Tired of dealing with breakers tripping left and right in your home? Don’t worry! Here at Kolb Electric we deal with circuit breaker tripping on a daily basis, and we know just what to do. Follow along and find out the five biggest things that cause trips here in Baltimore!
Contact our electrical repair and service professionals when you’re experiencing circuit breaker tripping in your home!
What Is a Breaker Trip?
Ever wondered exactly what’s going on when your breaker trips? It’s actually quite simple! Breakers are designed to monitor a specific circuit or set of circuits in your home, and essentially they police the current flowing into these circuits.
When an overload or short-circuit occurs the current essentially exceeds its capacity and the breaker trips, cutting off electricity flow to that area of the home. This is why when a breaker trips you usually lose power to a section of your home all at once.
These are the Most Common Causes of Circuit Breaker Tripping In VA Homes
There are actually lots of things that can cause this issue, but there five are the ones our Baltimore electricians deal with most often:
- Excessive appliance use. Each breaker is set to administer a very specific amount of electrical current, which is measured in amps. When the number of amps is exceeded, the breaker will always trip (unless you’ve got a faulty breaker). This tends to happen when folks get new appliances, like a large plasma TV, and try to plug it into a circuit that is already near or at maximum capacity.
- High-draw appliances. Certain appliances draw a shockingly huge amount of power. This includes vacuums, microwaves, hair dryers, and portable heaters most commonly. Things of this nature should be operated on a dedicated high-draw circuit, and never just plugged in anywhere!
- Worn out or damaged breakers. It’s also possible that your current breakers have simply worn out! Just like any other appliance or tool breakers have a shelf live and will eventually give way to aging. When this happens they can often start tripping arbitrarily or even refusing to operate at all. Luckily enough, though, circuit breaker replacement is a fast and simple job in the hands of a certified pro.
- Storms and lightning strikes. Though not the most common cause of circuit breaker tripping, storms can certainly do it. We recommend looking into whole-home surge protection systems to prevent this, as well as to protect vital and high-cost home appliances.
- Bad wiring. When wiring begins to wear out or gets damaged it opens up your home and circuits to short circuiting, which not only will cause circuit breaker tripping but is also very dangerous. This is why home wiring should be inspected routinely and updated after a home renovation or remodel.
Circuit Breaker Tripping Repair and Service in MD, VA & DC
Tired of the headache that is constant circuit breaker tripping? Contact our specialists today! We can either repair any issues you may be experiencing, or recommend new outlet and circuit installation to accommodate your needs!
