What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?
If your breaker keeps tripping, it’s usually a sign that something is wrong with the circuit. There could be a short in one appliance or somewhere in the wiring. There could be a ground fault causing the breaker to keep tripping. There could be an overload in the circuit.
A tripping breaker is a certain signal that the circuit in your electricity system shuts off. It happens when an electronic device consumes more electricity than the amount it actually requires.
In such a way, the device and circuit box could be protected from overpowering. Therefore, it prevents the risk of overheating so fire accidents due to overheating could be easily avoided.
However, what if your circuit breaker keeps tripping on and on? If it happens, you should be aware of some problems that might be possible in your electrical system.
There might be several possibilities that cause your breaker keeps tripping. These following points might be some of the most common causes. Check it out.
What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping 2022
The first cause might be the ability of the breaker. Weak breaker usually becomes the most common cause of continuous tripping on a circuit breaker.
The circuit might work overtime that makes the breaker works in weaker performance. Continual overloading electricity time is also a common cause that makes your breaker weak.
The second cause will be overload in your circuit. You have to notice that all types of circuit breakers in the electrical panel are completed with different ratings.
When you are inserting heavy-duty devices in a 15 amp, usually it will require more electricity load. It will make the breaker trip or shut down due to overheating. In some cases, the tripping breaker requires you to install the new breaker in your panel.
The third cause will be a short circuit. When you can not find any electrical overload, another possibility that causes this certain inconvenience will be a short circuit.
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What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?
This is a particular condition that happens when the hot wire, or the one in black color, make a contact with another hot wire.
It could also happen when the hot wire make a contact with the neutral wire or the one in white. This is also a good reason that makes the breaker need to break the electric current.
Another cause will be a ground fault. This is also a good reason for your breaker to trip. It happens in a similar process to what happens in a short circuit.
A ground fault happens when the hot wire makes contact with the ground wire or the wire is bare copper.
Besides, the ground fault could also happen when the hot wire make a contact with any electrical panel which is connected to the ground wire.
Those are several common causes that make your breaker continuously tripping. Keep in mind to be very careful in fixing any problem in your circuit breaker since working with electricity is always dangerous.
It will be perfect for you to provide a high-quality ground fault circuit breaker to be added to the electrical system in your home.
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My Breaker Keeps Tripping! Should I Use a Larger Size Without Risking a Fire?
You are having a quiet evening at home watching television, cruising the internet, or perhaps simply reading a book. Suddenly, the power goes out and you think to yourself “not again!” as you fumble in the darkness for the flashlight.
Your breaker keeps tripping, you are wondering if you should hire an electrician to install a larger size and if you are at risk of starting a fire either way.
First, the reason circuit breakers trip should be addressed. The most likely reason you are having this problem is that you have an overloaded circuit.
This simply means you have too many things drawing too much power through that one circuit at the same time. A more serious, though the less likely possibility, is that you have a short circuit.
This is caused by a broken wire or by two exposed wires (which means the insulation is missing) touching. The least likely (yet still possible) option is a ground fault.
A ground fault is similar to a short circuit, except that in this instance the exposed wire is in contact with the side of the metal box or the ground wire its self.
What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping in 2021?
A professional electrician should be consulted to determine the exact reason your circuit breaker keeps tripping. In any city, it should be relatively easy to contact an electrical contractor (Atlanta seems to be particularly good for this.)
If it turns out that you have an overloaded circuit and it is a common occurrence, you are regularly running too much electricity through your circuit breaker on a regular basis.
This is extremely dangerous and you risk starting an electrical fire in your home or business each and every time you flick on the light switch or turn on the television through that too-small circuit.
It is highly recommended that you install a larger breaker and should seek immediate help from an electrical contractor. Atlanta is host to dozens of such fires each year from people who did not take this risk seriously.
If it turns out that the problem is a short circuit or a ground fault, the larger circuit size will not assist the situation. You are not, however, out of the woods.
In the case of the short circuit, you have live electricity running through exposed wires, which is a serious fire hazard that gets more dangerous the longer you wait to hire an electrician to fix it.
In the case of a ground fault, a fire is a less likely possibility, but unless you enjoy the way your breaker keeps tripping you should call a professional to remedy the situation immediately.
How Do You Know If a Circuit Breaker Has Tripped?
If the power has gone off in a certain area of your home rather than all over the house, the problem may be a tripped circuit breaker. Electrical circuits of your home are protected by either circuit breakers or fuses.
All homeowners should know the location of their electrical panel or fuse box, and the opening should be easily accessible and not blocked by shelving, boxes, or furniture.
If each circuit breaker or fuse isn’t already labeled, take the time to identify each switch or fuse and the particular area it controls. This will save you time and effort if a circuit or fuse trips/blows.
If there are two breakers or fuses for one area, such as the kitchen, take care to detail which part of the kitchen each of the two switches controls.
For example, you might label one switch “kitchen appliances” and the other switch “kitchen counter outlets” or other designations as appropriate.
If a circuit breaker trips because it has exceeded its maximum amperage, the switch handle will have moved between the on and off position and may show a red area alerting you that it has tripped.
Depending on your electrical panel, sometimes the “trip” causes only a slight movement of the handle, and you’ll have to look closely at the switches to discern which one has tripped.
Read Also: The Right Way to Handle Flooded Basement
How Do You Reset a Tripped Circuit Breaker?
To reset a tripped circuit breaker, turn off the breaker by moving the switch or handle to the off position, and then turn it back on.
For safety, it’s a good idea to stand back or to the side of the panel for safety, just in case any sparks coming from the breaker when it’s moved, or to wear safety goggles when resetting a circuit breaker.
