Who hasn’t experienced this? You’re at home watching TV when suddenly everything in the room shuts off–the TV, the lights, everything! You look out the window, and your neighbors’ lights are on, so you know it’s not a blackout. You look down your hallway, and your kitchen lights are working. A circuit has tripped. Now it’s time to locate your breaker box in the dark to reset your breaker.
But why did your breaker trip in the first place? First, let’s explore circuit breakers and how they are a vital part of your home’s safety net.
WHAT ARE CIRCUIT BREAKERS?
As you know, electricity generates a lot of heat. When large amounts of electricity or flows into a circuit breaker, the temperature rises significantly. To keep things from getting too hot and starting a fire, heat-sensitive components in the breaker cause it to shut off. The circuit breaker interrupts the flow of electricity and does what its name says: it breaks the circuit. This protects your home against overheating, dangerous short circuits, and overloads.
HOW TO PROPERLY RESET A BREAKER
Unless there is something wrong with the unit itself, breakers don’t just randomly flip. So, when you reset it, it’s important to follow the proper steps.
1 – Turn Off All Devices on the Tripped Circuit
Something caused the breaker to trip. Turn off any microwave ovens, hairdryers, or air conditioners that were running when your breaker tripped.
2 – Get a Flashlight and Locate Your Breaker Box
Do you know where your circuit breaker box is? You’d be surprised to know that a lot of renters and even homeowners have no idea how to locate theirs.
3 – Turn it Off, Turn it On, and Test
Once you’ve located and opened your breaker box, find the tripped breaker. Flip it to the off position. Next, flip it to the on position until you hear a click. Now, go into the room(s) affected by the tripped breaker and turn on your lights and appliances one at a time.
WHAT CAUSES BREAKERS TO TRIP?
There are a lot of reasons that a breaker can trip. Here are three common causes.
1 – Short Circuits
Electricity has a pathway – from your home panel, through your walls, to your outlets, to whatever you have plugged in. When a powered hot wire makes contact with a neutral wire, you’ve got a short circuit. Short circuits can happen when wire insulation deteriorates, when water gets near electricity, or when cables in your walls get punctured with nails or drywall screws.
2 – Ground Faults
Ground faults happen when a hot wire makes contact with anything that’s grounded. This can be anything from the side of a metal electrical box to an outlet or even a bare ground wire.
3 – Overloaded Circuits
The most common cause of tripped breakers is having too many things plugged in an operating at the same time. High amp devices like air conditioners, microwaves, space heaters, and hairdryers are the usual culprits.
HOW CAN YOU AVOID REGULARLY TRIPPING YOUR BREAKERS?
If your breakers are regularly tripping, chances are, you may want to add more breakers and do some re-wiring to suit your growing electrical needs.
PK & Altman Electric performs a wide variety of custom wiring jobs, from adding standard 110 house current outlets to an underserved room to custom installations of higher voltage 220 appliances.
Our team of licensed electricians will help you with planning to determine the number of circuits required and complete every step of the installation process that may require drilling in wall studs or floor joists to accommodate wires to power your new outlets or appliances.
As always, all work done by PK & Altman Electric’s team of licensed and insured electricians is guaranteed to meet New York City’s electrical safety code standards.
And since nobody wants to have their walls opened more than once, we’ll even help you develop a pre-electrical plan that includes expanded breakers and wiring for new appliances, electronics, or other gadgets the future has in store for you!
Circuit breakers play a vital role in maintaining electrical safety and preventing potential hazards. At PK Electric NYC, we offer comprehensive electrical services, including 24-hour emergency service, repair of damaged electrical wires, electrical panel wiring, and commercial electrician services. Our team of experts ensures that your electrical systems are properly installed, inspected, and maintained to minimize the risk of electrical accidents. Whether you’re a residential customer or a commercial establishment, our dedicated professionals provide reliable solutions tailored to your specific needs. Trust PK Electric NYC for all your electrical requirements and experience peace of mind knowing that your circuit breakers are in good hands.
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