Breaker is Tripping

Breaker Throwing After Reset

I came home today and bathroom lights did not work in either one. Checked the breaker and it was thrown. Turned it back on and lights came on but then threw the breaker again after a minute or two. What is causing this and is there danger of fire from shortage?

Answer

The breaker is detecting something on this circuit that is overloading the circuit. The circuit is probably a combination of lights, outlets and maybe appliances. Shorts do cause breakers to trip.

If you have added or changed appliances, or plugged something new in, that might be causing the issue: either by a short/fault in the device or causing the overall laod to be too high.

If not then it could be a short and I would suggest you have a qualified electrician look at this to find the cause.

I would not reccmmend to continually reset the breaker if it continues to trip.

20 Amp Arc Breaker Just Started Tripping

My house was built in 2006 and had no problems until 2 days ago. The ARC started tripping only when space heaters are being used. But we have been using same space heaters for last 2 years in same bedrooms. The ARC breaker is for 2 adjacent bedrooms: master and 5 year old daughter's. With only one space heater on the ARC breaker doesn't trip. If I turned on second second space heater and 10-15 minutes later ARC breaker trips.

I checked volts at outlets in both rooms and I get 122 - 122.5 w/o space heaters on. I turned one space heater on and volts drop to 117.5 both rooms. If I turned both space heaters on and volts drop to 113.8 in both rooms.

What is going on? It has me stumped! According to what I've read, ARC breakers don't go bad, but looking at how long we've had space heaters and this issue just recently starting, I'm not so sure.

Answer

From my experience, if the breaker just started this constant tripping, the breaker needs to be replaced. I strongly advise that you get someone with experience to change it out as it is a dangerous job for someone with little or no experience. This is partly because what the AFCI is looking for is non-sinusoidal current. A regular load like a light bulb will have a nice sinusoidal current all the way from zero volts to the peak volts. An arc fault has no current at low voltage but a sudden high current when the voltage peaks, so the current is very quick to rise and quick to drop back to zero.

200 Amp Main breaker on Trailer

My 200 amp main breaker on my trailer has tripped several times this winter. It seems it only happens when i'm running my heat, which is on a 70 amp breaker. If its the heater why isnt it tripping the 70 amp breaker. What would you suggest i do? I have some experience and have access to more experience through family.

Answer

It may be that the 200 amp breaker is weak and is tripping too soon. I doubt if you have 130 amps of other things running at the same time. It sounds like the 200 amp breaker needs to be replaced. The wires that connect to it are hot all the time, even when that breaker is off, so the power company will probably have to turn the power off if there is no other switch between the source and the panel.

Another possibility is that the wires entering the breaker are loose and arcing and overheating. But that would require turning the power off too.

3 Way Dimmer Switch Tripping 15 Amp Breaker

I recently installed a 15 amp circuit 14/3 wire to a 3 way lutron dimmer and a 3 way non dimmer switch to light 5- 5" canister lights with 50 watt bulbs in my kitchen. Its been working fine since installed in May ( i did notice the metal cover plate did get warm to touch) but now the breaker keeps tripping. The dimmer switch no longer dims the lights. Can the switch be bad since it no longer dims?

Answer

Yes the dimmer can be bad and could cause your circuit fault. Remove the dimmer and wire nut one traveler to the common wire and test with the other switch to make sure it is the dimmer.

Replace dimmer or continue troubleshooting as needed.

Dimmers get warm to the touch as a normal function and this is not a sign of it going bad.

Leviton makes a good dimmer that is a slide toggle.

30 Amp Breaker Tripping for Clothes Dryer

My problem has to do with a new 2 pole 30 amp breaker for a clothes dryer. Breaker keeps tripping at panel (does not trip if I turn adjacent 20 amp breaker off) See image above.

Answer

You either have you wires in the circuit crossed or there is a problem in your buss bar under the 20amp breaker causing it to heat up. I think you need to call in an electrician to have a look at it. Safety first.

New 30 Amp in Panel Breaker Tripping

Just installed 2-pole 30 amp breaker for dryer in panel. All hookups correct on oulet and in panel. Checked and rewired 3 times. I am wondering if the placement in the panel of new breaker if incorrect. There is one open bus on the opposite side of one pole, does this matter? Other breaker on opposite side in 20 amp. Breakers and panel are Cutler Hammer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer

In a normal panel all the odd numbered breakers are one phase and all the even numbers are on a different phase.

This is why a double pole breaker gives you 220 volts.

