Circuit breakers are the “brains” of an electrical system. The are in the distribution panel where electricity is routed to different parts of a home or other building. Their job is to protect electrical wires from excessive current or an electrical short in the system. Each wire can handle only a specific amount of current (measured in amperes). Every circuit breaker is designed to stop the flow of electricity automatically if the current exceeds the current for a wire’s size. Tripping a circuit breaker is simple once you know which circuit breaker to shut off.
Locate the electrical distribution panel. Typical spots are in the basement, utility room and garage, but the panel may be almost anywhere in a home. It is a metal box fastened to a wall, and it has a door on its front.
Confirm the power has been turned off for the desired area by turning on the area's lights. If the area doesn't have lights, plug a working lamp into an electrical outlet in the area and see whether or not it produces light.