A tripping circuit breaker is the electrical system in your home doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you and your home from something going wrong. The issue here is that most people will simply reset the breaker and hope nothing else goes wrong again. Well, that’s like putting tape over the check engine light in your car.
I had a problem in my home where my circuit breaker would trip every time I would use my microwave and coffee maker at the same time. For weeks, I simply reset the breaker and continued on my merry way. Finally, however, I decided to look into the issue and figure out why it was happening in the first place. Once I learned about circuits, the solution was obvious and free.
A tripping circuit breaker is always signaling you something. There are 5 possible reasons why a circuit breaker keeps tripping, and we’re going to go over each of them so you can understand exactly which one you’re dealing with and what you can do next.
This is not a guide about how to bypass or disable a tripping circuit breaker. That’s not safe, and we’re not going to do that.
How a Circuit Breaker Works — The Simple Version
You will see a row of breakers in your electrical panel, and each of these will control one of the electrical circuits in your home. Each of these will be able to sense how much electrical current is flowing through that particular circuit. If too much electrical current is flowing through a circuit, and this is more than the breaker can handle (usually 15 or 20 amps), then it will switch into the ‘off’ position, thereby disconnecting the electrical power from that particular circuit.
This is not a malfunction; it is a safety feature designed to prevent the wires in your home from overheating and causing an electrical fire. A breaker that trips is functioning correctly. A malfunctioning breaker is one that does not trip regardless of anything you plug into it.
What you want to know is not ‘How do I make this breaker stop tripping?’ but ‘Why is this breaker tripping?’
Key Insight: Electrical failures and malfunctions are the second leading cause of home fires in the US, as revealed by the National Fire Protection Association. Circuit breakers are the first line of defense in the prevention of electrical failures from causing fires. Bypassing or taping a circuit breaker or replacing it with a higher-rated one can never be an option in the prevention of tripping.
How to Safely Reset a Tripped Breaker
However, before you are able to diagnose the problem, you have to reset the breaker correctly. Most people do not reset the breaker correctly. They only put the breaker back into the ON position without resetting the mechanism inside the breaker.
- Locate the tripped breaker: Identify the tripped breaker by locating the breaker that is in the middle position between the ON and OFF positions. Alternatively, you may identify the tripped breaker by looking for the breaker that is differently shaped from the rest. In some cases, the tripped breakers may have small orange or red indicator windows.
- Push the tripped breaker fully to OFF: Push the tripped breaker to the OFF position. You will hear a click.
- Push the tripped breaker fully to ON: Push the tripped breaker to the ON position. You will hear a click.
- If the tripped breaker immediately trips again: Do not reset the tripped breaker. A tripped breaker is one that trips the moment you try to reset it. A tripped breaker indicates a problem in the electrical circuit.
Safety Warning: It is important that you never stand directly in front of the open panel door when resetting a breaker. It is important that you stand off to the side and look away from the breaker as you flip it. If an arc flash were to occur, which is a discharge of electrical energy caused by a fault, you don’t want your face in front of the panel.
Cause 1: Overloaded Circuit (Most Common)
The most common cause of a tripping breaker is an overloaded circuit. This is also the easiest problem to solve. An overloaded circuit refers to a circuit whose total combined demand for power by all the devices connected to a specific circuit exceeds the rated capacity of the circuit breaker.
The power consumption capacity for a 15-amp household circuit is 1,800 watts for continuous power consumption. A 20-amp circuit has a power consumption capacity of 2,400 watts. If you have a running microwave (1,200 watts), a running coffee maker (800 watts), and a running toaster (900 watts) all at the same time connected to the same circuit, then you are consuming 2,900 watts of power while the circuit can only handle 1,800 watts.
How to Identify It
⦁ The circuit trips only when many devices are running at the same time
⦁ The circuit serves an area with many appliances
⦁ The circuit trips after a few minutes of running the devices and not immediately after they are turned on
⦁ Resetting the circuit works as long as you unplug some devices
How to Fix It
- Unplug everything from that circuit. Next, reset the circuit breaker.
- Plug everything back in one by one. Next, check the circuit breaker after plugging everything in.
- Determine what combination causes the circuit breaker to trip. This is your overload point.
- Redistribute everything. For instance, if there is a high-wattage item, such as a microwave, plug it into a different outlet in a different part of the kitchen. This outlet should be on a separate circuit.
- Dedicated Circuit: If there is a high-wattage item, such as a refrigerator, washing machine, or air conditioner, it should be on a dedicated circuit. A dedicated circuit is a 20-amp circuit. This is something that should be done by a professional.
💡 Pro Tip: Every room in your house likely has more than one circuits. Different outlets might be on different breakers in the same room. A plug-in outlet tester can be purchased at Home Depot for $10 to determine which outlets are on which circuits.