You may have a nicked wire or a strand is touching something it shouldn't in the outlet.

With stranded wire of this size it is easy to get a stray one, so check that.

Disconnect one wire off of the double pole breaker and see if still trips. If not, then you know you have a problem with that wire.

AC Tripping Breaker

My A/C breaker in the garage is tripping once a day. Wee called A/C people and everything checks out. They changed my current 20amp breaker to a 30amp breaker and the tripping has stopped. Is it OK for a breaker to be 10amp over what the unit says it should have?

Answer

NO!! First the breaker protects the wire and the unit, if there is 30 amps running down 20 amp wire, you are going to have a problem,

If the unit says it takes a 20 amp breaker and it is tripping a twenty, maybe the old breaker was just weak, they can do that with age. Did anyone try a new 20?

What amperage is the unit pulling, someone [your ac people] should have measured the running current, if the unit pulled 28 amps and is rated for 19 or 20 or 15 or whatever, the unit has a problem, or the voltage is low, or high, or something is not right, and needs fixed,

This is the worst of fly by night repairs, dangerous, quick fixes by untrained "technicians".

I base that off exactly what you told me, and if that is true, they are clueless.

In the meantime you need someone to get the issue fixed, the wire feeding the unit could be hot as hell, that is 33% over, not good, this can cause fires, all kinds of problems,

So make sure it is rated for 20, sometimes the ratings are hard to understand, maybe the unit uses 20 amps and it might be ok to use a 30 amp breaker.

BUT IF IT SAYS 20 AMP BREAKER AND THEY PUT A THIRTY IN then get it taken care of quick and the first experts owe you your money back. But get good local help.

220v Air Compressor Trips on Restart

I have a husky compressor 30 gallon tank and 2.0 HP max psi is 135 and its 120V 60HZ. it starts up fine the first time but when it wants to restart it doesnt and it trips the circuit breaker. The breaker is a 20 amp breaker and it has a light in the circuit. I tried changing the 20 to 30 amp breaker and there was a slight change, this time it was really trying to start but still nothing. I think the compressor burnt out because now is not starting up at all. any suggestions? Would a dedicated 30amp circuit work or can i adjust something on the compressor itself so it doesnt take all that load at start up? thanks.

Answer

The run should be dedicated, if anything else on the same circuit starts or is intermittently on and off, then there could be a volt drop raising current.

NEVER RAISE A BREAKER SIZE unless the original or existing was too small to begin with.

As to other issues, pressure switch, utility power variations.

Next, too many motor starts in too short of time between starts,

Wrong motor type, most motors for compressors must be compressor duty to handle the frequent starts,

The things you can adjust are the pressure switch so the compressor does not cycle to frequently.

Adding a second tank is a possible solution.

Measure the voltage at the compressor, and find out what the exact reading is, is it too low from the utility or circuit to begin with?

If it is burned out now, you would have smelled smoke, you will need some type of insulation tester or at least an ohm meter to measure between windings and frame, looking for a grounded winding, NOTE a motor can burn up and never become grounded, only shorted above ground,

Check start and run capacitors, check new breaker, check for motor internal overload, that may have tripped,

2 HP is a LOT for a typical house circuit, and must be designated for whatever load,

If you are unsure about breakers, wire size, and how to wire and setup correctly, please contact a licensed electrician to perform the setup for you. They will break out the circuits correctly, make sure the voltage is correct, the wire size, the motor, everything,

Much less expensive to pay the cost of the setup, than to burn up compressor after compressor,

Compressor Trips Breaker on Restart

I have this 30 gallon ASME tank with 2.0HP 135 max psi 120v 60hz.

The problem that im having is everytime I use it, the compressor trips the breaker when it starts up. The compressor runs good the first time but when its running out of air and tries to restart, it doesn't and it trips the breaker. Some guys suggested adding a dedicated 20amp circuit or changing the 20amp breaker to 30 amp breaker. any suggestions.

Answer

The air compressor motor needs to be on its own circuit. The motor is pulling two many amps on that outlet,which will eventually cause the motor to go bad. Run a # 12 wire to a dedicated outlet and install a single receptacle not a duplex. This way no one can overload that circuit.

Sharing 220 Volt Connection

I bought a air compressor that runs on 220 v. I was wondering was I have a Lincoln electric welder that runs 220 v and I have a plug in for it. Can I get a pigtail and use same plug in. Will I trip the breaker?

