When a circuit breaker trips, it protects your device and circuit; it’s just doing its job, unless it is damaged.
Do you notice that some time lights of a residential place goes off due to circuit breaker tripping, or sometimes the fuse blows up? It is due to some faults in the electrical network. I see these faults too much, because I work as electrical maintenance engineer.
I will discuss different reasons that cause circuit breaker tripping. I won’t rely only on my long work experience as an engineer, which is now about 15 years, but also I will provide you the results of deep searching about circuit breaker tripping.
How To Find The Reason Behind Tripping My Circuit Breaker?
When the value of current passing through the circuit breaker exceed its rated value, then it should trip for safety reasons. The main reason a circuit breaker trips is a higher current value than its rated.
What should you do as non technical person when your CB trips at home to find the device that makes circuit breaker to trip?
- Switch off all devices and unplug all possible electrical devices which are affected by tripped circuit breaker.
- Go to your electricity box and search for the circuit breakers which are on the off position. A red or orange label may indicate the status of trip on the circuit breaker. Turn it on carefully. (If the breaker keeps tripping while all loads are off and unplugged, then the breaker may need to be replaced or the wires may need to be checked).
- Turn on all devices one by one. If all devices turn on and no breaker trips again its OK. The one device which cause the breaker to trip should make it to trip again.
- If breaker keeps tripping, then you should call electrical service to check and inspect the defected device to detect the issue and decide how to solve it.
Keep in mind that if you connect all devices again and no breaker trips, this means you may overloaded the circuit breaker by turning on many devices at once.
Its better for your own safety to hire an electrician to replace the damaged breaker.
What would cause a circuit breaker to keep tripping?
Now, after this quick discussion for non technical persons. let’s move to electrical engineering discussion.
Overloaded Circuit
One of the main reasons for circuit breaker tripping is the overloaded circuit in the electrical system.
When many loads are connected with the circuit, the circuit attempts to draw a greater electrical load than its rated value. Due to which the circuit breaker heats up, and the breaker tripping occurs.
Electrical Short Circuit
Another reason for the breaker tripping is the electrical short circuit. A short circuit occurs due to low insulation resistance.
When the positive and negative (live and neutral) terminal connects with each other in the absence of any resistance. This causes an unimpeded flow of electricity. And a large amount of current flows through a breaker that causes tripping.
It is worth mentioning here that how to decide whether the tripping occurs due to a short circuit? The answer is clear and simple. If a circuit breaker trips instantly again and again after you reset.The tripping occurs due to a short circuit.
How Do I Know That I have a Short Circuit at House?
If you find fuses being blown regularly or a circuit breaker tripping frequently, it might be a symptom of a short circuit.
A fuse will usually explode, or a circuit breaker will trip instantly. If a new fuse with the proper rating also blows, you’ve got a short circuit.
If a circuit breaker is reset and it trips again instantly, as you connect it, you have a short circuit or a broken circuit breaker.
Read my detailed article about Electrical short circuit, why is it dangerous?
Ground Fault
Another reason that causes the circuit breaker tripping is the ground fault. A ground fault is a type of short circuit when a hot wire came in contact with the ground or any other type of metal.
The ground fault causes an increase in the flow of current. It causes the circuit breaker to heats up and as a result, circuit breaker tripping occurs.
Some ground faults are not detectable by normal MCB. So its recommended to use GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) This is better for human safety as this breaker can detect small milli-amperes and trips before a shock happens.
Arc Fault
When fluctuation or sparking occurs between two-wire connections at a point. Arc faults occur.
Sometimes the screws at a point become loose, In this case AFCI (arc fault circuit interrupter) is recommended.
While the circuit breaker is an Arc fault interpreter (AFCI ). It detects the early wiring problem and trips in advance to stop the flow of a large amount of current.
Bad Circuit Breaker
Some times the circuit and loads are all OK and in a good condition. But the breaker keeps tripping randomly.
This is a sign that the circuit breaker is bad. Like any device, breakers has a life time, and then breakers go bad. And its time to replace it.
Can a circuit breaker trip for no reason?
A breaker will trip for no reason if it malfunction. Breaker will trip when a short circuit occurs on an electrical circuit, causing sparks, popping sounds, or smoke to be produced.
A loose connection, slipping wire, or even damage from animals chewing on cables could cause this.
If you didn’t find any faults like a short circuit, overload or lose connection, your circuit breaker might be old and unable to carry current any more.
In other words, it has become bad. It would be best if you replaced it for the circuit to continue operating.
Why is circuit breaker tripping without load?
If your circuit breaker tripping without loads, a wire with damaged insulation somewhere in electrical panel or in power outlets can be the cause of breaker tripping and will continue to do so until you fix it.
A general wiring issue can potentially be the reason why a circuit breaker trips. You can have obsolete wiring if your home is older.