Cause 2: Short Circuit
Short circuit is a more critical problem than an overload. It happens when a live wire, which is of black color, touches a neutral wire, which is of white color, directly. It may happen inside an appliance, inside an outlet, or in the wiring system. This causes a huge surge of current, which immediately triggers a breaker.
How to Identify It
⦁ The breaker will trip right away if you reset it, not after a few minutes of usage
⦁ You might have heard a pop, seen a flash of light, and/or smelled burning when it first tripped
⦁ A certain appliance always makes it trip whenever it is plugged in
⦁ The breaker is warm or hot to the touch
How to Fix It
- Unplug all devices connected to the circuit
- Reset the breaker; if it works without any devices plugged in, then it means that the short circuit exists in one of the devices
- Plug in all devices one after another; the device that causes the short circuit to happen again has a short circuit. Discard or repair that device
- If it still causes a short circuit when nothing is plugged in, then it means that it exists in the wiring or in any of the devices. In that case, it requires a repair expert to fix it
Safety Warning: If a burning smell or scorch marks are found on an outlet, switch, or appliance cord, it means that a short circuit has caused damage to that device due to excessive heat generated. It should not be used again without proper repair. If scorch marks are found on an appliance or switch, it means that it can cause a fire.
Cause 3: Ground Fault
A ground fault is like a short circuit; however, it occurs when a current leaks away from a hot wire to a ground wire or a grounded surface that can be a metal pipe, a wet floor, or an appliance casing. Ground faults are particularly hazardous in wet locations because the human body acts as a ground path in a short circuit. This is because water is a very good conductor of electricity.
How to Identify It
⦁ The tripping of the breaker happens in or near areas where wet conditions are found, like bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, etc.
⦁ A GFCI outlet in that area also trips along with the breaker
⦁ The tripping of the breaker happens when a certain appliance is in use near water
How to Fix It
- All GFCI outlets on the circuit must be checked by pressing the RESET button on any GFCI outlet installed in the bathroom, kitchen, or garage. GFCI outlets protect all outlets on the circuit. If a GFCI outlet is tripped, it is possible that none of the outlets on the circuit will be functioning.
- All water-related appliances used must be checked for damage to cords, cracks, and moisture inside the appliance, as these could cause a ground fault. The appliance must be replaced if there is damage to the cords.
- Moisture: If there is moisture on an outlet near a sink or bathroom, it must be replaced. Moisture inside an outlet causes a ground fault.
Cause 4: Worn or Faulty Breaker
Breakers are mechanical devices that have a limited life. As a breaker gets old, it can become weak. The spring inside the breaker loosens, and it begins to trip at lower current levels than it is rated for. This means that a breaker that worked fine for years suddenly begins to trip under normal current.
How to Identify It
⦁ The breaker goes out when it’s under a load that it’s never had a problem with before
⦁ The devices are removed, but it still continues to trip
⦁ The breaker feels loose when you flip the switch
⦁ The panel is over 20-25 years old
How to Fix It
A worn-out breaker has to be replaced. Replacing a breaker is not for the faint of heart. It requires working inside a live electrical panel. This is not in the realm of the novice. The main bus bar in the electrical panel is live even when the main breaker is turned off.
It is best to call a licensed electrician. Replacing a breaker is a simple job for an electrician. It takes 30-60 minutes and costs $100-$200. It is well worth the cost when you think of the risks of working inside a live electrical panel without proper training.
Cause 5: Arc Fault
The worst tripping breaker is known as an arc fault. This is one of the least understood tripping breakers. This fault occurs when electricity arcs through a faulty, deteriorated, and loose wire, and it does so even when the amount of electricity flowing is within the normal range. The normal breakers will not respond to an arc fault. Only AFCI breakers will respond.
Arc faults are one of the primary reasons for home fires. This fault will cause a fire in your walls, and you will not be able to smell it.
How to Identify It
⦁ The breaker trips randomly and there is no apparent pattern to it
⦁ There is no particular appliance or group of appliances that is causing it
⦁ The wiring in your home is old, i.e., installed prior to the 1990s, or has been damaged by rodents or insects
⦁ There has been renovation work done in your home recently, especially if it involved drilling or nailing into walls
How to Fix It
Arc faults require professional diagnosis. A professional electrician can use special equipment to determine where in the wiring system an arc fault is occurring. Some of the reasons for arc faults include damaged wiring insulation, loose wiring in junction boxes, and wiring damaged by nails and screws.
If your breakers are not of the AFCI type and your house is an older home, you might want to consider upgrading your breakers to AFCI type. AFCI type breakers are now mandated by code in most US states for bedroom circuits and increasingly for all living areas.
