Top Reasons Your Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and How to Fix It
Professional Services
October 10, 2024
It’s a cold winter’s night. You’re happily cooking at home when the kitchen suddenly plunges into darkness. You know the neighborhood’s power didn’t go out because you can see your neighbor’s porch lights glowing across the street.
It must be your kitchen’s circuit breaker.
When do circuit breakers trip? How can you avoid or fix whatever’s triggering these outages? As your trusted electrician in Port Washington, Wisconsin, Professional Services shares these not-so-secret reasons for circuit breaker trips and troubleshooting tips below.
How Do Circuit Breakers Work?
The circuit breaker is your electrical system’s bouncer. It’s a gateway, determining whether the incoming electricity or electrical demands are safe to pass.
If it senses excessive input or draws, it breaks the electrical flow, kicking trouble to the curb. That way, the appliances connected to your system are safe, and you’re safe from hazards like house fires.
When Do Circuit Breakers Trip and How Do You Fix Them?
Circuit breakers might trip because of factors beyond your control. Issues within your electrical network sometimes trigger a problem, as do the following common examples:
Short-Circuiting
Each electrical circuit follows a pathway of a particular length. When the energy moves through the correct wire, it successfully reaches its destination. If it moves through a different wire, the shift causes a short circuit.
Usually, short circuits happen when two exposed wires are too close to each other. When the breaker detects too much energy moving through too short of a path, it breaks the circuit.
Circuit Overloads
Each room can take a predetermined electrical current. Your kitchen, for example, accommodates power-hungry appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers. A bedroom’s circuitry might only support electronics with modest power requirements.
Let’s say you combat icy winter nights in Port Washington, Wisconsin, by heating your bedroom with space heaters. That area’s circuit might support one heater on its own outlet. However, when you plug in multiple heaters or connect one heater to an outlet that already has something attached to it, you might be pressing your luck.
When do circuit breakers trip? Supporting excess energy demands will lead to a circuit overload. The breaker trips when these electrical components start overheating, or the current comes up against power-hungry electronics in places that aren’t set up for them.
Ground and Arc Faults
Sometimes, the short circuit breaks through the wrong pathway before the circuit breaker trips, which causes two wires to cross. This is a ground fault, and it is extremely dangerous. A ground fault doesn’t treat the wires as preferred pathways, so it may jump to the nearest conduction – any person passing by – causing injury or death.
An arc fault is equally hazardous. Usually, arc faults happens when the current moves between inappropriate conductors. For example, damaged, exposed wires might touch but not fully meet, causing sparks to fly from an erratic circuit.
In both cases, the breaker may still trip.
Wire Damage
All of the above situations, except for circuit overloads, have something in common: improper or faulty wiring.
Each wire in an electrical system:
- Serves a specific purpose
- Features a rubber coating
- Requires secure connections to its conductor
That means, exposed or loose wires may connect with inappropriate conductors, diverting the electricity toward dangerous pathways. When do circuit breakers trip? With the breakers detect these events, they cut the supply to protect you.
What Can an Electrician in Port Washington, Wisconsin, Do?
For your personal safety, you shouldn’t ever ignore tripped breakers. Contact an electrician in Port Washington, Wisconsin, as soon as possible.
Electricians read up on the latest research about circuit breaker diagnostics. Therefore, they can safely and quickly neutralize dangerous circuits and find the problem.
Tasks your electrician might perform include the following:
- Troubleshooting the wiring: Nipping wire problems in the bud is essential to protect your home from fires and electrocution. These insidious issues often remain hidden until the breaker alerts you.
- Electrical upgrades: Outdated components can threaten your safety and create improper electrical routes. Upgrades may solve the electrical problem.
- Breaker repair and replacement: Is the breaker itself the problem? Breakers need replacement or upgrading after 40 years, at most.
Make Professional Services Your First Choice for Electrical Services in Port Washington, Wisconsin
When do circuit breakers trip? Typically, breaker trips happen as wires forge dangerous pathways that threaten your safety or the system ages. Read about the signs of a bad circuit breaker to learn more, but don’t wait long to call for help!
Contact Professional Services in Port Washington, Wisconsin online or call for emergency assistance if your electrical systems are playing up!
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