Double-Pole Breaker
A breaker occupying two panel spaces that connects across both hot bus bars to deliver 240 volts, used for dryers, ranges, AC units, EV chargers and other heavy loads.
A double-pole breaker is two linked breakers with a common trip: if either leg faults, both open together, which 240-volt loads require. Ratings run from 15 to 125 amps, with 30 (dryer), 40 – 50 (range, EV charger) and 60 (AC, subpanel feeders) the common residential sizes.
Their footprint matters for planning: each double-pole breaker eats two spaces, and modern electrification (EV charging, heat pumps, induction ranges) is mostly 240-volt work. A panel that looks half-empty can fill fast, which is part of why load calculations and occasionally tandem breakers or panel upgrades enter the conversation.
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- Electrical Panel (Breaker Box) : The gray metal box where utility power enters your home and splits into individual protected circuits.
- Circuit Breaker : A resettable safety switch that cuts power automatically when a circuit draws more current than its wiring can safely carry, or when it detects a fault.
- Main Breaker : The single large breaker at the top of your panel that can disconnect the entire house, and whose rating (100, 150, 200 amps) defines your service size.
- Subpanel : A secondary breaker panel fed from the main panel, used to add circuit capacity or put breakers closer to where the power is used: garages, shops, additions, ADUs.