Tips for Troubleshooting a Tripped Circuit
Breaker
By Mark J. Donovan
Circuit breakers are designed to
protect you and your home from electrical shock and electrical fires. When
either too much electric current, or a sudden loss of current, is sensed by the
circuit breaker it trips, which in effect shuts of electricity to the electrical
circuit. If an electrical circuit did not employ the use of a circuit breaker,
and an electrical short was somehow created in the circuit, either the
electrical wiring could heat up until it potentially caused an electrical fire
or someone could be electrocuted when they came in contact with the circuit,
e.g. turning on a faulty grounded electrical appliance.
A circuit breaker can trip for
several reasons. The electrical circuit can be overload, there is a ground fault
or short circuit condition, or there is loose wiring.
The most common cause for a circuit breaker tripping is the circuit is
overloaded. When a circuit breaker trips, think about all of the appliances that
may have been running on the circuit when it tripped. Try turning them off and
resetting the circuit breaker. If the circuit remains on after resetting it, try
turning on all of the appliances again to see if the circuit breaker trips
again.
If it does, use fewer appliances
simultaneously or move some of the appliances to different circuits. Never
replace a circuit breaker with a higher current rating. An electrical circuit
breaker is selected based on the rating of the electrical wire used in the
circuit. By installing a higher current rating circuit breaker you run the risk
of overheating the electrical wires and causing an electrical fire.
A short circuit condition is a more serious and more difficult problem to
troubleshoot.
A short circuit occurs when a hot wire (Black or Red) comes in contact with
another hot wire or a return wire. They can also be caused by a break in the
electrical circuit wiring. When you suspect a short circuit as the culprit to
your circuit breaker tripping, check all of the wires associated with the
appliances plugged into the outlets on the circuit. Check for melting or burnt
wires. Also remove appliances from the circuit by unplugging them. This exercise
will help to determine if it is an appliance that is shorting out or the home
electrical wiring itself. Also look at the outlets and switches for any dark
discoloration. Also smell them for smoke. If you still cannot find the short,
call an electrician.
The other condition that could be causing a tripped circuit
breaker is a ground fault. In a ground fault condition the hot wire has come
in contact with a bare copper wire (ground wire) or the side of a metal
appliance or electrical box. Check for a ground fault condition as you wood
for a short circuit condition.
Photo by Mark Donovan
A tripped circuit breaker can also be the result of a loose wire. To
troubleshoot this type of condition, remove all appliances from the outlets on
the circuit to isolate the problem either to the house electrical circuit or one
of the appliances.
If the circuit breaker no longer
trips after removing all the appliances, plug them back in one at a time to see
which appliance is the culprit. If the circuit breaker continues to trip after
removing the electrical appliances you may want to check the wiring on each
outlet to make sure there are no loose wires, wire nuts or terminal screws.
Again, you may want to call an electrician at this point.
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