Commercial Freezer Keeps Tripping the Breaker?
If you have a single pole breaker - 120 volts, not 240 volts... Your freezer should have a serial data tag. Verify that the unit is labelled as 115, 117 or 120 for volts and 1 for phase. I am assuming this tag is where you obtained the info that it draws 9...
Light Fixture Stopped Working?
Assuming it is an incandescent fixture, if you have any place you can test the light bulbs (another fixture somewhere) to make sure they do work, that would be a good first step. If the bulbs are good the problem could be in ether the lamp or the switch. If...
Furnace Thermostat Breaker Tripping?
If I understand correctly, you have replaced the breaker and the thermostat. With these changes, the breaker continues to trip. Even with the thermostat unwired and the wires separated and taped, the breaker trips. From this information, I would assume that...
Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping?
It may be that everything is working properly. 10 amps is a small breaker and if it is loaded to between 10 and 12 1/2 amps it could take 10, 20, 30 minutes or even longer to trip based on the temperature around the breaker box. Breakers do not trip instantly...
Repairing an Electrical Outlet?
If the light is plugged in the wall and had no wall switch, have an electrician come to install a new receptacle. Receptacles are cheap. In the process of changing the receptacles, he/she will have to unwire the old and wire the new so the integrity of the...
Troubleshooting an Electrical Circuit?
If your dryer is electric, it is 240 volt whereas your washer and fridge are 120 volt. They should not even be on the same circuit. Unplugging a device should have no effect on other devices on the circuit. There are incorrect ways to wire these devices so...
Turning On TV Trips Breaker?
When you say you have tried different plugs, are these on different circuits? (different breakers?) If it is not to cumbersome, I would try to plug the tv in on another circuit to see if it trips another breaker. If the problem continues then the problem is...
Troubleshooting Electrical Circuit Problems?
It sounds as though an electrical surge on your power took out your bulbs. If that is the case, replacing the bulbs should make it okay. You may find other devices that were on during the surge are now not functioning. I doubt that the water main work had anything...
Outlet Not Working?
I am glad you killed power at the breaker before working on this system. This always needs to be done. I hope you also metered it before working to make sure power was gone. It is standard practice for multiple items like this to be on one circuit. A 2 conductor...
Power Goes Out Intermittently?
A breaker would not turn itself back on, so thats not it. A loose connection heating under load and cooling could be the culprit. A hidden switch that the people you live with are turning on and off may also be the culprit. I do not know how the furnace would...
Main Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping?
The breaker is tripping from overcurrent. If it trips immediately, it is most likely a short to ground. It could also be a locked rotor on your pump. If it takes time to trip, it is an overcurrent, and for some reason the pump is working harder than it used...
Can't Turn Off Stovetop at Breaker Box?
If you turned off the main breaker and killed power to your entire house and the stove stayed on, then your stove is not on that panel. A residence typically only has one panel in the house, but confirm you do not have two. If you do not, it may be possible...
Replacing a Circuit Breaker?
A circuit breaker trips when the current through it exceeds its trip point. The higher the current, the quicker it trips. The amount of current flowing through the circuit is determined by the load, in this case the stove, and changing the breaker does not...
Determining Cause of Power Loss in House?
I am sorry that the electrician could not find the issue. I would consider another electrician when funds become available. What I am curious to know is how many circuits (breakers in your panel) are effected. If it is only one circuit, it is something in your...
Determining Cause of Power Loss in House?
Electricians have a device that connects to a wire and puts a signal on that wire. They then use a device that senses the signal to track the wire through ceilings and walls. If an electrician does that in your panel to the hot wire on the breaker (or the neutral...
Troubleshooting an Electrical Circuit?
I always recommend a qualified electrician be used to perform electrical work. They have the right tools and know to not work things hot. The breaker would trip due to an excessive current. In an existing installation, this would probably be caused be a component...
Water Heater and Stove Not Working?
Power is provided to your house single phase. That means you have 240 VAC from one line to another. Another line often referred to as the neutral provides a center tapped connection so that it is 120 from the neutral to one line and 120 from the neutral to...
Changed Outlet and Lights Won't Turn Off?
If the top of the receptacle is fed from the switch and the bottom is always hot (fed separately), the bridge connecting the two brass screws on the side of the receptacle, with the power off, needs to be cut. An electrician can do this for you with pliers...
Intermittent 110 Power Issues?
There seems to be a number of issues here that will require an electrician to troubleshoot on-site. Your stove should be on its own two pole breaker (240 volt). Your receptacles should be on a separate single pole breaker (120 volt). If wired that way, then...
Lights Going Off and On?
A breaker will trip on overcurrent. It will require you to reset it. This is not the problem you are having. You have a circuit that keeps opening, either the hot or neutral. I would assume these lights are all on the same breaker. This can be caused by a bad...
New Light Fixture Causes No Power to Rest of Circuit?
I can give you a scenario of how this could occur. The old fixture was installed some time ago and it was discovered that the neutral wire was not continuous to the previous fixture. Violating code, the person could have then jumpered the neutral to the ground...
GFCI Circuit Intermittent?
GFCIs do not reset themselves, yet yours are resetting. If wet, they may need time to dry before resetting or - With the GFCI on, see if you can kill power by shutting off the breaker in your panel. If you cannot, then it may be that these receptacles are not...
Outlets Not Working?
A common way of checking power is with a non-contact volt meter. It will show the presence of 120 VAC hot. However, to make a circuit you also need the neutral. If you have the hot, but lost the neutral, it would act as you describe. The neutral and the ground...
Replacing a Celling Fan With a Light?
I recommend you get an electrician. This circuit can get a little tricky. I am assuming that your house is wired with multi-conductor cables. If this is true, then the 3 black wires indicate you have 3 cables coming into the box. The 3 cables would go to one...
