It’s inevitable – you have a tripped breaker at the worst time. Just as the Christmas tree is being decorated, bang out goes the breaker. If you haven’t ever looked inside your electrical panel, there are switches called breakers. If you’ve never had to open up your panel to see if one of these was tripped – lucky you! If you are like the majority of people, you have definitely tried to reset a tripped breaker once or twice. While having a breaker trip might seem like no big deal, do you know what causes it or when you need to call an electrician?
What is a circuit breaker?
A circuit breaker is a switch that can be found in your electrical panel. It is designed to open up a circuit if it is at risk of overloading. When this happens, the breaker trips and it will cause everything connected to that circuit to lose power.
What causes a breaker to trip?
A tripped breaker usually comes from an overloaded circuit. A circuit is created to carry a certain amount of electricity, so when that amount is exceeded, it causes a breaker to trip. Too many things on one circuit – If you have too many things on one circuit, or big appliances sharing a circuit, they will become overloaded. Or short circuits occur when 2 different kinds of wires touch. Ground fault surges occur when electricity takes an unplanned path to the ground, it is called a ground fault. A ground fault causes an excess amount of electricity to flow through a circuit. If a breaker is old or faulty. Some signs a breaker is old or faulty include:
- It feels hot to the touch.
- It won’t stay set to the “on” position.
- A burning smell is present.
- There is visible damage or wear.
What to do when a breaker trips?
When you have a tripped breaker, many people assume that resetting it back to the “on” position will take care of the issue. However, this can actually be dangerous if you don’t know what caused the problem in the first place. If you have had a breaker trip, or you have had any signs of an old/faulty breaker as listed above, it’s time to call an electrician. Your electrician will determine why it tripped and provide a permanent solution, so it doesn’t happen again.
Contact us
Mikulka Electricians are always professional and efficient. Insured and trained to do the job right the first time. Experts in the field of electrics with over 25 years’ experience. Prepared with up-front pricing and a lifetime guarantee. We observe all personal protective equipment and COVID 19 requirements to keep our staff and your family safe. Our team of experts will respond immediately to your call for help. Call Mikulka Electric, Inc. for a wide range of electrical services, including indoor and outdoor lighting, electrical heating, electrical repairs, and back-up generators. We service the Central New Jersey area. Address 275 RT. 79 Morganville, NJ 07751 https://mikulka-electric.com/contact-us/
Phone 855-645-8552 or 855-MIKULKA