Why is breaker keep tripping

Like a short circuit, you may notice discoloration or a burning smell around your outlets. Ground faults are usually the result of damaged or faulty equipment. If you suspect a ground fault, call an electrician ASAP! Give us a call:. Resources found on our website are provided as general guidelines, and Reddi Industries does not assume any liability resulting from the provided information. April 14, Electrical. This creates a surge in electricity and the circuit breaker will trip.

This used to be a more common occurrence before the invention of ground fault circuit interrupters GFCIs outlets, which are now required in kitchens and bathrooms.

When a GFCI senses a ground fault, it shuts off the electric current within a fraction of a second. If a ground fault is the problem, the cause of the errant water must be discovered and repaired, and any damaged wiring must also be replaced. In rooms where water is commonly used, if GFCI outlets are not present, be smart and safe by having them installed.

These and all other types of home wiring problems—aside from those explained in the sections above—should be inspected and addressed by a licensed electrician. Disclosure: BobVila. You agree that BobVila. All rights reserved. Let us look at the three main reasons that cause circuit breakers to trip. A circuit overload is one of the main reasons why circuit breakers trip constantly. This occurs when you want a particular circuit to provide more electricity than its actual capacity.

This will lead to the overheating of the circuit which puts all the electrical appliances connected to the circuit at risk. For example, if your television is connected to the circuit which actually needs 15 amps but is now using 20 amps, then the circuit of the television system will get fried and damaged.

The circuit breaker trips to prevent this from happening, potentially even preventing a major fire. You can address this issue by trying to redistribute your electrical devices and keeping them off of the same circuits as recommend fellow electrical repairmen. You can even turn off some devices to reduce the electrical load on the circuit breaker.

Short Circuits Another common reason why circuit breakers trip is a short circuit, which is more dangerous than an overloaded circuit. Whenever this happens, a large amount of current will flow through the circuit, creating more heat than what the circuit can handle. When this happens the breaker will trip, shutting off the circuit to prevent dangerous events such as a fire.

If plugging anything into one specific outlet consistently trips your breaker, then the outlet likely has a short. An appliance with dilapidated wiring will automatically short upon being plugged in, which should instantly trip your breaker, so if an appliance consistently trips on multiple breakers, then it needs to have its wiring repaired to be used properly.

Tripping circuit breakers might also be due to ground faults. As you might know, electricity is always searching for the ground, for whatever reason. Sometimes, this can manifest in your home in the form of a ground fault, which is where electricity diverts from its intended path and decides to travel into the ground instead. This is a frustrating problem, as it can difficult to diagnose and fix, except by professionals. Ground faults can occur from a loose wire touching metal, or from a pipe leaking into an outlet or switch box.

Basically, as soon as another conductive source like metal or water, which are both conductors presents itself, electricity can change its course and continue on its quest to the ground.

Ground faults are now mostly a thing of the past, as modern wiring includes ground wires, the sole purpose of which is to provide any electrical currents gone awry with a route to the ground.

However, this can still prove an issue if moisture makes its way into your outlets, appliances, or switches. Ground faults can occur from shoddy wiring as well, meaning that anyone repairing a ground fault will have to interact with potentially dangerous live wires. Electrical injuries can lead to life-damaging problems that are best avoided.