I have a Crouse Hinds 2 pole 30 amp breaker. It will trip, but the room it's to will still have power to it. Why?
By Lonnie B.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I'm planning on opening a bakery in my garage so I've bought a single phase oven and a proofer. I've put a separate circuit breaker for those appliances.
So now the problem is when I switch on those two things at the same time, the power goes OFF including in the house without the breaker tripping then it automatically comes ON again in few seconds. What could be the cause? Please help because my electrician is clueless of what is happening.
It would be wise to not turn on either of those appliances until you locate the problem or you could cause serious damage to the wiring and appliances.
If none of this was done properly (no permit) you may have problems getting another electrician to look for your problem as they may not wish to sign off on a private job.
If you or your electrician would like to ask for expert help you can try asking your question on one of these forums. You will have to join the site and be able to answer questions as to how the job was done and all about your home/garage electricity before this job began.
www.avsforum.com/
forum.smarthome.com/
www.diychatroom.com/
Your oven and the proofer should EACH be wired to their own breakers of sufficient amps, (just like refrigerators, freezers, hot water heaters, if on a well- the water pump, and any other high draw item), otherwise they will continue to pop breakers. Also, make sure the wiring coming into your house to the breaker box is of high enough amperage to serve the total home...200 amp minimum.
I recently purchased a house, and it is clear that the previous owner had not always done things correctly. My present concern is that there seems to be 14 gauge wire running off a 20 AMP breaker. I believe this is a code violation, and more importantly a fire risk. I would rather not open up the walls to replace the wire. Assuming the circuit would be OK on a 15, can I just have the breaker replaced? Is that an adequate solution?
Yes, that is a code violation and a fire risk.
And it invalidates the insurance.
To fix the problem,
1) get a breaker from the same brand and series but with a 15 Amp rating
If you forget point 4), there will be scary sounding arcing and sparking that could startle you into falling off your ladder or chair.
Have FUN!
DearWebby
www.webby.com/
I have 250 volts of power from my meter box to my workshop breaker box but nothing is working (lights, outlets, etc.)! Someone please help me with this, I do not know!
First off, is the main breaker on? If it isn't, then none of the others have power to them. The main is a bigger one, usually centered at the top of the breaker panel. My main has a wire handle that you pull the breaker out with...make sure it is seated in the panel completely.
Electricity is just too dangerous for anyone to give you advice that is not a licensed electrician.
Or maybe I should say it is not for amateurs so please do not do anything other than unplugging everything in your workshop and turning off everything that cannot be unplugged.
You can usually check your main box to see if your circuit breaker needs to be turned off and then back on but probably just best to leave it all alone until a knowledgeable person gives you advice or you call an electrician.
There are some forums that offer help for DIY homeowners so you can ask them before you make that call to see anyone can offer advice.
You will have to join the forums before asking but these are experienced members and they will know what to ask you before going any further.
Good luck with this problem.
www.electriciantalk.com/
forums.mikeholt.com/
www.doityourself.com/
www.diychatroom.com/
The guy I'm buying my double wide from just hooked up a fairly new furnace. It will run for like 6 to 20 minutes, then the breaker will kick off.
The breaker does get warm. Is the breaker going bad or is there something else that he did wrong?Since you did not buy this yet, have the seller fix it. While you are at it, test all the plumbing and look for anything else that needs fixing. We did this when we bought our home.
We once had a furnace in a mobile home that reacted the same way. The problem turned out to be a loose connection at the breaker. This happens in some of the older mobile homes that were built using aluminum wiring.
I have just moved in and there is power to the meter, but not to the house. What could be the problem?
I turned off the breaker to install a new light. After making my connection the light came on. I checked and the breaker was still off, what happened?
Odd. Double check that it clicks back and forth completely. If you still have issues, you may want to contact an electrician to check it out. Post back with an update!
The power points down one side of my house stopped working so I checked the switch board and found one of the circuit breakers in the off position. I turned it off and unplugged every power point and the offending breaker would not reset. Then I turned off the mains and I could reset the breaker, however once the power was turned back on it tripped out again. Does this mean that one of the power points needs to be replaced? The house is 25 years old.
