How to Stop a Circuit Breaker from Tripping

Does the circuit breaker keep tripping?

If so, you’ll need to hire one of our local electricians as soon as possibleto learn what is overloading your home’s electrical system.

While sometimes the reason why a circuit breaker tripped is easy to discover (such as a new major appliance), other times the answer is more complex. Continue reading to learn how a residential electrician can help you stop a circuit breaker from constantly tripping.

What can trip circuit breakers?

• Short Circuit
• Ground Fault
• Circuit Overload

Stopping a Circuit Breaker From Tripping

What causes a short circuit or ground fault?

Your home is comprised of hot wires, neutral wires, and ground wires. When two hot wires touch, or when a hot wire touches a neutral wire, the electrical current surges and quickly overloads your system. Likewise, a ground fault can also overload your system when a hot wire touches a ground wire or the walls of a metal box. Once this happens, the circuit breaker trips and shuts off the power to your home as a safety precaution.

You may have a short circuit if an electrical outlet is hot or has a faint burning smell. Since any short circuit is a fire hazard, it’s important you call a residential electrician as soon as possible.

What causes overloaded circuits?

Circuits can become overloaded when too many electrical devices are plugged into the same electrical system. Circuits are designed to handle a specific amount of electricity for household appliances, such as your refrigerator or air conditioner. However, when too much burden is placed on your home’s circuits, they can blow out. For example, plugging in too many outdoor Christmas lights can overload your home’s electrical system and trip the circuit breaker.

When a circuit is overloaded, the power will shut off. This is a protective measure done by overcurrent protective devices (usually circuit breakersor fuses located at your home’s main panel) when the electrical wiring exceeds its capacity. For this reason, you don’t have to worry about your house burning down because of an overloaded circuit. Instead, you may experience a power outage throughout your entire house until the electrical issue is resolved by a residential electrician.

How can I prevent circuits from being overloaded?

To prevent overloaded circuits, it’s important that you know how much electricity your circuit was designed to handle and how much electricity your household appliances use. By staying within these limits, you should be able to prevent inconvenient power outages caused by overloaded circuits. If you need help determining these numbers, we recommend contacting a licensed electrician.

How do I fix an overloaded circuit?

For repairing an overloaded circuit, you should contact an experienced electrical contractor. The main panel for your home’s electrical system is usually located in the basement, garage, or utility room. While an electrical circuit breaker can be reset once it’s been blown, a blown fuse must be replaced. Since your home’s electrical wiring contains an unlimited amount of electrical power, you should contact a residential electrician for any circuit repairs.

Our electricians in Michigan & Florida work hard to earn your business by offering a range of electrical services for your home. To learn about replacing a breaker or our other electrical services, call Whitney Services at (844) 909-7767.