Breaker Keeps Tripping? Causes and Fixes
A breaker that keeps tripping is doing its job. The question is why.
A breaker trips to stop a circuit from overheating or shorting. Most of the time the cause is simple and you can find it yourself. Sometimes it is the first sign of a wiring problem, and that is the one not to ignore.
The three usual causes, and how to tell them apart
An overload is the most common. Too many things on one circuit, typically a space heater, hair dryer or microwave sharing a circuit with everything else in the room. It trips after a few seconds or minutes, and it stops tripping when you move the big load to another circuit.
A short circuit trips instantly, often the moment you reset the breaker or switch something on. It means a hot wire is touching a neutral or ground somewhere: in an appliance, a cord, a device or the wiring itself. Unplug everything on that circuit and reset. If it holds, plug things back in one at a time until you find the culprit. If it trips with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the wiring and it needs an electrician.
A ground fault or arc fault is the third. Many breakers in newer homes are GFCI or AFCI breakers, with a test button on the breaker itself. They trip on small leaks of current or on arcing that a standard breaker would never notice, which makes them more sensitive to worn cords, damp outlets and loose connections. A trip on one of those is information, not a nuisance.
To reset any breaker, push the handle fully to off first, then back to on. A tripped breaker usually sits in the middle, and it will not reset from there. If it trips again straight away, leave it off and call.
- Tripping breakers diagnosed, not just reset
- Overloaded circuits split with new dedicated circuits
- Worn or failing breakers replaced
- Wiring faults found and repaired
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Breaker Keeps Tripping: common questions
Is it dangerous if my breaker keeps tripping?
The breaker tripping is the safe part: it is stopping the problem. The risk is resetting it over and over, or replacing it with a bigger breaker so it stops tripping. Never do that. A breaker is sized to the wire, not to the load you want to run.
Why does my breaker trip when it rains?
Usually moisture in an outdoor outlet, a light fixture or an exterior junction box, which a GFCI or AFCI breaker reads as a fault. It is worth finding before it becomes corrosion.
Can a breaker just wear out?
Yes. Breakers are mechanical and they do fail, sometimes tripping below their rating. We test the breaker as well as the circuit before deciding which one is the problem.
What does a diagnostic visit cost?
Smaller diagnostic calls like a tripping breaker may have a trip fee, and it is waived if you go ahead with the repair. We tell you on the phone before we come out.
Related: GFCI keeps tripping · Power out? What to check · Panel upgrades
Breaker trips again the moment you reset it?
Leave it off, unplug what is on that circuit, and call. That pattern points at a fault, not an overload.