Brief Guide: Causes of Circuit Breakers Tripping

by Kristen White Blogger You probably have experienced a scenario where your circuit breaker trips off and you have to run to it and turn it back on but after you turn it on, it trips off again. In such a case you probably thought the circuit breaker is faulty and considered contacting electrical contractors in Sacramento to fix it.

The problem is not the breaker, if anything, it is actually working perfectly and you need to investigate what is causing it to trip. The electrical contractors in Sacramento would have to do the same but maybe you can save time by investigating the problem.

Before we get down to what may be the fault and look for electrical repair service, let us understand the circuit breaker:

The circuit breaker is the safety device within a circuit that is able to detect faulty power supply within the circuit. In most homes, this is a small box with switches that can power on or off supply of electricity. Once the circuit breaker detects faulty electric supply, it will turn off to prevent any damage or injury.

The circuit breaker has a pair of contacts that under normal power supply, will remain closed and allow power to flow through the circuit freely, once there is a surge in the power supply that is able to cause damage, a coil detects this and triggers the contacts to disconnect, breaking the circuit.

What Causes Circuit Breakers to Trip

Short Circuit
When two wires carrying current touch or if they touch with the neutral wire, this will cause a short circuit. Short circuits cause a surge in power through the circuit and the breakers will be tripped because the amount of power is more than it can handle.

You can identify the area where the problem is by looking out for any smoke, at times you can also smell something burning. Short circuits also cause sparks and you may hear the sound of the sparking.

Fault With Grounding
This is also like a short circuit only that it is more dangerous as it can cause electrocution. With grounding faults, the live wire gets in contact with the ground wire and causes the circuit breaker to trip.

The signs of a fault would be burning smell, smoke and the sound of sparks. Do not attempt to turn the circuit breaker back on if you suspect this problem. Call an electrical professional to attend the fault.

The Circuit is Overloaded
Sometimes there are too many appliances connected to the circuit and this will trigger the breaker. Also, appliances that may have problems can cause overloading.

Inspect all your appliances and see if any of them may be heating up more than they usually do. You can also check to see if they are all working normally. If you have recently installed a new appliance like a dishwasher or washing machine, you may want to check if they were fixed properly or if their voltage may be higher than the usual current for your kind of connection. If you suspect a particular appliance to be the cause, unplug it and then turn the breaker on, if the power is fine, then that is the offender.

If you do not have experience with electrical installations and wiring, you should not attempt to fix the problem on your own. Leave the switch off and call an electrician.

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Created on Aug 7th 2019 05:10. Viewed 375 times.

Comments