Answer

No. Each 220 volt appliance should have its own circuit. If they both happen to use the same plug, then you can unplug one and plug in the other one. However, most likely the amperage is different and the plugs are designed so you can't plug the wrong thing in. The amperage of the circuit should match the appliance. If the breaker and wiring is too small, the breaker will trip or the wire will overheat. If the breaker is too big, then the appliance is not protected to the point where it should be. If an appliance pulls 30 amps, and has a short that pulls 40 amps, a 30 amp breaker would shut it off, a 50 amp breaker would not.

Sharing will most likely trip the breaker.

Orange Window/Blown Breaker?

I have an older air condition unit that is run on a seperate breaker. Last night the power on my street went out and since then the air conditionaer wont work. While checking the breakers, I notice the breaker for the air conditioner that the little window on the breaker has turned Orange. Does this mean that the breaker is blown and I need to replace it?

Answer

No that is the way that Square D, the maker of that breaker, is telling you it is tripped!

Push the breaker handle all the way left and then all the way right. This resets the breaker. But only do it once. If it blows(trips) again, leave it off and call an electrician.

Breaker Keeps Heating Up and Tripping

I have a central heat/air unit that is installed above my shower in the master bathroom, it has it's own breaker box with a single breaker switch. It was totaly replaced in 2006 but when I started using it last month the breaker started heating up too hot to even touch and tripping, while the heat/ac switch in the main breaker box for the house stayed cool. I took the cover off the breaker switch box for the unit and checked to see if it was tight, it was slightly loose and sparked a little when I wiggled it. All the screws and connections were tight and the wires leading to the switch were slightly cooler to the touch. I think that the breaker might be going bad, and it looks like the breaker was not replaced with the unit due to the orginal paint that was still on the face of the breaker. What do you think Ben?

Answer

Anytime electrical components experience significant heating, there is an issue.

And by the looks of the breaker, it is time the box and the breaker gets changed. When you wiggle the breaker and you get sparks and a hissing sound means that the connections on the panel are bad. To avoid a fire or other damage just replace the whole unit. You can find the same replacement at most big box stores or even a hardware store.

Breaker Trips When Turning on Night Stand Lamp

I have a 15 amp breaker that controls a room. The room has a ceiling fan and light (3-40 watt), a night light, a small radio, a night stand lamp (40 watt), and a baby monitor. The house is 1-1/2 years old and just out of warranty. The following is the first occurrence of the problem. Yesterday I turned on the fan light when putting my son to bed and the breaker tripped. I reset it and the same thing happened again. I then reset the breaker; turned on the radio, monitor, and night light. The breaker held. When I turned on the night stand lamp it tripped. How do I determine what the problem is?

Answer

Since the house is new, you probably have an Arc Fault breaker. If any switch arcs when turned on or off, it will trip the breaker. Most likely the switches are bad. Perhaps the breaker is too sensitive. However, it must be replaced with an Arc Fault breaker, since this makes electrical fires a lot less likely.

Breakers Arcing Due to Age?

I have a couple breakers in the service sub-panel that are arcing recently. This is an older load center (25 years) and this problem happened once before on another circuit. It was remedied by replacement of the breaker and we were told the problem was due to the age of the breakers and oxidation caused by panel being in a laundry room. My question: Does this sound accurate? and what breakers will cross reference to crouse-hinds? Any other pointers? Suggestions will be helpful. These are 15 and 20 amp circuits and load has not changed.

Answer

That sounds accurate. Panel are generally designed to last 30-40 year but in a humid environment they tend to fail quicker. You could have your panel serviced every year to avoid this problem but now it sounds like it is too late and you need to replace it.

Breaker Tripping Even When AC Turned Off

The circuit breaker that goes to my air conditoner unit outside, not heat pump, has tripped and even with the air conditoner is off it won't stay on does this mean the breaker is bad

Answer

You either have a bad breaker or there is some type of damage or short in the wiring. This should be looked at by a pro and the breaker should be replaced if need be.

Question

We have a breaker 20amp. It keeps tripping. We have a nwer model large fridge. Can we replace the 20 amp with a 30amp? We do have the other half of our kitchen on a 30 amp, but the fridge is now on the other wall with the 20amp breaker. We have been told we can do this to help with the fridge and dishwasher and coffer pot on the same breaker. Is it true?

Answer

I don't know who told you that, but that could very well cause your house to catch on fire. Please do not take any more electrical advice from that person. Remember that homeowner's insurance will not cover fires caused by homeowner wiring mistakes. So it would be much cheaper to hire an electrician.

There should never be a 30 amp breaker going to regular outlets. It needs to be removed immediately.