The issue with older electrical systems is that new technology and appliances frequently demand more power than previous systems can safely handle.
The older wiring can’t keep up with the increasing demands as our daily energy needs increase. This may be the problem if several breakers are often tripping without a load. Otherwise, there can be a problem with the breaker panel itself.
When your breaker trip without any load being present, you should take into consideration the following three wiring problems:
Current Leakage
One possibility is that one or more of the input wires have current leakage, which causes the circuit breaker to trip even when there isn’t a load attached to them. If so, your annoying issue is taking place for your own benefit. tripping is the precaution for safety of your all-electrical devices.
Damaged Wires
Not simply the input cables might be damaged; it could happen everywhere. They could have been accessed by pests or insects that, only by gnawing, caused significant harm. This kind of issue may be sufficient to trigger a breaker trip even with no loads.
A Loose Wire in an Outlet
This loose wiring issue may be pretty frustrating. In other words, a loose wire in one of your outlets will keep your breaker continuously tripping.
If you have a GFCI outlet, this is a very typical issue (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter).
Why shouldn’t you reset a tripped circuit breaker immediately?
The straightforward answer is that you shouldn’t reset a circuit breaker unless you are sure of the reason of the fault and that it poses no danger.
Noting that if you reset it immediately it may trip again in case of it still hot, even if the fault is cleared.
Circuit breakers are there to safeguard your family, your house, and yourself. When a circuit breaker trips, it indicates that a current greater than the trip current is passing through it.
In case of a faulty circuit or wires, a short circuit, the circuit breaker will trip again immediately if you reset it.
The short circuit current makes the circuit breaker to get hot and trip, it should be cooled before you reset it.
Can a tripped breaker stop a fire?
Yes, if tripping happen before fire catch wires or panel. But it won’t if tripping happen after fire catch wires or panel.
There can be two scenarios, 1st one is before wiring or breakers panel catch fire.
And 2nd is the role of circuit breaker after catching fire lets explore the both scenarios in detail below:
Role of circuit breaker before Catch Fire
Tripped circuit breakers can prevent fire and protect electrical systems against overloads and short circuits, circuit breakers assure electrical safety in homes, offices, and other buildings as well as for industrial uses.
The circuit breaker instantly shuts off the electrical circuit when a problem is found, protecting the wires and reducing the chance of catching fire.
Role of circuit breaker after Catch Fire
Tripped circuit breakers didn’t play any role and could not provide safety to the system after catching fire.
If the circuit breaker is not tripped due to any reason or sometimes the fault current is too much bigger than the rating of the cable, then the circuit breaker wiring or panel box catches fire.
Can tripping circuit breaker damage your devices?
No, tripping CB doesn’t cause damage to electrical devices, in order to prevent damage not to damage, the circuit breaker trips and shuts everything down when the current exceeds its rated amperes.
A damaged, faulty, or incompatible appliance can cause frequent circuit breaker tripping. Tripping cannot cause any type of damage to electrical devices. Tripping circuit breakers is just switching off power.
Why is the Main circuit breaker tripping?
The main breaker can trip for a variety of reasons. Whether it be a lightning strike, a power surge from the utility company, or an overload to the electrical panel, the main breaker can be tripped due to any of these factors.
Furthermore, the main circuit breakers can trip simply because they’re worn out.
There might be a situation when a branch circuit breaker fails and is no longer capable of tripping as designed, which may result in the main breaker tripping to provide secondary safety shutoffs in the event that the individual circuit breaker fails.
Furthermore, If the total load demand becomes too much or if there is any significant issue with the electrical system, the main breaker cuts off electricity to the entire house.
These issues often entail brief power spikes, although it may be necessary to detect system issues occasionally.
The main circuit breaker “tripping” is somewhat uncommon since often, individual circuit breakers trip long before the main breaker has to shut down.
Does weather affect circuit breaker?
Yes, weather affects the circuit breakers. In response to the heat generated by the circuit breaker, the bimetallic strip inside the breaker flexes and tripping the breaker.
The hot weather also can cause a breaker to trip, it all depends on the thermal effect of heat that causes the bimetallic strip inside the breaker flexes and trip it.
On the other hand, as compared to hot weather, cold weather didn’t affect the circuit breaker as much as lead to tripping, but if there is a foggy season and too much moisture in the environment, that can cause tripping the breaker.
A breaker’s components can also be adversely affected by the ambient heat in the air surrounding the breaker. A circuit breaker should typically not be heated over 140°F. If it happens, it indicates a potential trip of the circuit breaker.
If you can’t keep your finger on the plastic portion of the circuit breaker without being burnt, it’s too hot, according to a reliable “rule of thumb.”
Why do my breakers trip when it rains?
The main cause of a breaker’s trip after the storm is a short circuit brought on by water.
Due to heavy rain, the electrical wire isolation may deteriorate after water exposure, causing a short circuit.
