This Is the Best Way to Label Your Circuit Breaker and Electrical Outlets.
Having a well-organized labeling system for circuit breakers and electrical outlets in your home is a goal that many aspire to, but few fully achieve. We know why this is important: no one likes the game of figuring out which switch is plugged into that particular outlet when it’s time to make a repair or repair. It will never be the first thing you try; of this you can be sure. You have to walk at least half a dozen, unnecessarily turning off appliances, clocks, and Wi-Fi as you walk, shouting up the stairs to your partner, “ Was that the one !? How about !? “
But you can do it – you can identify your offender now to help yourself many times in the future. (And one Redditor has a bonus tagging trick you probably haven’t thought of that might help.)
The best way to label your switch
Contrary to popular belief, labeling the switch panel correctly should be a little more difficult than writing “Kitchen” on the piece of masking tape next to the switch. If you want to do your best, D&F Liquidators electrical suppliers recommend finding every outlet, testing every switch and breaker, and then compiling a complete electrical index.
In addition, you must designate the room in such a way that it is understandable not only to you, but also to the future owners of the house. As D&F explains, “Instead of writing ‘Children’s Bedroom’, write ‘Southwest Bedroom’ and glue the index on the inside of the switch panel.” They even suggest drawing a floor plan for accuracy; but in any case, you are already much better than when you started.
It is also helpful to label the inside of the outlet cover.
Marking the inside of an outlet cover is another way to keep track of which outlet is plugged into which switch, especially if the room is split between two switches. For example, in my apartment, one socket in my kitchen is on the same switch as the right side of my bedroom, because they share a common wall. In this case, the labeling of the kitchen / bedroom with the circuit breaker will not be specific enough if the fuse blows.
Instead, as Reddit user u / nullvoid88 suggests :
Old … whenever you have an electrical plate unplugged, you can make notes on the back of it. Breaker number, installation date / dates, paint smears, etc. Etc. Etc. Often useful in the future!
You probably don’t need to do this with all of the outlet covers in your home – just a couple of areas that you know can be a pinch for you, the electrician, and future residents of the home.