I have a 15 amp breaker that started tripping last night. I unplugged everything on that circuit and it still trips. I even replaced the breaker with a 20 amp breaker from another circuit and it trips. Any ideas?
By Bill Stephens from Johnstown, PA
My husband suggests that you have a short in the wiring somewhere and the circuit breaker is doing what it is suppose to do if that is the case. (09/14/2009)
By Myrna
NEVER put a larger breaker on a smaller circuit. It is sized to protect the wire that is installed and all devices that are attached, putting a larger size breaker can cause over-heating and a fire. My suggestion would be first to look for something on the circuit you don't know about. With the breaker off, check every receptacle and switch to see which ones don't have power-you may be surprised by what is on the circuit.
Second, go with the first person's post and start checking for a short. This would involve removing the devices that aren't working and looking for burnt or damaged wires. If it can't be found this way hire an electrician. With the tools at their disposal, they can find a short in no time. (09/14/2009)
By Dave
Put the old 15 Amp breaker back in, and don't ever admit to anybody, that you put a larger breaker in. That can void your insurance and even get your electricity cut off. Hire an electrician.
A competent electrician will put a "tone" from a 9 Volt tone generator onto that wire and follow it with a tone paddle, that traces from a few feet away where the electricity flows to. It could be that a nail or screw is shorting the wire to the metal siding or the plumbing, or it could be that a wire has come loose in an outlet or fixture.
A bigger breaker will just burn the trailer or house down or kill somebody. That is a very costly and inconclusive way to find where the short is. The "tone" or warbler doesn't damage anything and can not hurt even a baby, but it tells a professional instantly where the problem is.
Have fun. DearWebby http://webby.com/humor/blog
(09/14/2009)
By Helmut
Just because something is plugged in, but not turned on, does not mean it is not a "load" to a circuit. (09/14/2009)
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