
Anthony M. Falcone

If still present and readable, there should be a wiring diagram inside the
panel door that shows the bus arrangement if you look closely.

Don Young

Thank you all for the very informative answers. As suggested, next
time I'm at HomeDepot, I'll observe an empty box to see for myself.



wrote:
Hi. I've a newbie question.
Thank you.
Anthony M. Falcone