Overview
A tripping panel can be the reason you can’t use a specific outlet, or it can leave an entire area of your property without power. It’s a common, yet potentially dangerous problem. In this blog, Gary's Electric Service explains why your circuit breakers keep tripping, what different electrical faults could be causing the issue, and when repeated breaker trips may require professional attention.
Highlights
Introduction
Where do you get your electricity? Sure, it’s your utility’s power grid, but your electrical panel is where that power enters your building’s electrical system and gets distributed where it needs to go. These panels have circuit breakers that trip when they detect a problem. It’s not to inconvenience you (though it can feel that way), but a way to help prevent damage and electrical hazards.
If one of your circuit breakers keeps tripping, something is causing it, and knowing how to handle the situation and when to book an electrical repair can help you address the problem safely.
How Does a Circuit Breaker Work?
A circuit breaker is an automatic safety switch that stops the flow of electricity when the current exceeds safe levels. It doesn’t “measure” amperage digitally. The breaker is engineered so that its internal components physically respond when current exceeds particular thresholds.
For your typical thermal-magnetic circuit breaker, there are two different mechanisms:
The thermal mechanism handles overloads, while the magnetic mechanism handles short circuits and other very high-current faults. Having both response characteristics is crucial.
Diagnosing the Cause of a Tripping Breaker
As a homeowner, you’re limited in your ability to diagnose the cause of a tripped breaker. You might notice correlations such as the breaker tripping whenever you turn on a particular appliance or when using several devices at once, but that doesn’t give you enough evidence to pinpoint the problem or address its underlying cause. That’s why you’ll need a professional.
An electrician’s diagnostic process, which includes measuring draw and inspecting connections and components, can trace the tripping breaker back to a number of potential causes, including:
Circuit Overload From Too Many Appliances
Say you’re in your kitchen. You have the microwave running, then you turn on a toaster or electric kettle. Everything works normally for a moment, and then suddenly the microwave shuts off, the toaster pops, and perhaps some nearby lights or outlets lose power too. Other parts of the house still have electricity.
So, what happened?
Those appliances were drawing more current collectively than that circuit could handle. The breaker’s thermal mechanism heated up enough to trip, opening that circuit and cutting power to everything connected to it. In these situations, electricians may recommend redistributing the load if the wiring is otherwise adequate. Another option is to install a dedicated circuit so high-draw appliances aren’t competing with other devices for the capacity on a shared circuit.
Short Circuit From Loose or Damaged Wiring
Loose or damaged wiring can cause a breaker to trip because it creates an abnormal path for the current, particularly a short circuit or ground fault.
You can imagine a situation where the insulation around a hot wire becomes damaged. If the exposed conductor touches a neutral wire, another energized conductor, a grounded metal electrical box, or other grounded material, current can suddenly flow along a path it wasn’t supposed to take. Depending on the fault, that can produce a very high current, causing the breaker to trip rapidly.
An electrician usually discovers this through testing and elimination. They may first rule out an overload by disconnecting loads from the circuit, for example, and then inspect the connections, test the circuit’s conductors, and isolate sections of the circuit to narrow where the fault occurs.
Ground Fault Caused by Water or Moisture
A ground fault is when electricity escapes its intended path and flows toward the ground instead. Water can create the conditions for this to happen because it can conduct electricity when it contains dissolved minerals and other impurities. If moisture gets inside an outlet, electrical box, or fixture, current may find a path from the live wiring to grounded material.
When the protective device (GFCI outlet) detects that fault, it can shut off the circuit to reduce the risk of shock and further damage. An electrician needs to locate and correct the conditions at the source of moisture, then replace or repair any affected components.
Damaged Electrical Outlet or Receptacle
An electrical outlet can sustain damage in various ways. Years of plugging in and removing devices are a surprisingly common explanation for it. As those connections deteriorate, they can loosen or overheat, creating conditions that may eventually cause a short circuit or ground fault and trip the breaker. You may notice the breaker trips specifically when you plug something into the affected outlet.
When this is the cause, electricians can:
Old or Faulty Circuit Breaker
Circuit breakers operate for many years (often 30 to 40 years), but their internal components can wear or deteriorate with age and repeated tripping. Eventually, a breaker may become overly sensitive and trip under electrical loads it should normally be able to handle. This can create a bit of a false alarm, where the breaker trips even though excessive current isn’t actually the problem.
If testing shows that the breaker itself is faulty, the solution may be as straightforward as replacing it with a properly rated breaker that’s compatible with the electrical panel. An electrician will still need to rule out problems elsewhere on the circuit first, however.
Outdated Electrical Panel With Insufficient Capacity
Electrical capacity refers to how much current your electrical service can safely supply, measured in amps. The main service rating sets an upper limit, while individual breakers limit the current flow through their respective circuits. Many older homes got by with a 60-amp service, for example, but many properties today require much more to handle modern appliances.
That’s essentially why capacity can become a problem. If you don’t get enough power, you can’t expect your system to keep up with everything you’re asking it to run. At this point, an electrician can determine how much power the property requires and, if necessary, upgrade the electrical service and panel to provide greater capacity.
What Breaker Panel Size Do You Need?
As explained above, the amount of electrical capacity a property needs depends largely on the demands placed on the system. Determining the right breaker panel size takes that idea a step further by looking at the property’s actual and expected electrical loads. Commercial, residential, and industrial conditions can differ considerably, and so do the recommendations for size.
To determine the appropriate panel size, electricians look at:
Is It Dangerous if Your Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping?
From the causes already covered, you can see that the danger a tripping breaker represents depends entirely on what’s making it trip. Unless you’ve had an electrician identify the cause and tell you otherwise, repeated tripping should be treated as an indication of potential danger.
It is certain, however, that repeatedly resetting a breaker without fixing the underlying issue is dangerous. Think about what you’re doing: The breaker trips because it detects an unsafe electrical condition, and you’re physically switching it back on to restore the flow of electricity. Doing that over and over can keep exposing the circuit to the same condition the breaker is trying to interrupt. It’s frustrating to suddenly lose power, but that’s minor compared to the risk of a shock or fire.
Schedule Reliable Circuit Breaker Service
Before you keep resetting the same breaker and hoping it stays on this time, let Gary's Electric Service get to the source of the problem. Our circuit breaker service can identify what’s causing the interruption and address it properly, so you aren’t left wondering when the power will cut out again.
For a safer answer to recurring trips, call (405) 309-6209 today.