How To Find What Is Tripping My Circuit Breaker

It can be annoying and irritating to have your circuit breaker trip frequently as a homeowner or tenant. In order to prevent electrical risks or harm to your electrical appliances, it’s crucial to figure out what is causing the breaker to trip in the first place, even if resetting it may temporarily cure the problem. In this post, we’ll look at what you can do to figure out why a circuit breaker keeps tripping.

It’s crucial that you know the function of a circuit breaker before you can troubleshoot one that keeps tripping. It keeps track of the amount of current passing through a circuit and trips if there is an imbalance or an overabundance, thereby cutting off the supply of energy.

Step 1: Identify the Affected Circuit

Finding the faulty circuit is the first step in troubleshooting a tripping circuit breaker. 

Determine which part of your house loses power when the breaker trips to start with. Most likely, this will be a room or location of your home that is wired to a particular circuit breaker.

From here, it’s time to pinpoint the root of the issue once you’ve located the problematic circuit. 

Step 2: Check for Overloading

Overloading is among the most frequent causes of circuit breakers tripping. 

When there are too many electrical gadgets or appliances hooked into a single outlet or circuit, this might occur. The circuit may trip if there is an excessive current flow.

By following appropriate electrical safety procedures, overloading may be avoided most effectively. Be aware of the wattage of the appliances and gadgets you use, and make sure they are dispersed evenly throughout several outlets and circuits. Unplug certain gadgets and reset the circuit breaker if you suspect overloading may be the problem. If the circuit breaker doesn’t trip again, you’ve identified the root cause.

Step 3: Check for Short Circuits

If overloading is not the problem, a short circuit could be responsible for it. A short circuit occurs when the hot (black or red) and neutral (white) wires make contact with one other. This causes an excessive flow of power, which might trip the circuit breaker.

In order to detect short circuits, examine your electrical outlets and switches for visual evidence of damage or burned wires. You may also detect smells of combustion or electrical outlets that are sparking. If you notice any symptoms of damage or suspect a short circuit, contact a certified electrician for assistance with repairs.

Step 4: Check for Ground Faults

A ground fault is another possible cause of your circuit breaker tripping. A ground fault occurs when a hot wire (black or red) makes contact with a ground wire or a grounded surface, such as an appliance, generating an electrical surge that trips the circuit breaker.

Inspect the electrical equipment and appliances connected to the affected circuit for ground problems. Examine the wires for frayed ends, loose connections, and other evidence of malfunction or damage. If any are discovered, disconnect the gadget and reset the circuit breaker to check if it trips again.

Step 5: Use a Circuit Breaker Finder

If you’ve followed all of the above methods and still haven’t found the source of the tripping circuit breaker, it’s likely that the problem is with the circuit breaker itself.

You can use a circuit breaker finder, which is a portable gadget that utilizes radio signals to locate circuit breakers in your home power distribution panel, to determine whether this is the case.

Plug the signal transmitter into an outlet or light on the afflicted circuit, then scan the electrical panel with the receiver until it identifies which breaker is linked with the outlet. Once you’ve discovered the faulty circuit breaker, inspect it for evidence of corrosion or wear.

Final Thoughts

Tripping circuit breakers can be inconvenient, but it is critical to determine the source in order to minimize electrical risks or damage. 

You can troubleshoot a tripping circuit breaker and either fix it yourself or decide when to call a skilled electrician by following the above instructions. 

Always use appropriate electrical safety practices and seek a professional if you have any questions regarding your electrical system.