How Do I Fix a Circuit Breaker That Keeps Tripping?

When a breaker trips once, it is regarded as sending a signal. If the breaker trips multiple times, then there is a hidden problem which needs to be solved, as calling the electrician will not help.Media play a role in circuit isolation by defining a certain process of determining the fault starting from the cheapest options and moving to the most expensive.

Simply disconnect the circuit and switch it off. Then, if everything is fine, reconnect devices one by one in order to find out what device causes the circuit breaker to trip. If it trips off even without any devices being connected, then there is probably some fault in the wiring or the breaker. In this case, check the circuit load against its capacity and see if any of the devices are overloaded.

Step 1: Clear the Circuit

Turn off or unplug all items from the circuit, irrespective of whether you think they relate to the malfunction. Thereafter, reset the breaker. If the circuit holds steady, it indicates that the circuit is sound overall and the fault is one of the devices you’ve unplugged. If it trips immediately, the fault can reside in the permanent wiring or the faulty device and nothing can change that situation.

At this stage, two common oversights are made: first, equipment connected to a switched spur or a fused connection unit is in the circuit even when it is switched off at the appliance; second, much equipment, such as outdoor sockets and lighting, is, indeed, in the circuit more than people expect. Do not forget to turn them off.

Step 2: Reintroduce Loads One at a Time

Reconnect one machine at a time, letting it operate for several minutes before proceeding to the next one. Whichever one causes the circuit to trip or whichever combination of devices does the job is your answer.

If no individual machine performs this trick, rather the circuit trips only when all machines are operating simultaneously, this is an overload problem that has nothing to do with a defective machine, and you deal with this in step four.

In other words, make sure that you pay attention not only to which machine is performing poorly, but also when it happens. For example, a fridge that trips the circuit twenty minutes after being switched on shows a compressor fault rather than an inrush problem, and the two faults require totally different approaches to solving them.

Step 3: If It Trips With Nothing Connected

The issue lies in the circuit, and this is a process of elimination, not a process of taking measurements.

• Look for any signs of work that may have been done recently. A nail piercing a wire, a screw penetrating a stud and hitting a wire, or an outlet that has been pieced back together with copper wire touching it are the usual suspects.
• Break the circuit at the first place after the panel where you can do so without having to replace any cables after that, and test both halves.
• Check the last working outlet before the break in the circuit, which is where you will almost always find the break or the defect.
• Look for any source of water. This could have been an outdoor socket with a blown seal, a faulty pump circuit, a bathroom fan, or anything else that can break only when it rains.

At this stage of the process, most homeowners should stop. Finding the fault in the walls requires a multimeter, knowledge of both ring and radial wiring, and the desire to break open walls that haven’t been opened since the house was first built.

Step 4: Measure the Load, Do Not Estimate It

When all of your devices work, the circuit breaker trips due to the added load. The circuit will either need less load plugged in or a larger circuit breaker.

To find the total running power, multiply the number of watts by the voltage used and now compute the amperage. You would compare that amount to the breaker rating and add in the 80% rule to find out the maximum amount of electricity each of your breakers can supply. A clamp meter put on the circuit being measured for an hour check will yield the closest number possible.

Different things count as continuous electricity draw. A space heater, hot water tank, clothes dryer, electric car charger, and a bank of computers all pull electricity continuously. A hot water kettle will not pull power continuously. The trip is usually a continuous draw issue unless there is a circuit transformer or something else that is malfunctioning.

The device itself is not the variable here. A single-pole 32 to 63 A MCB with a C curve will hold a 20 A resistive load indefinitely at its rated ambient, and no change of brand will make it hold 26 A.

Step 5: Check for a Shared Neutral and Other Wiring Faults

In case of a particular case, two hot conductors on a circuit have one neutral. If the neutral is damaged or loose, voltage along each side of the circuit follows load changes, resulting in a tripping of the breaker regardless of whether the appliances are operational.

