Sudden and unexpected circuit breaker tripping in your home can be unsettling. And when that circuit breaker trips most of our customers find themselves wondering why it happened, how to reset the breaker, and if its safe or not. Here is a helpful little guide on circuit breakers and why they trip so you can confidently make the right decision when this happens to you.
What does a circuit breaker do?
Circuit breakers are located in your electrical panel and they are meant to protect your home from fires caused by overheating wiring that can ignite combustible materials in your home.
A circuit breaker monitors the amount of current flowing through the circuit, which in turn creates heat. If there is a situation where the circuit is drawing more current (and ultimately heat) then the wiring can handle the circuit breaker will “trip” , turning off the circuit immediately to protect your home.
What does it mean when my breaker trips?
There are a few reasons why a circuit breaker in your home would trip.
- Overloaded circuit due to plugin in too many things.
- Overloaded circuit after installing new electrical equipment to your home like a fridge, freezer, heater, vacuum, etc.
- A short circuit in the wiring caused by damage to the wiring like rodent damage, drilling a screw through the wire, hammering a nail through the wiring or anything that would cause the insulation of the wiring to come off and make the actual copper wiring touch anything else.
- Old, worn out circuit breakers tripping for no reason.
In some cases you can tell why your circuit breaker tripped. For instance, if you are using something like a vacuum and all of a sudden the circuit breaker trips and turns off the circuit, it’s pretty safe to assume that the vacuum overloaded the circuit and tripped the breaker. But what if you have no idea why the circuit breaker tripped and seemed to do so for no reason? Well that’s when you should consult a qualified electrician.
How do I reset my breaker?
A common residential circuit breaker has 3 “states” which are:
- On
- Tripped
- Off
When a circuit breaker trips the little switch goes to the middle position, this is the “tripped” state. To reset the breaker you will need to move the switch fully to the off position. This can feel mushy or different, this is normal. Once the breaker has been pushed fully to the off position it will reset and you are able to switch it all the way to the on position.
If the circuit breaker immediately trips again, do not try to reset it, this is an indication of a more serious electrical issue that needs to be diagnosed by and electrician. But if it goes back on easily you are good to go.
Is a breaker tripping dangerous?
Although a sudden tripped circuit breaker can be unsettling, it is not always reason to worry. As we discussed earlier, a simple overloading of the circuit can be reset, just plug into a different circuit or turn off some other things connected to the circuit and you will be fine. This is usually an inconvenience anyways, and a great electrician can add a new circuit or reconfigure things so you can use your home the way you want without needing to worry about overloading again.
Now there are some situations where you should be concerned and bring in a certified electrician to do a full diagnostic on the circuit to find the issue. In situations where the breaker is tripping for no reason or it is instantly tripping it is best to get a professional in the home. This unprovoked or instant tripping is the cause of a more significant issue. When an electrician comes in to diagnose this they will look into the circuit completely to find all the issues and get them removed before it can cause more issues like fire or complete damage to the circuit.
Should I call an Electrician if my breaker trips?
Although you can easily reset your circuit breaker it is usually a good idea to have an electrician over to your home to investigate what caused it. There are a couple things an electrician can do to make it better.
- Improved convenience: In the case where the circuit is tripping when you are using things in your home, it’s probably not that convenient. We see lots of silly things where homeowners work around an issue like this and completely change how they use their home to make it work. Is that really what you want to be doing? Wouldn’t it be better if you could use your home the way you wanted? Bring an electrician in to look at this and they can make some great improvements to allow you to actually use your home the way you intend to.
- Remove safety issues: Of course if the circuit breaker is tripping because of a safety concern we need to get this removed and make you feel safe in your home again. A great electrician will do a full diagnostic of the circuit and really find the issue. They will show it to you and then make a complete repair. No more worrying about the issue.
How many times can a circuit breaker trip?
Unfortunately electrical parts manufacturers do not publish clear information on these sorts of things. But being in the field for many years our team has noticed indications of wear that occurs from time and use. And most commonly a worn out circuit breaker will start to trip before it should. But if your circuit breaker reaches this point there is likely other issues that have happened like outdated circuit breakers due to an old panel and degradation of the insulation due to these heat cycles.
How to prevent a circuit breaker from tripping?
Once you have the electrician in your home they will find the issues. They will remove the short circuit or reconfigure the circuit to work better for your needs. The best way to stop a circuit breaker from tripping is to have an electrician into your home to talk with you and make the best repair for your home, whether that be reconfiguring the circuit, adding a circuit, replacing a breaker, or fix damaged wiring somewhere in your home.
What are brands of circuit breakers?
- Eaton
- Cutler-Hammer
- Siemens
- Square D
- Stab Lok
- Schneider
- GE
- Commander
- Federal Pioneer
If you would like to have an electrician come by to look into your issue we would be happy to help. You can check out our electrical diagnostic services here.