I have a wire that comes out of the junction box in the basement that works for 3 rooms on the second floor. When hooked up, the breaker blows. However when testing ceiling lights and outlets they show power going to them, but they won't work? After removing all the bulbs, now when the wire is hooked up, it shows power to everything and the breaker stays on, but nothing works. Could it be the breaker or something not grounded? This just happened suddenly in the middle of the night.
Your breaker might have gotten damaged when something happened in the middle of the night. When the circuit blows, that is the safety feature that prevents fires. I would get a qualified electrician to fix this. If you do it incorrectly and you have a fire, insurance wont pay.
I plugged in a vacuum cleaner in the living room and had other things going (TV, etc.) and blew the circuit. I unplugged everything and tried to re-set the circuit breaker (switch to off then back to on position). However, the switch will not switch completely to the off or on position. I can move the switch in either direction, but not enough for it to stay there. It goes right back to the middle. Can someone tell me if there is anything else I can try, or does thia mean I have to pay to have an electrician come in and repair this? Many thanks in advance!
Dear Frazzled
Sounds like the circuit breaker has died. They are available at hardware and building supply stores.
To change a circuit breaker, turn off the main breaker on top. Then, with the largest flat screwdriver, that just fits into the slot on the screw, that attaches the wire to the breaker, loosen that screw, but don't remove it. Just loosen it and pull the wire out, but not too far away.
Then use the flat screwdriver to tilt the dead breaker back, away from the center. Then it's easy to pull it out.
With the dead breaker in hand, go to the hardware store and buy a replacement 15 (fifteen) Amp breaker. Do NOT get one with a higher rating!
Then shove that new breaker into the slot in the panel, and after making 100% sure that the main breaker is off, attach the old wire to it. Then, with the largest flat screwdriver, that just fits into the slot on the screw, tighten that screw until you hear it squeak.
Turn the main breaker on and turn the new breaker on, and everything will be fine.
You may be curious about why I harp on using a big screw driver. There are two reasons for that:
1) it is less likely to slip off and cause an injury or damage expensive parts 2) a small screwdriver will mess up the screw
before you have tightened it enough.
Have FUN!
DearWebby
www.webby.com/
Dear Webby has it right.However,if you don't feel comfortable from the directions go to a electrical supply store and ask then to show you how or go over to your local trade school and talk with the electrical teacher and have him show you how to change the breaker.BE SURE TO TURN OFF THE MAIN SWITCH BEFORE DOING ANY WORK ON THE PANEL>
Call your electrician!! It is easier and a whole lot safer, speaking from experience!!
First make sure you are letting the breaker cool down- it might take a few minutes- then try- if that did fix the problem cal a qualified electian
I had this happen to me, only it was the main breaker, so I called the electric compnay. I paid $50 to see a guy stand on a step ladder and push it really hard. I was embarrassed and then mad because that costed me $50!!
1 - Can I turn the main switch back on after the faulty circuit has been removed (so the family can still watch TV while I run to the hardware store)?
2 - If I have a circuit breaker, that is the same model as many of the others, but has lost most of its tension by comparison (it still holds its place in the on and off position, but it takes the slightest nudge to move it), does that infer it is going bad and needs to be replaced?
3 - I had a short blow out an overhead light fixture badly enough to melt the plastic and make the wires brittle. This did not blow the breaker...is this a problem, or are fixtures too small a draw to flip the circuit?
Thanks all!
I was advised by someone who knows that if a breaker goes bad, and one elects to replace it himself, that a breaker of the same make and model is the best bet. Evidently there are differences. My own problem was something that I did not want to handle and I called a licensed electrician to handle. Good luck!
ThriftyFun,
Thanks for your post. I was able to successfully change a circuit (15) by using your directions. It solved my problem. I noticed some people saying you should not do because you could burn your house down and such. But if they follow your instructions and turn off the main. It is relatively simple to do. I just made sure I had rubber handle needle nose to guide the house wire back into the new circuit as well as a big rubber handle screwdriver. Thanks for people like you. Bret
The circuit breakers in all my four bedrooms are tripped and cannot be switched on, but the bathrooms are OK. I don't think the breakers are bad or the circuits are shorted because they are individual, and cannot all be bad at the same time.
