What Can An Electrician Do For A Repeatedly Flipping Circuit Breaker?
Circuit breakers are meant to protect you and your home. They turn the power off if they sense an overload or another issue with your electrical current, thereby preventing fires, shocks, and other electrical accidents. But what if your circuit breaker seems to be flipping over and over again? In this case, you need to call an electrician. There are several electrical problems that can lead to a repeatedly flipping circuit breaker, and the approach your electrician takes will depend on the root cause of the issue.
An Overloaded Circuit
Circuit breakers are designed to flip and turn off the flow of energy if too much current is flowing through the wire. This can happen when you have too many appliances or electrical units connected to one circuit. An electrician can add up all of the current the various units will draw and see if your circuit is overloaded. If it is, then they can move some appliances to another circuit. Or, if needed, they can add another circuit to your breaker box. This will lighten the load on the breaker that keeps tripping, which should stop it from continuing to trip, going forward.
A Short Circuit
A short circuit is basically when a "hot" wire, which is one through which electricity is flowing, interferes with a neutral wire. This usually happens in or close to an outlet. When you have a short circuit, the electrical current surges for a brief second, which causes your circuit breaker to trip. An electrician can look over your outlets and locate any short circuits. They can then separate the interfering wires and tighten the connections, which will not only stop your breaker from tripping, but also help prevent fires and smoke odors.
A Broken Circuit Breaker
Circuit breakers last a long time, but they do experience wear and tear as they age. Eventually, a circuit breaker may break down and become less adept at allowing electricity to flow through it. This causes the breaker to trip more often, and it may also lead to burning odors or even black marks on your breaker box. Your electrician can replace the circuit breaker that is worn out, and they can also identify additional breakers that may need to be replaced.
If your circuit breaker is flipping all of the time, don't ignore the problem. Talk to a local electrician, and see what residential electrical repairs they recommend.
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