Circuit breaker tripped? There could be a simple reason for why that’s happening.
From dodgy plugs and extension cords, to appliances and multiboards, sometimes finding out why a circuit breaker tripped is a matter of finding the cause of the fault and either removing it or getting it repaired.
With a little bit of detective work, you can find what is causing the breaker to trip, remove the cause of the problem and best of all, save money and an expensive electrician call out.
So here goes. This post is made for people who have zero electrical knowledge or experience.
Circuit Breaker Tripped? – Reason #1
Identify Rooms Without Power
The first thing to do is identify the areas of the home which have lost power.
Is it the garage, kitchen, home office or somewhere else?
A tripped breaker will cause you to lose power to a specific area of the house.
This is the area where you are going to try and find the cause of the fault.
Look for anything that’s plugged into a wall socket.
You might have appliances, extension cords, lamps, TV’s and many other things plugged into powerpoints.
This might be where the electrical fault is coming from.
Here’s how to start checking if these cords or appliances have faults causing a breaker to trip.
Circuit Breaker Tripped? – Reason #2
Bad Plug On Extension Cord
Bad plugs are a common reason why breakers trip.
This happens because plugs are exposed to a lot of wear and tear. Especially plugs on extension leads which have been yanked out of a wall socket.
If a plug has ‘wiggly’, bent, broken or burnt prongs, it is possible that the plug is causing the breaker to trip.
If the plug looks old or broken in any way, it could also be the cause of the problem
If you suspect a bad plug is causing the breaker to trip, don’t plug it back it and instead go to the next step to continue our investigation
Here is another article about extension cords tripping circuit breakers.
Circuit Breaker Tripped? – Reason #3
Damaged Extension Cord
In addition to checking the condition of the plug, you should also check the condition of the cord or lead. If the cord or lead has any nicks or abrasions, it could be causing the breaker to trip. Leads can become damaged in a lot of different ways. Rodents are also known to chew extension leads.
If a cord has damage, you might be able to see three wires of different colors underneath the insulation.
As a safety measure, before checking extension cords, always make sure that the cord is unplugged from the wall socket. This is to prevent getting a shock if you were to accidentally ‘find’ the damage in the extension cord.
If you find any damage in an extension cord, don’t plug it back in.
Circuit Breaker Tripped? – Reason #4
Faulty Appliance
Next you should check your appliances. Again, make sure that the appliance is unplugged before doing anything.
First, check the lead and plug. If it is damaged, this could be why the breaker is tripping. If the plug and lead are okay then check the body of the appliance.
The appliance might have a short circuit or ground fault which has caused the breaker to trip.
This can happen because the appliance has failed and needs to be replaced.
It can also happen because water has entered into the electrical circuit.
Circuit Breaker Tripped? – Reason #5
Overloaded Multiboards
Overloaded multiboards are known to trip out circuit breakers. This happens because too many things are plugged into the multiboard which goes beyond the electrical load that it’s designed to handle.
The effect is that the circuit is overloaded and the breaker trips.
To fix this, check for any multiboards and see what is plugged into them.
For example, a multi board with a heater plugged into it, could potentially be overloading the circuit. The best thing to do is unplug the multiboard for now.
If the multiboard has any evidence of melting, it is probably the source of the fault.
Final Check – Does The Breaker Still Trip?
Now that you have unplugged everything which might have caused a fault, it is time to go and reset the circuit breaker.
If the breaker doesn’t trip again, it’s likely that the electrical fault causing the breaker to trip is in the extension lead, multiboard or appliances that you unplugged.
If the breaker does trip again, it is likely a symptom of a bigger electrical issue such as a short circuit or ground fault in a electrical fitting, outlet, switch or cable in your home wiring.
Next Steps
We Fix Faults is a blog dedicated to diagnosing and troubleshooting common electrical faults around the home. If you found this information useful please share it or subscribe to our newsletter.