Circuit Breakers Keep Tripping in My House

A 电路 breaker “trips” (shuts off the electrical flow) in order to protect the 电路 from overheating. It’s a safeguard that helps prevent damage and electrical fires. If it happens often, there’s a root cause that you need to address.

的 three most common causes of a tripped 电路 breaker are:

• Overloaded Circuit
• Short Circuit
• Ground Fault

Overloaded Circuit

This is the most common cause of a tripped breaker. It usually happens when you’re running too many power-consuming devices on the same 电路 at the same time. 的 demand, or load, on the 电路 is too high, and presto! 的 breaker trips to prevent overheating.

With a little detective work, you can often find the device that’s causing the issue. Before you flip the 电路 back on, take note of what was running when the breaker tripped.

• Can you isolate the appliance that you turned on just before the breaker tripped?
• Have you recently added a new appliance or device to the 电路?
• 你是 start using a space heater or other seasonal device that you haven’t used in awhile? Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be a large device. Flipping on your hair dryer while the 电路 is close to its max load can be enough to trip the breaker.

Have you noticed that any of your appliances have been running hot, making any strange new noises, having trouble starting, or not working as efficiently? A failing or faulty appliance will draw in more amps than usual, which can cause the 电路 to overload.

If your appliances are good, there are two solutions for an overloaded 电路:

• Move power-heavy devices from the overloaded 电路 to a different general purpose 电路
• Turn off some of the devices on the 电路 to reduce the load

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to have an electrician install a new dedicated 电路 and outlet to handle your home’s amp load.

Short Circuit

A more dangerous potential cause of a tripped breaker is a short 电路. A short 电路 is caused when a “hot” or active wire touches either another hot wire or a “neutral” wire in one of your outlets. This results in a large current flow, creating more heat than the 电路 can handle.

A short 电路 should cause a breaker to trip or a fuse to blow. It may also cause sparks, popping sounds or even smoke. You may observe blackening around the outlet or notice a burnt smell. If this happens, leave the 电路 breaker tripped and call an electrician immediately.

What causes a short 电路? 在那里 are many potential culprits, including a loose connection, improper wiring, or damaged wires. A faulty switch, plug, cord, appliance or lighting fixture may be to blame. Some are simple fixes, others more 复杂的. Short 电路s are a fire hazard, so don’t wait to address the problem—call an electrician.

Ground Fault

Safety is paramount in dealing with any electrical issue, whether big or small. Do NOT attempt to inspect or repair any electrical issue unless you’re sure it’s safe and you’re certain of the process. When in the slightest doubt, call an electrician. Unless you’re dealing with a simple overloaded 电路, you will usually need a professional’s help to safely resolve 电路 breaker problems.

A ground fault is similar to a short 电路. It occurs when a hot wire touches the grounding wire. 就像一个 short 电路, you may notice discoloration or a burning smell around your outlets.

Ground faults are usually the result of damaged or faulty equipment. 的y are also dangerous, as they render the safe “grounding” of your outlet useless. If you suspect a ground fault, call an electrician ASAP!

Safety First

In the Wichita area, Reddi’s electricians are on call to help when your 电路 breakers keep tripping. Give us a call:

Resources found on our website are provided as general guidelines, and Reddi Industries does not assume any liability resulting from the provided information.