Tagged Questions
2
votes
0answers
35 views
Why is my air conditioner tripping the circuit breaker?
Our air conditioner recently stopped blowing out cold air. When I went to check on it, I noticed that the outside unit wasn't coming on. We had had problems with ants in the contacter in the past, ...
3
votes
2answers
52 views
Why does the breaker keep tripping on a circuit with two rooms' lights and a sewer pump?
I have a circuit-breaker that is connected to lights in two rooms, and to a sewer pump in the basement. I had the sewer cleaned out and the pump inspected, and no problems were detected. I then had ...
4
votes
2answers
161 views
Why does my circuit breaker trip with any small load, even after replacing the breaker?
I have a 20A 240V GFCI breaker in my main breaker box going to a conduit to another breaker box outside.
All worked well last summer. Now, when I put any load (weed-eater, light, etc.) on an outlet ...
1
vote
2answers
116 views
Why does the circuit breaker for my bedroom continue to trip without any visible event after a power loss?
The 20A breaker for my bedroom will trip whenever we have a power outage at my house. If you reset it, it will trip again after an interval, say 5~10 seconds. The longer you wait to reset it, the ...
2
votes
3answers
218 views
How can I shut off circuits when I have a generator with an automatic transfer switch?
We had professionals install a generator with an automatic transfer switch. I showed them our circuit-breaker box and told them which circuit numbers should be on generator power. Okay, everything's ...
4
votes
3answers
440 views
Does turning circuit breakers off cause wear?
A comment over on another SE got me thinking. With screw-in fuses, unscrewing it and then later screwing it back in causes negligible wear on either part of the installation. But what about modern ...
2
votes
2answers
259 views
How do I connect a timer to circuit box which controls our outside lights?
Currently our outdoor lights are being controlled by the circuit breaker in the box. We want to connect a timer to the circuit-breaker. There is a junction box with Black, White and a bare ground ...
2
votes
2answers
173 views
What does the latch position of a circuit breaker mean?
I bought a new home in December 2011. After some time the kitchen lights and the lights in the living room started to switch off randomly. Some days it would happen 3-4 times in a row. Other days it ...
2
votes
2answers
318 views
What is the purpose of a double pole breaker for separate 15A circuits?
My new house is done being built and I am going to come in and install my new gas range and dishwasher, both 120V 15A appliances.
I got thoroughly confused looking at the breaker box because gas ...
4
votes
1answer
155 views
How can I figure out why my breakers are tripping?
A few years ago, I installed a solid wood "pocket" sliding door for my workshop. It's on an exterior wall, so I had to add some thick sealing strips that keep the cold air from Wisconsin winters ...
1
vote
2answers
346 views
Why is my fuse board buzzing when I'm using the shower?
I have used an electric shower for years no problems, but all of a sudden my fuse board started buzzing when I use the shower. I replaced the shower with the same size unit and it still makes a ...
1
vote
0answers
171 views
Why does half the house go out when a single breaker trips?
The breaker box at my brother's house is well marked and balanced except when a breaker is tripped half the house goes out. I'm currently living on the third floor of his house. When I turned on a ...
2
votes
2answers
222 views
What model circuit breaker is this?
I live in an old 50 + year old house and it still has the original circuit breakers. I am trying to search for one that died, but don't know the model or even if they make these anymore. If any ...
3
votes
1answer
167 views
Can I wire a secondary 240V breaker box for lab equipment from Europe?
I have a dental lab in Europe and might want to move it to the USA. Some of the equipment rates as high as 4kW, and the the total maximum draw is 15kW for the whole lab. Can I wire a secondary breaker ...
6
votes
2answers
752 views
Blown fuse replaced, still no power
Yesterday a contractor was doing work in our bedroom. At one point he plugged in a hammering drill and when he used it it blew the fuse. We confirmed the 15amp fuse was dead but I didn't have a ...
13
votes
4answers
345 views
Is there a lifetime failure count for a breaker?
I have an external cutoff for my air conditioner that has two physical fuses (TR-50's, time delay 50 amps) outside. This is between the condenser unit and the main power panel, where it is protected ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I replace a GFCI receptacle in my bathroom?
we're remodeling our bathroom and were simply looking to switch out 20 year old light almond outlets and light switches for white. While I thought this would be easy I've run into a problem with the ...