Safety Warning: If your breaker is tripping randomly and you cannot determine a cause, and if your house is an older home, it is likely an arc fault situation. It is the only cause of breaker tripping that poses a fire hazard even if nothing is obviously wrong. It is highly recommended that you call an electrician and have this problem checked and corrected as soon as possible.
Breaker Tripping Diagnosis Table
| Cause | How to Identify | DIY Fix? | Action to Take | Urgency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overloaded Circuit | Trips when many devices running | Yes | Unplug devices, redistribute load | Low |
| Short Circuit | Trips immediately when reset | Sometimes | Find faulty device or outlet | High |
| Ground Fault | Trips near water sources | Sometimes | Check GFCI outlets and devices | High |
| Worn Breaker | Trips under normal load | No | Call electrician to replace | Medium |
| Arc Fault | Trips randomly, no clear cause | No | Call electrician immediately | Very High |
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
Repeatedly Resetting Without Diagnosing
Every time you experience a breaker turning on and off and then you reset it without finding out why it happened, you are putting yourself in danger of continuing a dangerous process. It is safe to reset an overload breaker, especially after you have removed the overload. However, short circuits and arc faults should not be repeatedly reset without proper diagnosis. If your circuit breaker has been tripping three times without an identifiable reason, it is best to call an electrician.
Replacing a Breaker With a Higher-Rated One
Replacing a 15-amp circuit breaker with a 20-amp circuit breaker, especially if it has been constantly tripping, is dangerous, especially if you are doing it so that it will not constantly trip anymore. You are putting those wires connected to it in danger of overheating inside the walls of your house because they are only designed to carry 15 amps of power, and if you are forcing 20 amps of power through those wires, you are putting those wires in danger of overheating. The breaker is not the problem, and it is not designed to carry more amps than what those wires are designed for.
Ignoring a Burning Smell
You should never ignore a burning smell near your panel, outlet, or appliance. If you smell burning, it only tells you that something is overheating, and overheating tells you that there is a fire hazard. You should just switch off the circuit, unplug all appliances connected to it, and then call an electrician before you use it again.
Not Checking GFCI Outlets First
There are a lot of “dead outlet” and “trip breaker” calls for an electrician because of a problem caused by a tripped GFCI outlet that was not checked first. GFCI outlets are designed to protect all the outlets downstream from them on the same circuit as the GFCI outlet. This means that if a GFCI outlet in the bathroom is tripped, it might also shut off power to a number of outlets in the bathroom and maybe even the next room over.
Working Inside the Panel
The main bus bars in an electrical panel are at 240 volts and are live even when the main breaker switch is turned off in most electrical panels. Working inside an electrical panel without proper training and equipment is one of the most hazardous DIY jobs a homeowner can perform. Replacing breakers and working inside electrical panels should be performed by a licensed electrician.
When to Call an Electrician
While some of these breaker issues are indeed safe for a beginner to troubleshoot and solve, others are not. In case you encounter some of these issues, it would be best to call a licensed electrician:
- The breaker immediately trips every time you reset it.
- You smell burning from the electrical panel or from an outlet.
- The breaker is hot to the touch.
- Several breakers are tripping at once.
- These last three issues are not safe for a beginner to troubleshoot and solve on their own.
- The buzzing, crackling, or popping sounds are coming from the electrical panel. Arcing is occurring in the panel. It is a fire emergency. Turn off the main breaker. Call an electrician.
- The electrical panel is over 25 years old. It is tripping frequently. If the panel is old, it may be time to change it. It is especially old if it is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel.
Safety Warning: If the electrical panel is making sounds like crackling, buzzing, or sizzling, or is giving off a smell like burning plastic or has scorch marks on or near it, it is an emergency. Turn off the main breaker. Evacuate the building. Call an electrician. Call the fire department. Do not try to diagnose the situation.
Final Thoughts
A tripping circuit breaker is a form of communication. Your house is saying something is wrong and needs to be corrected. But the wrong response is to ignore it and make it stop tripping. The right response is to listen to it and correct it.
Nine out of ten tripping circuit breakers are just a simple overloaded circuit. You’ve got too many devices connected to a circuit and the solution is just a matter of rebalancing the circuit. This is a free solution that can be done in five minutes. Other reasons for a tripping circuit breaker, such as a short circuit or a ground fault, usually mean one of your appliances is faulty and can be easily identified and replaced.
The reasons for a tripping circuit breaker that require a professional are worth every penny of the cost. These are problems where getting it wrong is a house fire, not just a blown circuit.
Raza is the founder of DIYbeginners. At 24, he built this site to help complete beginners tackle home improvement without expensive professionals or confusing guides. He writes about building, repairing, and buying the right tools — always from a beginner’s perspective, always without jargon. Any Questions? Contact!