Welcome to our ‘How-To’ video series!
Overloaded Electrical Circuits Tripping Breakers
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- Too many appliances on one circuit – Redistribute devices over additional circuits to balance the load.
- Faulty appliances – Malfunctioning appliances like damaged motors can overload and trip circuits. Inspect and repair or replace faulty devices.
- Loose wiring – Loose wire connections create resistance and overheating that trips breakers. Have an electrician inspect.
- Undersized wiring – Outdated wiring that is too small gauge for modern power demand will overheat when overloaded. Upgrade wiring.
- Too many extension cords – Chaining too many extension cords together overloads circuits. Reduce usage.
- Major appliances on small circuits – Heavy appliances need dedicated circuits. Don’t combine with lighting, outlets on 15-20 amp circuits.
- Bad breaker – Excessively tripped circuits may indicate a faulty breaker in need of replacement by an electrician.
- Short circuit – Damaged wires touching and shorting can instantly trip a breaker. Inspect wires for damage or improper connections.
- High-wattage bulbs – Large 300-500 watt incandescent bulbs can overload lighting circuits. Switch to lower wattage LED bulbs.
- Electric space heaters – High-draw portable heaters should not share circuits with other devices. Dedicate circuit just for the heater.
