Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Breaker keeps tripping
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kokoman
05-27-08, 05:04 AM
I can home last night and all the light s were out on one circuit
I went to reset it but it would`nt . I unplugged all items in recepticals and turned off all switches. Is it possible the Breaker is faulty or do I have to Inspect each outlet/switch by it self?
Chris
I went to reset it but it would`nt . I unplugged all items in recepticals and turned off all switches. Is it possible the Breaker is faulty or do I have to Inspect each outlet/switch by it self?
Chris
John Nelson
05-27-08, 07:00 AM
First of all, it is important to limit the "keeps tripping". Of course you need to try it from time to time to see if you've fixed the problem, but don't do it frequently.
There are many different possible causes of your problem. If the breaker is GFCI or AFCI (has a test button on it), then you may have a ground or arc fault. It is possible, but rather unlikely, that the breaker is faulty. It is possible that you have some load that you didn't turn off. If you recently drove a nail or screw into the wall (e.g., to mount a bookshelf or towel rod), you may have hit the wire. If you recently had a big rainstorm (or kids playing with the hose or in the bathtub), there may be moisture in one of the boxes. If you recently had some rough treatment of a box, you may have a short in one of you electrical boxes.
Think about recent events at your house and you may get a clue. After that, it's a "divide-and-conquer" problem, where you start disconnecting things one at a time to see when the problem goes away.
There are many different possible causes of your problem. If the breaker is GFCI or AFCI (has a test button on it), then you may have a ground or arc fault. It is possible, but rather unlikely, that the breaker is faulty. It is possible that you have some load that you didn't turn off. If you recently drove a nail or screw into the wall (e.g., to mount a bookshelf or towel rod), you may have hit the wire. If you recently had a big rainstorm (or kids playing with the hose or in the bathtub), there may be moisture in one of the boxes. If you recently had some rough treatment of a box, you may have a short in one of you electrical boxes.
Think about recent events at your house and you may get a clue. After that, it's a "divide-and-conquer" problem, where you start disconnecting things one at a time to see when the problem goes away.
joed
05-27-08, 07:50 AM
To test the breaker remove the black (or red) wire from the breaker. This way the breaker is the only thing on the circuit. Attempt to turn it on. If it will not turn on then it is defective. Be sure to turn it to OFF first to reset it.