Why Does My Breaker Keep Tripping With Nothing Plugged In?

I know it can be very annoying when your circuit breaker keeps tripping with nothing plugged in.

I will start off by listing the most common causes why these will be the case. It can either be;

1. Short circuit of the cables
2. Short circuit at the power outlet
3. Faulty circuit breaker 
4. Your breaker is capable of measuring earth leakages  and  therefore you’re having an earth leakage.
5. A forgotten load that has a problem

Given these factors it is a rare occurrence for a circuit breaker at home to keep tripping while there is no load that is plugged in.

Let’s go over this one by one. 

But first, not to throw caution to the wind, it could be that the reason your circuit breaker is tripping is because there is a dangerous level of misguided electricity that could also harm you. Tread carefully!

How to Find What is Tripping My Circuit Breaker

1. Short circuit of the cables

Among the factors to consider,  this one should be at the top of your mind.  Sometimes for one reason or the other cables can be damaged causing the live and the Neutral to touch.

You may be living in an area where rodents are prevalent and they can eat up the cables leaving them without insulation.

The other reason that may cause the short-circuiting of cables is poor workmanship by your electrician. 

Lack of proper cable management may result in unintended short circuits.  

For instance,  it is very important that at the termination, all the stripped ends should not be left exposed. This is because there is a risk of not getting a conductor (say a nut, for example) in between the stripped exposed parts, again leading to a short circuit.

Additionally cables may have been overloaded to the extent that they were melting because of excessive heat , And if the hot and the neutral or the ground or another metallic part comes into contact,  your circuit breaker will trip with no load. 

2. Short circuit at the power outlet 

Although this is a rare occurrence it may be good to be precocious. 

There are chances that cables are the power outlet are touching each other or touching a metallic plate that is in contact with your metal structure or the neutral or the ground.

On the other hand it is likely that children while playing the insert object into the power socket outlet.  these objects may be good conductors of electricity. the end result may be a short circuit that causes your circuit breaker to trip with no load.

Let’s not also forget that during storms where water flood into your house,  this will definitely cause your circuit breaker to trip. The situation will persist until all the water is dried from your socket outlets.

3. Faulty circuit breaker 

One of the other causes for your breaker tripping with nothing plugged in is a faulty circuit breaker. These may be very difficult to troubleshoot.

However all you need to do is remove the outgoing cables and try to switch on your circuit breaker. if it continues to trip then you can conclude that the circuit breaker is faulty.

 On the other hand if it holds when switched on,  you probably need to find another reason why your breaker keeps tripping with nothing plugged in.

Some of the other checks that you can conduct to verify the status of your circuit breaker will be for example visual inspection for any sign of burning or even smell. 

Additionally if it is too old then you know it is time to replace it –  the lifespan may just be the reason why it keeps tripping for no reason. 

Please check this guide that will help you to tell whether your circuit breaker is bad and some of the steps that you can take to resolve the issue.

4. Earth Leakage

Let me clarify this. This only happens if your circuit breaker has a feature to detect earth leakage.

Consequently when there is a little amount of current going to the ground,  the circuit breaker detects this and tricks.

 So what could cause this problem? 

One of the causes may be due to insulation damage that allows the live cables to come into contact with the metallic heart of your structure or home. 

The national electric code outlines that all residential houses must have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

Without proper grounding before, they will suffer shock and electrocution. 

5. A Forgotten Load

You may be thinking like I am thinking that your circuit has no load. and therefore we do not expect it to trip.

But maybe there could be a forgotten Lord somewhere that is held by the circuit breaker and which potentially will be causing an electric fault.

So when you have gone through the four steps or checks above and still you are experiencing the tripping – just checking around for an old appliance, a room that is no longer in use –  and it may surprise you when you isolate the load, the  problem will disappear.

Conclusion

It is annoying and disturbing that your circuit breaker keeps tripping with nothing plugged in. Many people experience circuit breaker tripping very open for various reasons.

If you follow the above steps I am convinced you will be able to locate the source of your trouble and help eliminate it.

I also advise that you contact a competent professional electrician if you are not comfortable carrying out the tasks outlined in this article.  Remember safety is number one priority. 

Do not delay to resolve the problem of a circuit breaker tripping with nothing plugged in because there could be an underlying problem which may trigger a fire.  More than 10% of home fires are caused by electrical faults.