Making sure that the electrical system in your Fayetteville, North Carolina, home functions properly is vitally important for your family’s safety. If you find your circuit breaker is tripping or shutting off, that is a sign of an electrical malfunction somewhere in your house. Let’s take a look at a few reasons your circuit breaker keeps tripping.
Overloaded Circuit
One of the most common reasons that your circuit breaker trips is due to an overloaded circuit. When there are too many appliances and devices connected to the same circuit, it can exceed the normal capacity of the electrical wiring and that circuit will shut off to protect the system. If this happens, try unplugging an appliance, resetting the circuit breaker, and see if that solves the issue.
Short Circuit
If an active electrical wire touches a neutral or other active wire, a large amount of current suddenly flows through the wires. The circuit breaker will shut off because it can’t handle the amount of current surging through. If the wires touch, you may notice sparks, a popping sound, and even smell smoke. Burning electrical wires create a very dangerous situation.
Ground Fault
Similar to a short circuit, a ground fault occurs when an active wire touches the grounding wire, which causes an influx of power that the circuit breaker cannot handle, so it shuts off. Ground faults are mostly caused by faulty, damaged, or defective equipment and outlets. You may notice smoke or burning around electrical outlets. To prevent further damage or even a house fire, you need to fix the problem right away.
Circuit breakers are installed as a safety feature when there is an electrical malfunction, so if they keep tripping, you have an issue that must be addressed as soon as possible.
If you are experiencing any electrical issues, contact our team at Cape Fear Air Conditioning, Heating, & Electrical Company, Inc. right away! Call us at 910-216-9394.
Image provided by Shutterstock