9
votes
5answers
1k views
Why would there be a 50 amp plug on a 30 amp appliance?
I have an old conveyor dryer, which my office purchased used some time ago, just sitting in storage. The dryer is for silk screen t-shirts and has a large heating element and a variable speed conveyor ...
2
votes
2answers
131 views
How much current should I expect this motor to draw when it's running steadily?
This fan lists its "Max. Amperage" as 3.2. I assume the motor draws that much when it's first turning on, then settles down to some lower current. How much current should I expect it to draw when ...
3
votes
3answers
200 views
How do I determine if adding an air conditioner will overload a circuit?
I'm going to take advantage of some Memorial Day sales and pull the trigger on a portable AC unit for my "basement-ish" (bottom of windowsill is mid chest, rather than head height) apartment. Before ...
5
votes
3answers
455 views
What is simplest strategy to map circuits to breakers in the panel?
My breaker box is very poorly labeled and I want to figure out which circuits may have overloaded (or close to it) and which could reasonably handle a little more.
In the past I have just tried ...
5
votes
1answer
578 views
Can i run my cables from the outside box to the inside breaker box through 2x4 studs?
I am turning our carport into a living room and we have a 100amp breaker box outside that feeds power into the breaker box on the inside of our house. the conduit is going to be in the way of the wall ...
2
votes
3answers
4k views
Why does the main circuit breaker trip but not the smaller branch circuit breakers?
We have one circuit breaker (40 ampere) in entry point of electricity line in our house, than we divided it into two separate line in two levels and put one circuit breaker( 32 ampere) in level one ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
Splitting a circuit breaker into multiple lines
I recently found out that several rooms in my house are apparently connected to one circuit breaker.
Setup:
My wife was in the bathroom drying her hair and I decided it was time to nuke lunch in the ...
7
votes
2answers
758 views
Is it ever safe to have 14 gauge wire anywhere on a circuit proected by a 30 amp breaker?
I was doing some work in an old house I recently moved into, and found that my dishwasher and garbage disposal (and some outlets near them) are on a 30 amp breaker. However, some of the electrical ...
6
votes
1answer
949 views
GFCI outlet won't come on
I have a couple recently installed (By a professional licensed electrician) GFCI outlets outside a barn, both on their own circuit.
Both have water trough heaters plugged into them - 1500 watts each.
...
4
votes
5answers
755 views
How Do I Power A 220 Water Heater Off Two 110 Breakers
First off I know this is not the best idea.
To start my 200 Amp Main has suffered a partial failure and as it is old (60s) and unusual it will be very hard or impossible to replace it. Since the main ...
8
votes
4answers
449 views
How can I automatically disconnect a coffee maker and space heater without tripping the building's 20A circuit breaker?
My small office has a 20A breaker and we have to run a space heater in the winter or else we freeze to death. Whenever someone turns on the coffee maker, the office circuit breaker trips and ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
What did I do wrong??! Wiring error is tripping circuit breaker
Here's the scoop:
There are 3 switches in my hallway. One switch on side A and two switches on side B. Side A switch controls same light as one switch on Side B. I replaced the switch on Side A ...
5
votes
4answers
398 views
Can re-closing a circuit-breaker be dangerous?
I have a circuit breaker that keeps tripping. When i try to reset (close) it, it immediately jumps back to the open position with a noise that sounds a little scary.
I have now stopped trying to do ...
7
votes
6answers
3k views
How is it that two breaker switches control the same things?
Forewarning: I don't know that much about electrical terms, so please excuse any mistakes I've possibly made.
I recently moved the TV in my living room and ran a new line for the electricity to the ...
2
votes
1answer
303 views
How do I recognize which socket cover (fused or 3-pin) connects to which outlet?
I have two power outlets in this room, one is a normal 3-pin (UK) plate cover and the other is a fused (switched) plate cover (much like the one below).
I've know removed them and wish to put them ...
7
votes
2answers
340 views
What is the best short-term solution for fused neutrals?