It’s also smart to keep a flashlight and batteries near your electrical panel to help illuminate the area if the power is off.
Rest the circuit breaker for a few minutes before unplugging and plugging items to determine what might have overloaded the circuit or caused the trip.
My Breaker Still Trips. What’s Next?
Have you heard that sound from your breaker when it trips? It’s probably alarmed you once or twice, but its safety purposes are an important factor.
A circuit breaker is an automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electric circuit as a safety measure.
To bring this down to everyday terms, a circuit breaker is designed to protect your house, household equipment, and yourself from overloading your electrical circuit.
The only reason a circuit breaker trips is to stop the circuit from overloading and overheating more than what the circuit can allow.
If your circuit does overheat, you will experience harmful problems such as damage to your electrical units and possibly a fire.
If the breaker trips again after resetting it, you will need to reexamine the issue. One of the three causes below is the possibility of a breaker trip.
1. Circuit Overload
A circuit overload is the most common reason why a breaker trips. This occurs when electrical energy flowing through a circuit is more than it can handle. An easy remedy to this is to redistribute the power to other circuits.
For example, if there are multiple appliances connected to one circuit, move a couple to a circuit that’s less loaded to lessen the electrical energy.
Be sure to check your connections and make sure circuits are not loose. You can do this by turning off the power, looking for loose wires by inspecting outlets, and hot wires that connect from the circuit breaker to the service panel, and tightening the loose connection.
2. Short Circuit
If you have checked the circuit overload and there are no issues with the electrical energy, your issue may be a short circuit.
A short circuit is caused when a live wire touches another live or neutral wire, or there is a broken wire in the breaker.
A broken wire is more difficult to identify because it can be any part of the wiring system that’s connected to the circuit or caused by an appliance plugged into an outlet.
While this is is a serious and dangerous problem that should be diagnosed quickly, looking for a short circuit is very tedious.
All of the wiring, plugs, and outlets connected to the circuit must be inspected for any sign of burning, cracked, or broken insulation with wires touching each other. Contact a licensed electrician for further assistance.
3. Ground Fault
If the above reasons are not what’s causing your breaker to trip, you probably have a ground fault. This occurs when a hot wire touches the ground wire or a metal outlet box.
To fix this, make sure the hot wire doesn’t touch the ground wire or the metal outlet box.
Conclusion:
In the world of wiring, any time an abnormal surge of electricity occurs, it’s known as a “fault” or a “fault current.”
In addition, electricity has an interesting way of seeking the path of least resistance to the ground. Benjamin Franklin found that out when he flew a kite in a lightning storm!
A ground fault also called an “earth fault,” occurs when the electricity running through your home’s wiring diverts from its intended path (the wiring loop) and travels via a different path to the ground.
A ground fault can happen if water from a dripping pipe, leaky window, or other moisture source finds its way into an outlet or switch box.
Water is a great conductor of electricity, and if it makes contact with wire connections or damaged wires, electricity can jump from the wiring loop and follow the water trail. This creates a surge in electricity and the circuit breaker will trip.
What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?
Today’s building codes make provisions for the inclusion of ground wires that carry errant electrical current safely to the earth.
The greatest danger from a ground fault occurs when a human becomes the path for electricity that’s trying to find its way to the ground, which can result in electrocution.
This used to be a more common occurrence before the invention of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) outlets, which are now required in kitchens and bathrooms. When a GFCI senses a ground fault, it shuts off the electric current within a fraction of a second.
If a ground fault is a problem, the cause of the errant water must be discovered and repaired, and any damaged wiring must also be replaced.
In rooms where water is commonly used, if GFCI outlets are not present, be smart and safe by having them installed.
What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?
What makes my circuit breaker keep tripping?
The trip switch is a sure signal that the circuit of your electrical system is switched off. It occurs when an electronic device consumes more electricity than the amount it needs. In this way, the device and circuit box could be protected from overload. Thus, it avoids the risk of overheating, so a fire accident due to overheating could be easily avoided.
However, what if your circuit breaker keeps tripping? If it happens, you should be aware of some problems that could be possible in your electrical system. There could be several possibilities causing your switch to trip. The following points maybe some of the most common causes. Check it out.
The first cause could be the capacity of the switch. Weak breakers generally become the most common cause of continuous tripping in circuit breakers. The circuit may work overtime which makes the switch work with weaker performance. Constant overload of electricity time is also a common cause that weakens your switch.
What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping 2022
The second cause will be overload in your circuit. You should be aware that all types of circuit breakers in the electrical panel come complete with different ratings. When you insert heavy devices into a 15 amp, it will generally require more electricity. It will cause the switch to trip or shut down due to overheating. In some cases, the trip switch requires installing a new button in your panel.
The third cause will be a short circuit. When you cannot find any electrical overload, another possibility causing this particular inconvenience will be a short circuit. A specific condition occurs when the hot wire, or the black wire, makes contact with another hot wire. It could also happen when the hot wire contacts a neutral or blank wire. It is also a good reason why the switch needs to interrupt the electrical current.
Another cause will be a ground fault. It is also a good reason for your switch to trip. It happens in a process similar to what happens in a short circuit. A ground fault occurs when the hot wire contacts the ground wire or the bare copper wire. A ground fault can also occur when the hot wire contacts any electrical panel connected to the ground wire.
Those are several common causes that cause your switch to trip continually. Keep in mind that you need to be very careful when troubleshooting any problems with your circuit breaker, as working with electricity is always dangerous.
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What Makes My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping 2022
