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If I have several separate circuits in my house, each with their own circuit breaker, how can I turn all of them on or off with only one switch?

The circuits could be all of one voltage and amperage, or a mix of currents and voltages (US 120/240)

What if the circuits were UK ring circuits?

Triplefault
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    This question is to bring the commercial-context closed question https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/260571/multiple-switched-circuits to the home context, so it can be answered here. – Triplefault Nov 16 '22 at 13:30
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    Understand what you are doing, but imagine you will be asked for more details. Question as stands lacks important details, like are all the circuits the same amps, are all 120 or a mix. Not quite sure if changing another OP's question to your own to fit on the site is right/allowed. – crip659 Nov 16 '22 at 13:36
  • @crip659 I'll put in some more possibilities, thanks! I hope the question would be allowed, since the idea could be used in home context. Turn off a whole shop, etc. – Triplefault Nov 16 '22 at 13:41
  • This could be accomplished by turning off the main breaker. – RMDman Nov 16 '22 at 13:48
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    @RMDman It can be done with the main breaker, but they are a pain to change when they fail from to much use as a switch. Had mine fail after turning it off for the electrician, just lucky the electrician was there and replaced it at the time. By myself would have been out of power for some time. – crip659 Nov 16 '22 at 13:52
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    @crip659 It just occurs to me why this might not be allowed, it's actually Dallas's question from the original post, and they should get the credit. If Dallas joins here, can they be made the author of this question instead of me? – Triplefault Nov 16 '22 at 13:55
  • In the future just edit *that* question to comply, at which point it will reopen if it's been closed. Try not to clutter up the board with closed questions; they don't just disappear. You don't need to be the original writer to [edit] a question. Especially at your rep level lol, your edits may bypass review. That would also have the authorship effect you seek. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Nov 16 '22 at 20:00
  • Thanks, @Harper. I'll remember that for the future. It didn't occur to me that I could edit Dallas' question, though I now remember seeing such is possible. Should anything be done to fix these two questions further? – Triplefault Nov 17 '22 at 02:16
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    @Triplefault probably not at this point. Too many answers here, impracticable to move them. I love that word, they use it in old railroad rules. It's like "indecorous" from *The Imitation Game*. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Nov 17 '22 at 02:53

4 Answers4

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I hate to state the obvious but the answer is to put these breakers/circuits into their own subpanel.

The main panel would feed the subpanel with a single breaker; turn off this breaker to cut off the subpanel.

If you're worried about overusing a non-switch-rated breaker too much then you could install a properly rated disconnect:

enter image description here

Short of the aforementioned physical solution you could upgrade your main panel to a "smart" panel with "smart" circuit breakers that can be controlled remotely. This of course assumes you can assign circuit breaker groupings and turn them all off at once using some app.

MonkeyZeus
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This is just a brief solution which would require a number of contactors or relays with one or two poles and different amp ratings for the different circuits. Outside the main panel, install a gutter or panel and mount the contactors in it. Re-route each circuit to be controlled into the gutter and connect each hot leg and "load" to a contactor pole. Tap off one hot and run to the controlling switch and parallel the coils on each contactor. Now the controlling switch will operate the contactors which will energize / de energize the circuits depending on whether NO or NC contactors were used.

JACK
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I recommend a subpanel. But since main breakers (a "subpanel" is often a "main panel" with a main breaker, but fed from the actual main panel) are not normally switch rated, use a backfed (and locked down) breaker as the feed instead of lugs or main breaker. As long as you can live within the limits (typically 60A, but varies by manufacturer) of a simple backfed breaker, that makes it super simple and not that expensive. As with any large setup, a load calculation is key. For example, if you have 10 20A circuits, the actual load could be anywhere from just a few Amps to 160A. You need to figure out what the real-world load is, and a load calculation will do that. Just keep in mind that if you have specific equipment (e.g., a hair dryer on each circuit and half of them might be running at any given time; or grow lamps that pull 10A each, all on at the same time) that should be included in the calculation rather than treating everything as general purpose circuits that would have very load.

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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The simplest method, for up to 3 (sometimes 4) circuit breakers, is to use a listed handle-tie to tie the physical action of the breakers together. This is especially effective on 15-30A circuits, which are rated SWD (Switching Duty), made to be turned on/off several times a day. In commercial installations the breaker is often the light switch. Note that 3-pole handle ties are not available for Square D's HomeLine, (talk about truth in advertising), since it's a residential grade panel that does not recognize 3-phase, and so does not offer 3-pole handle-ties.

3-pole are available for all those DIN rail breakers the Euros love.

enter image description here

4-pole handle-tie. Not something you see every day.

Second, is have a subpanel for these loads, as MonkeyZeus and manassehkatz discuss. Then you can either use a feed breaker, knife switch or contactor/relay to switch power to the whole subpanel. Mind the rating of those contacts, in particular the tungsten, ballast or motor ratings as apply to your loads.

Third, you can use individual contactors, as Jack discusses. You may find that General Electric is way ahead of you, having devised the RR7 system for exactly this purpose. These are single-throw contactors which are latching relays so they stay put where they last left. They have two 24V coils - an "on" coil and an "off" coil. Energizing the "on" coil turns the relay on. Energizing the "off" coil turns it off. They are meant to be used with SPDT momentary switches, any number of them.

A variation on contactors is the Eaton Remote Control Breaker, which is simply an old style tandem breaker, with one "breaker" removed and replaced with an RR7 style latching relay, which works the same way. Two handles - one for the actual breaker and the other to manually actuate the latching relay. (they can't use the breaker contact for this, since UL won't let anyone reset a circuit breaker remotely.)

Or you could use some alternate relay system, as long as the system is UL Listed or otherwise approved for use in AC mains in your jurisdiction.

And lastly, the burgeoning "smart panel" market has answers galore, as you might guess.

If all you need is remote shut-off and plan to use the breaker as the "on" switch, then any manufacturer's shunt trip breaker will suffice. These are breakers which have a 3rd trip method: you apply 24V to a pair of auxiliary terminals and it trips the breaker same as a short-circuit trip. Shunt trips may be available in 120V and 230/240V as well. All makers offer those (except possibly HomeLine), however those breakers tend to be one "space" wider than the normal breaker. Heck with the Euro style DIN Rail breakers, this is a field-installed side-car module that mates to compatible breakers.

Harper - Reinstate Monica
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