The signs are very distinct: the light gets brighter when heavy appliance gets turned on the side of the circuit, the electronics stop working, etc. This situation is dangerous since voltage at one side of the circuit can exceed 120 V.

Two other types of the wiring problem are known to cause frequent trips. Borrowed neutral, where neutral of the circuit is connected to neutral of another circuit leads to occurring trips on RCD and RCBO protected circuits. Undersized conductors positioned too far from the electrical board may also lead to current consumption increase.

Step 6: Confirm the Breaker Is Not Tripping Early

With all that said, if everything else checks out, it is time to suspect the device itself. A breaker has been used in a completely overloaded state for years. Over time, it gets used to its current state and would trip in the presence of 15 A instead of its normal 20 A threshold.

In this case, there is something that suggests a presence of a problem: the case is warmer when there is a lower load, the handle becomes loose, and there is a trip incident at the same time each day regardless of the load situation. An electrician’s trip test proves the hypothesis by applying 135%, 200% and 600% of the rating, measuring the response time.

In conclusion, it is rational to change the device, taking into consideration that the replacement is of the same brand and rating, and that the torque is okay. Otherwise, you are going to face the same problem that you have just solved, due to use of the new device. Our breaker FAQ covers the ratings and the questions worth asking before ordering.

Step 7: Add a Circuit Instead of a Bigger Breaker

When the response is that the circuit is just too small for the current usage of the room, a new circuit should solve the problem. It is mainly one of these devices, such as a heat pump, an EV charger, a home office, or an air conditioner, that has caused this issue.

A dedicated 240 V circuit needs a double-pole device sized to the conductor, of the type shown in this two-pole miniature circuit breaker, plus the cable, the outlet or the hardwired connection, and a permit in most jurisdictions.

If the Main Panel Is Full

If the main panel has no space, the options are a tandem device where the panel is listed for one, or a subpanel. A second enclosure fed from a double-pole breaker adds capacity without a service upgrade, and a board of the size used for that, such as this 4 to 24 module distribution board, is the cheaper of the two.

When to Stop and Call an Electrician

Four events bring the DIY stage to an end: any connection job for which you lack a trail to trace back, any indication of heat or burning at the panel, any shared neutral/branch wiring or use of problematic family hardware. They are all safety issues rather than problems of mere inconvenience.

Our technical service will review a load calculation and a panel photograph before recommending a device, because roughly half the “breaker keeps tripping” cases we see are a circuit problem wearing a breaker costume.

FAQ

Can a breaker that keeps tripping be fixed?

The circuit is usually repairable while the breaker is not normally fixable due to its sealed non-repairable nature. An exception occurs in the case of tripping whenever there is an actual fault where the cause of the problem is at the fault.

What causes a circuit breaker to constantly trip?

It can occur through overload, a fault with the appliance, a fault with the wiring, a common neutral, or a product that has slipped below rating. The pattern of tripping either immediately or with a delay soon gets it down to any of these possibilities.

How many times can a breaker trip before it needs to be replaced?

Replacement happens out of number. Several operations can be performed according to where it went wrong: for example, there may be wrong trip, overheating, change of color or deficient test.

Why does my 20-amp circuit breaker keep tripping even though there’s nothing plugged in?

The reason lies in the wiring as well as in the device itself, not with what you plug into it. For instance, when water penetrates an outside box or when a conductor at a receptacle is damaged or a nail is driven through a wire, a breaker may trip without anything being connected to it.

References

• NEMA — Branch Circuit Design and Protection
• Cerrowire — Conductor Ampacity and Voltage Drop
• U.S. Department of Energy — Home Electrical Loads
• This Old House — Tracking Down a Tripping Breaker
• Bob Vila — Nuisance Tripping Causes

Conclusion

To turn on the circuit, you must first clear it before introducing some load in it and testing it with the meter. Most circuits will be able to yield information about almost 90 percent of faults after going through those three steps. The tenth fault can only be due to either a faulty device or a common neutral which needs a tester.

In case the circuit is new, let us know the load and the panel and we will be able to properly size both the equipment and the enclosure.