What You Should Do When Your Circuit Breaker Trips

What Is A Circuit Breaker?

With the oven and the dishwasher to the laundry machine to the television, your household demands a lot of electricity. This electricity comes into your house from a power plant and is distributed to the many circuits in the building. This divvying of the electricity into multiple smaller circuits is a security feature, just as the circuit breaker box is a security feature. A circuit breaker is an automatically operated switch designed to protect circuits from damage caused by overloads and short circuits. When there is unusual activity in a circuit, the circuit breaker “trips” off to interrupt the electric current flow.

What to Do When the Circuit Breaker Trips

So, you know the circuit breaker jumps into action when it detects unusual activity such as an overloaded circuit or a short circuit, but what do you do when the circuit breaker trips? First thing’s first, and that is safety. Make sure you do NOT touch any exposed wires and keep away from the circuit breaker if you notice moisture or wetness in the area.

If the coast is clear, then the next thing to do is turn off all of the affected lights, electronics, and appliances. If there is no off switch, then safely unplug the device or unit to cut them from the power source before continuing.

Now, head over to the circuit breaker box, which is typically a gray metal service box. It is usually found in a utility area such as the basement, laundry room, utility closet, or garage. Open its door and you should find switches set in rows. These switches are often labeled to identify which rooms they control. Inspect the switches, find the one that is turned off, and switch it back on.

Head back into the affected room and turn the appliances on one by one. Hopefully, that should be the end of your issue. If the circuit breaker trips again, then there might be something wrong with the wiring and you should hire a qualified electrician to take a look as soon as possible.

Mr. Electric Can Help

A circuit breaker that is constantly tripping is an indication of electrical wiring problems. In this case, you should have a qualified electrician investigate. Mr. Electric of Dallas is always ready to help. Call at any time to speak with a live representative and schedule a flexible appointment or request an emergency dispatch. We are ready when you are.