REASONS WHY YOU ARE TRIPPING YOUR BREAKERS 

You have just renovated your kitchen. You feel like Gord Ramsay on fire when everything is working smoothly.  Here’s the clincher.  You have all these wonderful new stainless steel appliances and yet this upgrade has thrown the proverbial spatula in your ability to deliver a brunch masterpiece.   Your sweet new appliances, while be it awesome, also require a great deal more power.  For older homes that have not had their circuits and breaker box upgraded, means there is a chance that it is struggling to keep up with energy demand. This could be the reason why you are now overloading the circuits and tripping the breakers.

A circuit breaker will shut itself off to prevent further damage such as overheating or even an electrical fire.  If you have aluminum wiring in your home this is even more of a concern for you. ( See ‘Aluminum Wiring Concerns in Older Homes’ ).

There are typically 3 reasons as to why a circuit breaker will trip or shut off:

1. Overloaded Circuit

• Too many devices, gadgets or appliances being used at the same time on the same circuit that require a lot of energy to run.

• Overheating appliance.

Resolution:

• Move the plugged-in items that were on the overloaded circuit to another all- purpose circuit to even out the electricity demand on that circuit.

• Unplug or turn off some of the devices or appliances that are on the overloaded circuit to reduce the electrical demand.    

2. Short Circuit

• This a more dangerous situation and requires the attention of an electrician.

• You smell a burning odor.

• Occurs when a hot wire ( black ) touches another hot or even neutral wire ( white ) in one of the outlets that you are using.

• Check your outlets and plugs looking for brown/black discoloration.

• Can be caused by a loose or poor connection in the box or receptacle.

3. Ground Fault

• Similar to a short circuit, a ground fault will occur when the black ‘hot’ wire touches the bare copper ground wire on the side of a metal outlet box that is connected to the ground wire.

• Should also have the attention of an electrician to confirm if there are other factors at play.

Always consult with a qualified and reputable electrical company if something doesn’t seem quite right.  Wireworks Electrical Services Ltd. can assist you with the upgrade of your circuit breakers and breaker box.    

We are available by phone at 780-289-1660, by email at ray@wireworksltd.com should you have any questions.  Or click here to request a free estimate today.