I have inherited a house that has been in my wife's family since 1860. I do not know when it was electrified, but it seems to have skipped knob and tube. There is a lot of fabric-covered wire, and ...
3
votes
1answer
173 views
Single outlet resettable breaker?
Basically I have an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) which has a 20amp plug and I know that the load on the UPS will NEVER exceed 15 amp (Bought it mainly because it can attach more battery units to ...
6
votes
7answers
2k views
How important is circuit breaker breaking capacity?
All else being equal circuit breakers can have different "breaking capacity" - it's the maximum current which the breaker can disconnect and it's typically several thousand amperes. The idea is that ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
What information do I need to select a circuit breaker?
I am having 2 new lines run in my basement to power a workbench's tools and an unrelated computer station.
I have room in my panel for additional breakers, and rather than tie into existing wiring, I ...
3
votes
1answer
664 views
Amp rating of ganged circuit-breakers
Backstory: I'm considering replacing my current tank water heater with a tankless whole-house unit. The units I see generally require a 120-amp breaker circuit.
Currently, my panel has two ganged ...
2
votes
1answer
407 views
How do I test circuit breakers?
Suppose I need new circuit breakers and buy some at a local shop. How do I test them to be sure they haven't been damaged on their way from factory and will do their job when time comes?
5
votes
4answers
606 views
How can I tell if a circuit breaker is worn out?
I was installing a light and tripped the breaker (in retrospect, should have turned the breaker off before starting). When I finished installing it I reset the breaker and tried the light switch. ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
low voltage from circuit - bad breaker?
Background: I'm doing some rewiring work in the kitchen. There were three circuits coming into a junction box that controlled the sink disposal, dishwasher, a few receptacles and a light. So I got ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
What is electrical code for number of wires in a breaker?
US, Georgia
I am adding some new ciruits to add some additional outlets. The closest place is to run a wire to the main panel box.
My question is, can I connect more than one wire to a breaker and ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Why has my garbage disposal started tripping the breaker every time?
I have never had a problem with my garbage disposal or that circuit before, however I am now having issues with it. Every time I turn it on, it immediately trips the breaker.
I'm not even sure how to ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Why won't my AC system turn off after I flipped the breaker?
We've got a central cooling air conditioner that was installed in 1984 with a thermostat from that same year. We are replacing the thermostat with a new programmable one (which has a 100% ...
6
votes
2answers
5k views
Can I install an additional breaker bus bar on my main breaker panel?
I'm adding several new circuits to my main electrical panel as part of a kitchen remodel. The panel with accommodate the new circuit breakers, but it does not appear to have enough neutral and ground ...
7
votes
2answers
634 views
Are there any “easy” ways to trace a home electrical system?
We bought a home a few months ago, and the electrical panel (and subpanel) are completely unlabelled. We have no way, short of flipping breakers, to know what breaker powers which fixtures. Is there a ...
5
votes
1answer
389 views
What is the primary function of the main breaker in a breaker box? How does it differ from other breakers?
Location: California | United States
I'd like to better understand the roles of main breakers and sub-breakers. Why are there multiple levels of breakers? I suspect that sub-breakers are intended to ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Why doesn't the main breaker shut off power for house?
Location: California | United States
I'm certain I'll need a licensed electrician for this but wanted to get thoughts on what could be going on.
I recently noticed that power remains on in my house ...
8
votes
1answer
839 views
Is there an average number of outlets that are wired off of one circuit breaker?
I recently demolished my basement to start a reconstruction/improvement project. My first horror was the electrical layout. I've got hidden junctions, mismatched wire sizes, improper junctions and ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views
Can I replace an outlet that uses knob and tube wiring with a grounded outlet?
Can I replace an outlet that uses knob and tube wiring with a grounded outlet? Obviously the best choice would be to replace the old wiring. Is there a standard way to ground these outlets? Do I need ...
5
votes
2answers
772 views
What is the difference between Square D and QP single pole circuit breakers, and can they be mixed?
I just noticed that all of the branches from my upstairs service box are run off of 15 or 20-amp type QP circuit breakers, except for one 15-amp line that is for the hard-wired smoke alarms- it uses a ...
