3 Triggers: What Causes Electrical Circuit Breakers to Trip?

Hello World!  Welcome Friends!  A good circuit breaker is essential to the functioning of any home. Once it trips, you either have a small problem or a large issue. That is why learning the details of an outage can save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs.

1. Short Circuits

A short circuit is one of the most infuriating things to identify with a breaker. You can purchase a legit square d 50 amp breaker as a replacement if you can find the source of the problem. Short circuits are both common and dangerous than normal trips. The basics of any short circuit is when a hot wire and neutral wire come into contact. In a matter of seconds, a huge current will go through the circuit. This creates enough heat to trip the breaker that goes into emergency mode to prevent a fire. This is not a random occurrence, so if your breaker trips from a short circuit you can expect it to happen repeatedly until fixed. While the breaker is fighting a war to protect your home, there is a good chance that the short circuit is causing major damage.

2. Overloads

Overloads are the most common reason a circuit breaker trips. The good news is that an overload is the breaker functioning normally, and not a potential hazard like short circuits. When a specific circuit gets demands for power that are beyond its capacity, an overload happens. When you go to the breaker, the switch will clearly show which part of the house went out. From that point restoring power is as simple as flipping the switch to the on position. Overloads can help you identify misbehaving appliances or devices in the home that pull more power than needed. If the appliance or device is an essential item, then plugging into an area on a different circuit will circumvent another overload.

3. Defective Equipment

A defective electrical circuit breaker isn’t common, but can be an issue for older homes. When identifying problems with a breaker, the age of the house should always be considered. Older houses are infamous for the type of spaghetti wiring that confuses even the most seasoned of electricians. Although in many situations it ‘just works’, random trips in the breaker become harder to identify. It’s the equivalent of having an old car that only the original owner knows how to operate. Replace a defective breaker and you’ll notice an unmistakable improvement in how your home handles electricity.

Resetting

There is nothing wrong with resetting a tripped breaker in most situations. The problem for most households is that they use the reset switch as a permanent fix. If you have to constantly reset your breaker, then the problem is much bigger than the temporary resolution of flicking a switch. Looking into circuit breaker repair will help to avoid a bigger catastrophe around the corner.

Be Careful

Take great care when handling an electrical circuit breaker. Don’t cheap out and overestimate your repair skills around electrical products. Do what you can to resolve the problem, but call a professional if needed. For reliable and cost-effective electrical services, check on PASS Electric Inc.

Click the links below for any posts you have missed:

Top 5 Appliance Repair Oshawa

How to Deal With the Waste While Renovating Your Home

Home Maintenance for First-Time Homeowners

Sustainable Home Decor: Eco-Friendly Options for 2023

How to Buy Bales of Clothing

Understanding Homeowners Insurance: What It Covers and When to Seek Legal Help

I’d love for you to join my email list!  You’ll receive a notification straight to your inbox which will include links to my latest home project posts!  Simply enter your address below.

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day/night depending on where you are in the world!  Go with God and remember to be kind to one another!

Toodles,