Circuit breakers trip when they detect power surges. These receptacles work as protective devices in a property. They are encased in your circuit breaker panel or electrical panel, which you can access to identify trips and reset breakers. A trip is when the breakers shut off power to prevent electrical escape and a possible electrical accident.
Electricians Team Reseda, a team of electrical experts, highlights the importance of circuit breakers. They recommend homeowners hire certified electricians for the maintenance of these electrical receptacles. One in-demand service is an electrical panel installation or upgrades to better accommodate and maintain circuit breakers.
You might not have realized the use and importance of circuit breakers, but we’re here to help. The maintenance of your circuit breakers is crucial for enhanced electrical safety in your home. So we have created a guide on how you can care for them. We’ve also included steps on how to identify breaker trips and how you can reverse them.
How To Identify and Reset a Tripped Circuit Breaker
Before you can dive into the steps of resetting your circuit breaker, you want to know what a tripped breaker is. What is a trip, and why does it happen?
If a circuit breaker trips off, it means your electrical system is no longer protected. Its safety net is compromised. Trips happen when there’s an excessive amount of electric current flowing. The circuit breakers, with sensitive components, shut the power off to avoid escaping this surging energy. The switch cuts off electricity, “breaking” or “tripping” the circuit.
How to identify tripped breakers?
- Turn off all devices on the circuit breaker: Before working on your service panel, you have to turn off all the devices connected to the circuit, especially the ones you suspect caused the trip.
- Locate the service panel: Your service panel is what houses your circuit breakers. It’s a metal box with a metal door you can open for access. If you have a basement, you should be able to find your panel there. If your home doesn’t have a basement, it’s likely in a utility room.
- Follow the panel directory: Your panel has a directory. If yours is an updated one, you can find the tripped breaker through the numbers. Read the numbers inside the door of the service panel.
- Look for the tripped breaker: Slowly run your hand down the breakers’ centerline, beginning at the top. You want to carefully grasp each pair of breaker handles to confirm they are “sturdy” and pointing toward each other.
Do this first, then proceed to check the next rows. When you feel that a breaker handle is “springy,” then you got it!
How to reset the tripped breaker?
After following the above steps, you’re down to finally resetting your tripped breaker. The following steps should be easier now that you have acquired some info on breaker handle positions. Below are steps on how you can reset your tripped breaker.
- Switch the breaker handle to its OFF position. This time, your circuit breaker handle is in the middle, and you can feel that it’s springy or spongy. The next thing you should do is flip it firmly to its OFF position. It should be facing toward the service panel’s outer edge or away from its centerline.
- Switch the breaker handle to its ON position. Next, switch the breaker handle firmly to its ON position. This time, it should be facing toward the service panel’s centerline. Make sure that the handle sits firmly in place. You can confirm this when you hear an audible click.
- Test your circuit. It’s time you turn your appliances and devices on. If your hunch tells you that your breaker trips because of overloading, it’s best if you turn only one device at this time. Choose a device that uses lower power, such as lights.
Follow this Comprehensive Guide to Maintain Your Circuit Breakers
Maintaining circuit breakers is not a DIY task. The steps to keeping your circuit breakers efficient are strange to non-experts. Only certified electricians should handle circuit breaker maintenance. Your hired electrician should take these steps:
1. Inspection: The first step of your circuit breaker maintenance is an inspection. Maintenance inspections comprise two types: visual and mechanical inspection.
A straightforward visual checkup of your circuit breakers is the best way to identify physical issues, including overheating, lack of lubrication, and loose connections.
The mechanical inspection of a circuit breaker involves exercising its handles (just like a muscle). Other things you can do include opening the door and using the push-to-trip button.
2. Testing: Testing your circuit breakers includes many tests, such as an overloading trip test, insulation resistance test, contact resistance test, and over-potential tests.
- Overloading trip test: This step checks the trip system of your circuit breaker by applying continuous current to the poles, 300% of the breaker-rated current.
- Insulation resistance test: The insulation resistance test checks the strength of your circuit breaker’s insulation. Its insulation should resist current flow and keep it contained.
- Contact resistance test: Checking the contact resistance of your circuit breaker measures the number of electrical connections. The test determines the health of your circuit breaker contacts, including joints, busbar sections, and joints.
- Over-potential test: This test is similar to the insulation resistance test but is more commonly used on medium-high or high-voltage breakers.
3. Timing: Your breaker’s performance should meet manufacturer standards by timing it. Depending on the type of breaker you have, the steps should differ.
Test sets for either primary or secondary injection are used with low-voltage circuit breakers. Similar testing can apply to medium- and high-voltage circuit breakers using different tools.
4. Cleaning: Circuit breakers need frequent testing for their normal operation. They also need regular cleaning to prevent corrosion or dirt buildup. In addition to routine use, a good cleaning can help avoid breaker problems by preventing the buildup of rust, filth, grime, and other foreign elements.
If you allow dirt to build up inside your breakers, it may affect the electrical flow, which can cause blown fuses, interrupted currents, or even fires.
Like what you read above? We have more electrical content on this website to help you achieve maximum electrical safety in your home. If it’s a service that you need, you should check out Electricians Team Reseda.
