The main power line from your electric company connects directly to a power meter outside of your home or business. Then, the line goes directly to the electrical panel. You can usually find your property’s electrical panel in a garage, utility room, closet, or basement. It’s usually painted gray.
When you look inside the electrical panel, you will see rows of switches. These are the circuit breakers that distribute the main power line into smaller branch lines. Some of the switches are doubled or tripled together because they power appliances that require large electricity loads, such as air conditioners and electric dryers.
Inside the electrical panel door, there should be a label that maps out the locations of the outlets and appliances according to the numbers on the switches. The switches also have numbers on them that tell you how many amps the branch line can carry before the breaker switch is tripped. The electrical panel also has a main power breaker that can turn off power to the whole system.