Improper panel box installation might be another reason your circuit breaker tripped during the storm.
Rainwater may get into your circuit in a number of ways if the main line is not installed properly.
Water may enter your wiring conduits through the wire leading to the meter and electrical circuit. It’s also conceivable that the conduit or hose you used to install your main line will let water through.
Because of this, if the breaker box is in the basement, water may wet your circuit. The worst possible scenario for your house is a wet circuit breaker.
A wet circuit is dangerous because you might get electrocuted in addition to the electrical problems it can create.
Can you reset a breaker in the rain?
Yes, you can reset the breaker in the rain; IF it’s getting wet with only a few drops of rainwater on the surface of the breaker, or if it’s tripped due to just moister, dry off breakers with an air gun or air blower with necessary safety measures and use a voltage tester before touching the breaker.
However, if the circuit breaker has become saturated with water, replace it. Even after drying, the contaminants in the water will render the circuit breaker unreliable since they will be left behind and cause electricity to trace over its surface.
Regardless of the circuit breaker’s reputation for being reliable, it is no longer worth relying on it for safety.
Can a storm and lightning cause a CB to trip?
The weather conditions during severe weather, such as lightning strikes and storms, can cause a circuit breaker to trip. Storm causes short circuits for outdoor wires and connections.
Try resetting the breaker once the storm has passed and the power has been restored. Most of the time, a huge surge incident as the result of a lightning strike during a storm might harm all of the electrical parts in your home or place of business, including the wiring system.
Will a breaker trip if wires touch each other?
Of course, if the two wires insulation is not good enough, this is what we call a short circuit, a good circuit breaker should trip immediately in case of a short circuit.
The two wires’ connection reduces the electrical current’s resistance and boosts its flow. This sets off the circuit breaker’s tripping mechanism.
What happens if you touch a circuit breaker?
Nothing happens if you touch the plastic body (isolated part) of the circuit breaker.
But don’t touch the exposed wire or metal parts, which can cause heavy electric shock.
There are several parts inside your breaker box that aren’t insulated and running with a high voltage electrical current.
Don’t touch anything other than the plastic body of breaker switches inside your electrical panel to avoid electric shock. Never touch a circuit breaker with wet hands.
Can circuit breaker trip if you hold it?
The circuit breaker standard UL489 requires circuit breakers to be “trip free”.
A trip free circuit breaker will still trip if you hold it in the ON position.
Yes, you can hold the toggle up, but that does not stop the breaker from tripping under an over-current condition.
A circuit breaker cannot be forced if it trips repeatedly; it will keep opening and burn out.
It is usually not harmful to have a momentary connection, as it will only last for a short time.
You will need to resolve the problem causing the trip and then you will need to replace the circuit breaker if it went bad.
Why is the circuit breaker not tripping?
Circuit breaker may not trip if it malfunction due to (entirely mechanical problem , sustains partial or total damage ) Occasionally, a circuit breaker will not trip in circumstances of fault like short circuit, overload, indicating it is bad and must be replaced.
It is also possible for the cause of the problem to be entirely mechanical, which means there may be a physical switch that is stuck in the “on” position.
The circuit breaker may also malfunction without tripping if it sustains partial or total damage. On occasion, a power failure occurs as internal components melt. To ensure appropriate operation, examine the circuit breaker and replace the broken one.
Signs of damaged/ faulty circuit
- Inspect the circuit breakers for any burning odors.
- If the panel feels hot to the touch, the circuit is either broken or overloaded.
- If the circuit is beyond its prime or is too old, replace it with a new one.
- Parts become melted or scorched due to heat.
- The item is defective if it trips off more frequently while gadgets draw more power.
What happens if a breaker doesn’t trip in faults condition?
If the circuit breaker doesn’t trip in faults condition it can be the cause of electrical appliances or equipment damage and can be cause of fire due if there is a short circuit.
Moreover, if your circuit breaker facing overload faults and didn’t trip it can be the cause of heat dissipation in your electrical wiring and breaker getting hot due to continuing drawing more current then rated current this behavior of circuit breaker can lead the melting of cables isolation, melting of breakers contacts, and cause to panel box catch fire.
Is the circuit breaker tripping good or bad thing?
Yes, circuit breaker tripping is good in the perspective of the safety of your home and home appliances.
It also provides protection against dangerous electrical fire hazards due to short circuits and overloading as long as it is not a bad CB.
But sometimes, apparently, you didn’t see any issue, but your circuit breaker keeps tripping and can fall you in trouble.
It can be due to wiring issues like too much old wiring, damaged cables, or loose cable connection, which is difficult to troubleshoot because you have to check all the outlet’s wiring connected to the breaker.
That can be time-consuming, but it’s necessary to troubleshoot the fault and rectify it as soon as possible to avoid any bigger damage or loss.
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