Why do Circuit Breakers Trip?

If all the appliances and lights along a single circuit go dark simultaneously, it’s likely that the circuit has tripped/burned out. Circuit breakers automatically shut off the power to the circuit wiring if something goes wrong. With circuit breakers, all you have to do is locate the one that has tripped on the main panel and reset it to the “on” position. However, it is vital to understand why the circuit breaker has tripped, to avoid it from happening again.

In very rare cases, the breaker itself may have become damaged and will need replacing. However, in most instances, the fitting is just doing its job when it trips. A circuit breaker is designed to trip and turn off the power in case any of the following situations occur:

• Overloaded Circuit- An overloaded circuit is one of the commonest reasons for a circuit breaker trip. This happens when that circuit draws a higher electrical load than it is designed to carry. When you operate too many light fixtures or appliances at the same time, the wiring in the circuit heats up; the circuit breaker senses this and the mechanism trips, breaking the flow of electricity and shutting off the electricity.

• Short Circuit– This is a far more serious than an overloaded circuit and can cause breaker tripping. When a hot wire touches a neutral wire it can cause a short circuit. However, there are times when the circuit wiring isn’t the culprit at all; it may be caused by a wiring problem in a device/appliance that has been plugged in a socket in that circuit; this is what makes it pretty challenging to diagnose and fix a short circuit problem.

• Ground Fault– This is also a type of short circuit; It occurs when any hot wiring touches timber framing members or comes in contact with metal wall boxes. A ground fault can be pretty dangerous when it occurs in areas with that have high moisture levels like bathrooms and kitchens.

Customised electrical services

If you find that a certain circuit breaker is tripping all too often, it’s important that you call a company like ours for emergency electrical services . We at Quick Connect Electrical are one of the leading companies in the field and provide excellent electrical installation, maintenance and repair solutions. We will come and inspect the circuit breaker and the appliances and fittings along the circuit to identify what is causing the problem, and will fix it expertly and efficiently.

We provide excellent, customised services to our customers at very cost-effective pricing. For any more information on circuit breakers, how they work and where you need to install them, call us today. To check if we serve your area, just enter your pin code in the box on the right of the page. See what our customers are saying about our company & services. For an emergency electrician in Sydney, any time of the day or night, call us at this number- 1300 725 894.