1.
distribution board; breaker panel; electrical panel
A panel inside a home or building that receives incoming electricity from the utility supply and splits it among the circuits that run through the building. It houses the main breaker and the individual circuit breakers for each room or appliance.
Composed of 分 (divide, distribute) + 電 (electricity) + 盤 (board, panel). A technical term for the electrical panel inside a home or commercial building. In a typical Japanese home it is mounted on a wall near the entrance, in a hallway, or in a closet, and houses the main breaker, a leakage breaker, and individual circuit breakers.
Common collocations
- 分電盤のブレーカー: the breakers on the distribution board
- 分電盤を交換する: to replace the distribution board
- 分電盤を確認する: to check the distribution board
- 分電盤の中: inside the distribution board
- 住宅用分電盤: residential distribution board
Similar words
- ブレーカー: breaker — refers to an individual circuit breaker, not the whole panel.
- 配電盤: switchboard — a larger panel used in commercial buildings and substations to distribute electricity at higher capacities.
- ヒューズ箱: fuse box — an older style of panel that used replaceable fuses instead of breakers; mostly obsolete.
Usage
You will encounter 分電盤 in home-inspection reports, renovation estimates, safety notices from the power company, and when calling an electrician. Most homeowners only deal with it when a breaker trips and they need to reset it.