Circuit breaker box ?

[aka rotten]

I,m in habit of turning off breaker for compressor in shop when i leave it.To make long story short breaker for freezer is directly across from compressor and i screwed up and hit wrong one ather day causing bout 200 bucks worth of thawed food.What do i need to keep this from happining again,i m thinken theres a thing i can put over that breaker to keep that from happening again,just dont know what to look for or ask at hardware store.Thanks,Paul

 

[yost69]

A circuit breaker lockout kit would work. But a piece of masking tape and a sharpie would work also.

 

[Gregishome]

If you do go for a mechanical protection device, be certain it doesnt interfere with the breakers ability to fully trip whenever it needs to in case of overcurrent or circuit fault ...

For 100% certainty of it not happening again, put a means of disconnect on the compressor or....

move the wiring on the breakers opposite of the compressor breaker up or down to where if you do turn the wrong breaker off, it wont be a breaker that will cost you $$$$$$$$$$

 

[Norcal]

If you do go for a mechanical protection device, be certain it doesnt interfere with the breakers ability to fully trip whenever it needs to in case of overcurrent or circuit fault ...

For 100% certainty of it not happening again, put a means of disconnect on the compressor or....

move the wiring on the breakers opposite of the compressor breaker up or down to where if you do turn the wrong breaker off, it wont be a breaker that will cost you $$$$$$$$$$

All modern circuit breakers are "trip free" they cannot be held closed on a fault, so a breaker lock "on " can be used safely, a better choice is a disconnect mounted outside the panel or if large enough, a switch combined w/ a pilot /indicator light wired in the control circuit of the magnetic starter.
My shop is wired with 2 panels, 1 for lighting & such & another one for all receptacles / equipment, it has a main breaker back fed (a retainer kit is NOT required in THAT panel, because only req. for plug-in breakers ). So it's EZ to shut down the whole shop.


Note: There are obsolete circuit breakers that are not "trip free" , one example is the Cutler- Hammer, and Square D, XO which has been obsolete for over 50 years but there are no breaker accessories avail. for them....

 

[Aceman]

Some places I've been to like to put those small round colored stickers on the breakers to indicate which ones to shut off or leave on, whichever way you want to look at it.

Quick and easy.

 

[50cal]

Mount a disconnect at compressor. Problem solved. Picking that load up with the breaker as a switch will pobably shorten its life span.

 

[jvitez]

Yup. Wire a disconnect next to the compressor itself. Anything else is still not 100%.

 

[rwreuter]

when i installed my 240v 20amp air compressor i installed plug and switch for it.

when i leave, i just hit the switch and it kills the plug. if i get a chance i will post a picture.

 

[1grnlwn]

I leave my air compressor on. Just fix the leaks.

 

[hidollartoys]

Pay attention to what your doing????????