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.
A subpanel does not add capacity to your service; it redistributes it. A feeder circuit (commonly 60 or 100 amps) runs from a double-pole breaker in the main panel to the subpanel, which then hosts its own branch breakers. The win is practical: spaces for new circuits when the main panel is full, and short wire runs in a detached garage instead of a dozen long ones from the house.
One technical detail matters and trips up DIY installs: in a subpanel, neutral and ground must be kept separate (the bond happens only once, at the service). An electrician will also size the feeder against your actual load, since a workshop with a welder and an EV charger is a different conversation than one with lights and a freezer.
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- 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.
- Bus Bar : The rigid metal bars inside a panel that distribute power to the breakers.
- 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.