What To Do When Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping
Before we talk about what to do when your circuit breaker keeps tripping, you need to familiarise yourself with what a circuit breaker looks like. What a circuit breaker does, and most importantly, what could cause the circuit breaker to trip?
So, what is a circuit breaker?
A circuit breaker is a switching device installed in the home or work site to help protect the building from all electrical issues. Here is how it works: we all know how dangerous strong electrical current is and how it can ruin many things, from home appliances to electrical bulbs. So, when the electrical currents coming into the house is too strong, the circuit breaker will be there to cut off the flow of this current.
It is safe to say that many things would have gone wrong in the house without a circuit breaker. While damages to your appliances are even the least of the problems, electrical shocks and fire outbreaks are surely up there as some worst-case scenarios if a house doesn’t have a working circuit breaker.
An electrical circuit breaker can be operated either automatically or manually. For an automatic circuit breaker, the device automatically resets the circuit itself after a heavy load. Most time, you won’t even know something has happened. You just notice that everything is back to normal. But for a manual circuit breaker, when there is a high current and the power trips, you will have to call a professional to conduct an extensive investigation before manually resetting the circuit.
How Do I Know if a Circuit Breaker Has Tripped
We understand that not everyone understands how electricity or the circuit breaker works. If you find yourself in this category, we urge you to read on as we will explain how you can detect if a circuit breaker has tripped.
Generally, when a circuit breaker trips, it is usually followed by the power going off in specific parts of the house instead of the entire house. That’s when you notice the light in the living room but not in the kitchen. Again, this won’t only affect the light bulb; it will most likely affect the sockets and USB electrical outlet.
Also, don’t overthink the situation if you notice that your circuit breaker is tripping. Just go straight to your home electrical panel or fuse box to check. You should, however, note that the fuse box or electrical panel is equally dangerous if you are not careful with it. Hence, to avoid stories that touch. Try to call a professional electrician to come to check your fuse box if you notice any form of tripping.
Lastly, If you notice that the switch handle of the circuit breaker has moved between the “on” and “off” positions, then you know that it has tripped due to the circuit breaker potentially exceeding its maximum amperage. But then again, this depends on the type of circuit breaker.
What To Do When Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping
Now that you know what a circuit breaker is and how you can detect if your circuit breaker has tripped. Then the next thing is for you to know what to do if your circuit breaker keeps tripping. The fact is electrical currents are not always constant. Sometimes, they are too high. And sometimes, they can be too low as well. When high current rushes in, the circuit breaker’s job is to cut the current flow. But when your circuit breaker keeps tripping, there is a high chance that something is wrong somewhere. So, what can you do when you notice that your circuit breaker is constantly tripping?
- Reset the circuit box: This is the first thing we will recommend. If you notice that your circuit breaker won’t stop tripping for whatever reason. Then you should endeavor to reset the circuit box. It doesn’t matter if you are using a manual circuit break or an automatic one – the first step should always be to reset it. And how do you reset a circuit box? Locate and remove the fuse after you have switched off the box, then turn it on again.
- Unplug devices: If the previous step doesn’t work, you should do this instead. Locate all your in-house gadgets/appliances, manually switch them off, and then unplug them. This is because if your appliances are still plugged in when the power comes back on, it may affect the circuit breaker, causing it to trip off again!
- Switch on the devices: The best way to test the status of your circuit breaker is by doing it when it would originally cause it to trip. When power comes back in, plug in and switch on all your devices that you’ve previously unplugged. This will help you locate where and what is causing the
- Test the circuit by switching on all the lights and appliances you unplug. This will give you an idea of what is causing the breaker to trip.
- Check or replace: Circuit breakers are not omnipotent; they get old too. When you notice that your circuit still keeps tripping even after you have done everything we suggested above, it may be time to change the circuit breaker.
Call for Professional Help
Unlike other house DIY projects or fixes, a situation that involves electricity or electrical currents is something you should ALWAYS stay away from. Not only will you be saving your properties in the process, but you will also be protecting your life and your family. Therefore, if you have done all the steps we recommended above, your Circuit Breaker keeps on tripping. Then don’t hesitate to call a professional CNA electrician to come and assess the situation.