At my home, we are tripping our curcit breaker more and more. I told my wife it’s because we have too many electronics pluged in at one time. She thinks the problem is something else. It usually happens when she has the vacuum cleaner on. This draws a lot of power, but she says that she can turn other lights off on the same circut and the breaker still trips. Any ideas what I should do about this?
Jeff
Framing the floor inside a crawlspace foundation keeps a gable-end addition close to grade.
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Replies
New vacuum cleaner?
call an electrician???
pay someone that knows what to do so your house don't burn down with a DIY fix???
replace the fuse with a penny????
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Weak breaker or bad vacumn. Take the vacumn to someone elses house and see if it trips theirs. If it doesn't then try replacing the breaker. Or do like me and go all hard wood flooring.
I have hardwood floors, you don't vacuum your hardwood floors???
Jeff
What 4Lorn said. Also I would pay attention to what your wife says re: it tripping without the vac on. Change the breaker if you are confident in doing that without tripping your hearts circuit breaker. Check it out, does it work now? If not, cut off circuit breaker and pull out all receptacles and switches on the circuit and inspect the wires for bad connection (wiggle pull look). Try the vac in other parts of the house and see if it trips breakers there.
This is not eggzactly a DIY type thing and you can get hurt trying to fix it. BE CAREFUL. If you are the least bit uncertain, spend the money and get a pro there.
Note to all: I wouldnt troubleshoot it myself this way. I would troubleshoot it the way 4Lorn did. However, the homeowner almost certainly does not own an ammeter.
To work this without a meter, perhaps just swap the questionable breaker with another of the same amperage? Physically move the breakers instead of just swapping the wires, so you don't affect the balance between the legs. (Or if you know how to identify the legs, and the wires reach, you can just swap them.) If the problem stays with the circuit, most probably the load is too high. If it goes to the other circuit or goes away, the breaker is bad and tripping at too low a current.
-- J.S.
Mr. Branch,
You mention "our circuit breaker" -- that's singular? How many do you have? Only one? But probably not.
I once ran into this problem when running a vaccuum cleaner and the radial arm saw at the same time [sawdust pick-up]. Solved by plugging the vac into another circuit. Your kitchen should have 20 amp circuits. Maybe use a heavy duty extenction cord if necessary.
-Peter
One cubit = 19.2 in.
use cordless dustbuster.
Hell, go balls out and install central vac system.
This is a regular theme for service calls. My usual course of action, if the situation can easily be recreated, is to put an ammeter on the breaker lead and check what the draw is.
Tripping, within a few minutes, at well over the rating of the breaker is a simple overload. The breaker is doing its job.You are just asking too much. Wiring problems are possible but most likely it is a change in use, a new blow drier for example, that is causing the tripping. Moving loads around, getting them on different circuits, can often prevent the problem.
A breaker that trips within a few second and reads, at maximum, several times the breaker rating usually means that there is a defective appliance or wiring problem. Immediate tripping, a bolted short, is usually a wiring problem. Look for modified or damaged wiring or appliances.
A breaker that trips below or just slightly above the rating, especially when it is a motor load, is likely defective and needs replacing.
All of this assumes that the circuit was recently working and hasn't been played with. Use common sense. Be safe. Don't fake it. If you don't know what you are doing research it, there are several good books on the subject, or get help. Remember that a service call is cheaper than an ambulance ride.
Breakers have a nasty habit of getting worse when they trip often. The way they work is that the internal contacts snap open when too much electricity flows thru the wire (it runs an internal electromagnet generally)
When a breaker pulls an arc, (opens) the flash that occurs is vaporizing of metal from the contact surfaces. As the contact surface gets rougher the electrical contact gets worse and the resistance/current increases. A snowballing effect occurs.
3 things come to mind to cure the problem. If you don't understand these call an electrician.
1. Check to make sure the bag is empty and the vacuum isn't the problem.
2. Trace the circuit in the house and find out what is on it. (turn off the breaker and see what doesn't run,light,or otherwise operate.) Sometimes past remodeling activities add on too many outlets to a circuit.
3. Replace the breaker. Buy the correct brand and size for the wire. You should not put a Siemens or Cutler Hammer or Square D or anyone elses' brand in someone elses' load center. UL requires matching equipment and so should you. The problem is bad electrical connection at the back bus as well as coordination of the AIC. Sometimes breakers just die prematurely.
4. Look at the wall outlets and plug set on the vacuum. It could be you just have lousy connections and your electricity is going into heat at the plug.Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
first do not move breakers around in your panel. if you do not know how to balance a branch circiut. you will burn up a nuetral and possibly your house.the breaker may be weak if you kept letting it trip. the breaker trips for a reason dont keep resetting it call a electrician. you can tell your wife to plug heavy loads into the kitchen or dinning room. those are on a 20 amp circiut.good luck