A tripping breaker isn’t all that uncommon from time to time. It happens on occasion, but if it happens regularly, you have a problem. In fact, your home may be at risk of a fire if it happens on a regular basis for no obvious reason. To help you understand a little more about why a breaker will trip, a Fort Lauderdale electrician is here to explain it. If you still have more questions or you are concerned about one of your tripping breakers, give Elcon Electric a call.
There are a few reasons your circuit breaker will trip. The first is the most common and is due to being overloaded. Basically, this means you are trying to draw more electricity from the breaker than it has to offer. It trips and cuts power altogether. You will need to unplug a couple of things to lighten the load on that breaker explains an electrician. Fort Lauderdale homeowners that need more electricity can have another breaker installed, which may also require a panel upgrade.
The next reason is there is a short circuit in the wires leading to the outlet or lightswitch. This is dangerous and the breaker tripping is a safety mechanism to prevent electrocution. It cuts power to the bad outlet. The damage may already be done and a fire may already be burning.
The last cause of a tripped breaker explains an electrician in Fort Lauderdale is a ground fault mishap. This involves a ground wire somehow coming into contact with metal. This is another serious risk that can result in a fire. If you have a breaker that keeps tripping, smell burning wires or are concerned in general about the condition of the electrical wiring, give Elcon Electric a call and have a quick inspection to see what is causing your tripping breakers.