How Do I Know What’s Tripping My Circuit Breaker?

We’re well on our way to warmer weather here in North Carolina, which means you’ll need to use more power to keep your home cool and comfortable. If your circuit panel is out of date, if the panel can’t handle the amount of power your home needs, or your appliances are overloading your circuits, you may experience more tripped circuits than usual.

There are quite a few issues that will cause your circuits to trip, and at Livewire Electrical, we’re here to help you identify what’s going on with your system. Continual tripping may be a sign of serious electrical issues, and with a thorough inspection from the team at Livewire Electrical, you can identify and remedy any electrical issue that your home is having.

Now Always an Easy Fix

When your circuits trip, it’s often easy to tell which ones need a reset since a tripped circuit is often misaligned from the row of circuits on the panel. While resetting the circuit may be a temporary fix, if there’s an underlying issue with your electrical system, resetting the circuit isn’t going to fix the problem.

If your circuits are continually tripping, it’s a sign of a more serious issue. Your home may be drawing too much power for the panel to handle, which can cause the electrical wiring to degrade, which is a severe safety concern. Sounds and smells coming from your electrical panel are two additional signs that something else is going on. If you experience any of these issues, it’s time to give your electrician a call.

Steps to Determine Your Circuit Breaker Issues

The first thing you should do when you’re experiencing circuit breaker issues is to determine which circuit is causing the problem. It may be that a specific appliance is drawing too much power for the panel to handle, or the wiring connecting the circuit is faulty.

If the same circuit is tripping, it may be that two power-heavy items are connected to an outlet on the same circuit, or there isn’t a dedicated circuit for a large appliance.

Common Breaker Problems

Most households have standard circuit breakers, which are effective at cutting off the power supply when an overload is detected.

 A ground fault is designed to detect the exact amount of electricity that is flowing through the circuit, and as soon as it detects an issue with the amount of power flowing through the circuit, it trips the circuit as a safety precaution.

An electrical arc is a dangerous electrical discharge of high-density electricity, often caused by gas conductors. An arc fault is designed to stop an electrical arc before they happen, which is an important safety feature in homes and businesses with gas fixtures.

Contact an Electrician

Consistent circuit trips may be a sign of something simple or a sign of something complex. Without contacting an experienced, licensed electrician, finding out the cause of your circuit breaker issues may not be so straightforward. Livewire Electrical is a licensed, insured team of electricians that are there for all of your electrical panel needs.