Installing a GFCI breaker

Replacing regular circuit breakers with GFCI breakers is ofter done in upgrades to older houses, to protect bathrooms, garages, and outside circuits.This job requires you to work inside of a hot electrical panel, if this makes you uncomfortable, hire a qualified electrician. If you choose to do it yourself, wear safety glasses, use a screwdriver with an insulated handle, and stand on a rubber mat, piece of dry wood 2x12, or some other non-conductive material. You should also have another source of light such as a flash light available for after you shut off main electrical power.
Identify the breaker you need to replace.  Determine the amperage of the breaker (it is usually engraved in the breaker).  Identify the Type of breaker and the manufacturer of the enclosure. (Even though many brands may work in your panel, your panel's warranty may not apply if you use a brand that the panel manufacturer hasn't explicitly approved. That's why it's best to buy breakers from the manufacturer that made your panel.) Once you have your new breaker it is time to replace the old breaker.

Turn off the main power. At the top of the panel is a large breaker called the "MAIN" it would also have the highest amperage of all of the breakers in the box.  Switch this breaker OFF.

The wires that bring electricity into the service panel (usually at the top) will still be hot even after you switch off the main breaker, so never touch them or the main lugs to which they are terminated.  Verify with a meter that all of the other breakers are no longer live.

Remove the panel cover to expose the breakers. Each breaker will have a wire attached to its screw terminal.  Verify with a meter that all of the other breakers are no longer live.   On the breaker you plan to replace, loosen the screw, remove the wire, and pull the wire out. To remove the breaker, carefully pry up the edge of the breaker that is closest to the center of the panel, then remove the other edge.

Install the GFCI breaker. Switch your new GFCI breaker to OFF. Snap it into the panel, then take the black (or red) wire that was attached to the old breaker and attach it to the breaker terminal marked Line Power. (That terminal may also be black.)

Find the circuit's white (neutral) wire. Follow the black or red wire that you attached to the breaker back to the cable where it enters into the box. From this cable you will find a white wire that connects to the neutral bar.  Follow the white wire back to the bus bar and remove the wire from the terminal. Take this wire that you just removed and attach it to the GFCI breaker terminal marked Load Neutral. Attached the coiled wire (also called a pigtail) on the GFCI breaker to the neutral bus bar.  You can use the open spot from which you removed the previous neutral, or use any available spot on the neutral bus bar.

Replace the panel cover, make sure the breaker is still off, and turn the panel's main switch back ON.

Test your installation.  Use a GFCI test device to verify that the breaker will trip when the GFCI is shorted.

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