It’s inconvenient when your circuit breaker is always tripping, which can cause you to lose power when you’re enjoying different types of activities around the house. Many people don’t always realize that the habits they have can cause the issue to occur, as well as issues within the circuit breaker. If you want to understand why your circuit breaker is always tripping on your property in Lafayette, Louisiana, there are a few common causes to be aware of while working with an electrician.
1. Short Circuits
Short circuits are known to be more dangerous than circuit overloads because a lot of heat is created when neutral and hot wires come in contact with one another. This caused the circuit breaker to immediately turn off to reduce the risk of an electrical fire. Hire a professional to perform an inspection to determine if there’s a loose wire or if there’s faulty wiring. It’s easy to find short circuits because they typically are brown or black and have a burning smell.
2. Defective Circuit Breakers
Due to the number of older homes that are present in Lafayette, Louisiana, many people assume their circuit breaker continues to trip due to old age. In some cases, the issue is due to the circuit breaker being defective. It may be difficult to reset or develops a burning smell. There may even be a few scorch marks that are on the outside of the box. Replacing the circuit breaker is the best way to remedy the issue and protect your safety.
3. Circuit Overload
When there is more electricity in use than the circuit breaker’s capacity, it can immediately start to trip. This is one of the most common causes of the issue and causes it to shut off to prevent a fire. It may be time to hire a professional electrician from a company like Comeaux Electrical Services in Lafayette, Louisiana, which serves Acadiana and the surrounding communities, to upgrade the circuit breaker to ensure it has a higher capacity.
4. Ground Fault Surges
When too much electricity passes through the circuit breaker due to ground fault surges, it causes it to trip. This is similar to a short circuit and occurs when ground wires with bare copper have contact with hot wires. This is easy to find by looking for any discoloration that appears in your circuit breaker, which needs to be pointed out to a professional to prevent the issue from continuing.
Reach out to our team today to learn more about why your circuit breaker continues to trip. At Comeaux Electrical Services, we’re here to answer your questions and provide you with our services to improve the capacity and reliability of your circuit breaker.