By Peter C. from Katy, TX
Make sure there is absolutely nothing plugged into any of the outlets in the bedrooms. Something - a lamp, clock, etc. could have a short and will prevent the circuit breaker from resetting. Even a dented or cut electrical cord can do this. Also make sure none of the overhead lights are turned on. Check the light bulbs in them because even a bad light blub in one of them can cause a short. I spent 27 years working on computers and our rule was "check the easy stuff first". If each room is on a different circuit check each room individually. Eventually you will track down the culprit. Happy hunting and good luck.
This just happened to us. We had to call an electrician. Some time ago my Dear Hubby changed out a light switch and because he is colorblind got the wires mixed up when he hooked it back up. Any way our circuit breaker went to ground and we needed an electrician to fix it.
I'm trying to figure out why breaker won't reset after overloading the circuit with space heaters. I even replaced the breaker and it sparked when I tried to reset.
I'm planning on checking plugs next to see if the wiring is damaged. Is this a good place to start?My boat's 30amp circuit breaker opens when I first plug it into shore power. I may have to reset the breaker a few times and then it works even with a 15 amp heater load.
What should I look for?I put in a new breaker box, but all my power is not right. Some of it is weak and sometimes dims and comes back.
My circuit box has two levers on/off and lit. What does this mean? What do I do with the circuit box when the lights in the kitchen go off?
I cleaned my Whirlpool oven with Easy Off and it was heating up even when it was off. After I cleaned I dried it and waited a while before turning it on and it flipped the breaker and now does nothing.
The breaker won't reset.I turned the breaker to my water heater off and when I turned it back on my water heater wasn't working. As it is a very old water heater I thought it had gone out, so I replaced it with a new one. It is still not working. The plumber installed it correctly, we filled it, and turned the breaker on, nothing.
The plumber checked the plug going into the hot water heater and it reads 110 on each side because it's a 220 plug. The last water heater we had was 220v 3800w 150 PSI, 30 gallon. This water heater is 240v 4200w. I have two questions. Would the wire test 110 on each side at the water heater if the breaker was messed up? Does the voltage make a huge difference being the old one was 220 and this one is 240?
I changed all the outlets in my house from two to three prongs. Within a week my son's room lost power. I checked the breaker and reset all GFCIS, but nothing. I then I bought a multimeter; it revealed that the lower pole out of a two pole breaker was dead (this was the only breaker dead in the box). I did buy a new 20 dual pole BR type breaker and replaced it, but there is still no power, in fact the lower pole is not giving me a reading just like the old one.
I have a circuit breaker that tripped last week. The backyard lights and dinning room light run off it and everything was off when it tripped. It would not reset even after pushing it all the way to off. I thought maybe it overheated so I left it off over night, but then the next day it still did not reset.
I waited until today when I am off work to go to Home Depot to by a new breaker and see if that was the problem. As I was getting ready to leave, I decided to test the breaker again just in case and lo and behold it reset and everything works just fine again. What would cause a breaker to not want to reset for several days?
We have been experiencing a "hot" smell whenever we use the clothes dryer. We have cleaned all possible lint and dust from the dryer and the vent to make sure that was not the source.
New notice the smell coming from the circuit breaker panel, any thoughts?I asked an electrician to fix the circuit breaker in my house because it was tripping. So he connected 4mm wire between the neutral and the earth. All was well for 2 days, then it kept tripping whenever you pull out the wire. What could be the problem? Could it be a floating neutral?
By justine from SA
I don't know that much about electricity, but call the electrician back to fix the problem. They are supposed to guarantee their work.
You had an electrician fix it and he connected 4mm wire between the neutral and the earth. All was well for 2 days, then it kept tripping whenever you pulled out the wire. What could be the problem? Maybe pulling out the wire is the problem.
If it was fine for two days after he did this, maybe it wasn't meant for you to keep pulling the wire out?
