A tripped circuit breaker is a common situation many homeowners face. A room or a whole house is in the dark and without power when the circuit breaker is tripped. The solution is usually simple, although you will need the expertise of a certified electrician in most cases. Today, we at Peterkin Electric would like to shine some light on the tripping circuit breaker.
How to Reset Tripped Circuit Breaker
The breaker’s safeguard is to switch the circuit to the off position when a surge of energy overloads a circuit, such as if a lightning strike or heavily stressed outlet drawing too much current. Follow the steps listed below to reset the power.
1) Make certain all the switches and appliances affected by the tripped breaker is switched off. If something like that TV doesn’t have a manual switch, simply unplug it. When the circuit breaker is reset it is best not to have any electronics drawing electricity, otherwise there can be further damage.
2) Search the circuit breaker to push the affected breakers to the full off position. If they are switched off, many breakers will have a visible red or orange color.
3) Flip the now ‘off’ breaker back on. After you know they have been pushed on and flipped back on, you can switch on the lights and appliances and plug everything back in. If the circuit breaker continues to trip, call in a certified expert for analysis and to find out the underlying problems.
What is Tripping My Circuit Breaker?
Frequently caused by general wear and tear on the circuit breaker itself, when the circuit breakers continue to trip, a serious issue can be the cause, and will likely require a replacement. Circuit breakers that continuously trip, usually caused by wear and tear, have underlying issues that are commonly due to the list below.
1) Overloaded Circuit: Overloaded circuits are not uncommon. The circuit breaker will flip if your electrical system or certain circuits can’t handle the amps coming through the circuit, which could lead to damaged electronics or electrical fires.
2) Ground Fault: When a hot wire and bare ground wire are both touching the metal box housing them is known as the ground fault. This will repeatedly trip the breaker because a chain reaction is set off that pushes more electricity through the circuit than it’s supposed to hold. The outlet will usually burnout as well.
3) Short Circuit: Potentially dangerous, a short circuit is common. Causing an overload of current to flow through the circuit, creating heat from a “hot wire” that is contacting a neutral wire in an electrical outlet. To prevent electrical fires, the circuit breaker automatically shuts off in these situations.
Electrical Troubleshooting, Repairs, Upgrades & More in Laguna Woods, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Lake Forest & Orange County, California
If you are experiencing problems with your circuit breaker, call in the experts of Peterkin Electric and let our professionals inspect the circuit breaker and the electrical system to determine the issue or issues and make the necessary replacements or repairs. You can have the assurance our experts will find the problem and help you get the issue rectified efficiently and as quickly as possible. Contact us today!