Replacing a Celling Fan With a Light?
I apologize - The 3 cables would go to one switch, the other switch and the power panel.
Using Space Heater Blew Power to Part of House?
If you overloaded the circuit you either blew a fuse tripped a breaker tripped a GFCI or AFCI or burned up wiring or a wiring connection Check for fuses or breakers - possibly a sub panel. It may be that an electrician will be required to find the open in the...
Power Out in Half of Apartment?
Unplug the fan and do not plug it in again without having it checked. The receptacle may be AFCI or GFCI protected by another receptacle. Make sure none of your receptacles are of this type and tripped. If tripped, you can reset them at the receptacle. If none...
Replacing Circuit Breakers?
It would not be safe to do so. The 20 amp breaker can protect a #12 AWG or larger wire. Replacing with a 60 amp double pole breaker would allow too much current to flow on the wires (presumably #12 AWG) and could lead to overheating and even fire.
GFCI Outlets Not Working?
GFCI receptacles can be daisy chained to standard receptacles and protect them the same as a GFCI (if installed correctly). The standard receptacles should be labelled as GFCI protected. The first receptacle in the daisy chain must be the GFCI type and the...
Two Prong Plug to Three Prong Extension Cord?
If the compressor came as a two wire unit (not a three with the ground pin cut off) then yes you are good to go. You should verfiy your garage is GFCI protected as is required by code. The purpose of the ground pin is to ground the metal parts of the case of...
Repairing an Electrical Outlet?
Unplug everything from the receptacles on that circuit. Is the breaker reset? To reset a breaker, switch off then on. The receptacles may be grouped on an AFCI or GFCI receptacle. Look for a receptacle that is one of these and needs to be reset and reset it...
Electrical Circuit Problem?
This is an interesting case. It sounds as though the receptacles are on the same circuit. It also sounds like they may be in series instead of parallel. If this were the case, neither would work unless something were plugged in both and even then both would...
Electrical Circuit Problem?
It also may be that the neutral and ground are bonded in the family room and that the ground circuit, which connects the two receptacles does not go back to the panel. A further assumption must be made that the Neutral wire opened to the family room circuit...
Repairing an Electrical Outlet?
It may be that these devices are fed from an AFCI or GFCI receptacle which is tripped. It may be that the breaker did not reset. It may be that the breaker is bad. It may be that the wiring is incorrect. Black is supposed to be hot white neutral and bare or...
Receiving Shock from Porch Light?
Two things, at least, are wrong. The conduit system is not grounded. All metal components should be tied to the ground (green or bare wire) which goes back to the panel. The hot wire is touching the ungrounded metal and is shocking you. If grounded, this would...
Breaker Won't Turn Back On?
A standard breaker will trip on an overload. This is often a short circuit between hot and ground. The short circuit can be part of your household wiring. But that probably hasnt changed. I have heard of someone hanging a picture by driving a nail in the wall...
Installing a New Light Fixture?
Done properly, the splice should have occurred in a junction box. Under cabinet led fixtures are often reduced voltage. Was it a plug that was cut off or a transformer/plug? Electronics in the fixture may require the neutral and the hot are kept straight (not...
Ceiling Fan Lights Not Working?
It depends on how you tested the voltage in the receptacle. There should be a hot and neutral connection for the bulb. A non-contact voltage pen would show the presence of the hot, but not the neutral. It may be that the neutral wire is open. It could be broken...
Light Switch Intermittent and Outlet Sparking?
It could be a number of things and it would be good to have an electrician check this out. There is plenty of opportunity to be hurt or killed if you dont know what you are doing. The situation itself sounds dangerous enough. Although the receptacle is not...
Outlet Stopped Working?
Beginning with 1999, Arc Fault Circuit Protection was required for bedrooms in dwelling units. Nuisance trips are common with this type of protection and vaporizers. The original protection was at the breaker - the breaker would trip. More recently, the protection...
New Garage Door Opener Trips Breaker?
I dont believe this is an electrical problem. Raising the garage door requires work (horsepower) from the motor in your door opener. A motor is a stupid device (my apology to all motors) and will put out whatever work is demanded of it until it burns up. The...
Space Heater Sparked and Tripped Breaker?
It sounds as if the cord or plug is bad and that moving the cord/plug caused a short which tripped the breaker. An electrician could put a new cord and plug on the device and test it if it has value to you.
Overhead Ceiling Fan Light Not Working Properly?
It is always a concern for fire when electrical systems behave strangely and the safest thing to do is hire an electrician to correct the issue. I have recently worked on a ceiling fan light that was a high end model. It experienced the same problem you described...
Circuit Breaker Making a Buzzing Sound?
Dinah is correct, an electrician is needed. The buzzing is caused by moving parts, either a loose connection (internal or external) of the breaker or bad contacts within the breaker. I would get it checked quickly. loose/bad connections can be heat generators...
Popping and Spark In Outlet?
You have a hot to ground short. From what you described it may be in your phone charger transformer. This could easily cause a fire and should be corrected by a professional. If you are certain that the sparks came from the phone adapter, get rid of that phone...
Bathroom Breaker Tripped?
I agree that an electrician should be called. It is a possibility the breaker is bad. It is also possible the breaker is doing its job and something electrical has a fault. Prior to calling in an electrician, you could unplug all electrical devices and see...
One Switch on Multi-switch Panel Intermittent?
Often times garage lights are on three way switches. If installed incorrectly or using the wrong type of switch it could behave as you describe. Its working would depend on the position of the other switch.
Lights Added to Existing Circuit Don't Work?
If you have power everywhere, but the lights dont turn on, it could be that the neutral splice at the wall switch or in the attic box is bad. An electrician will be able to fix this for you.
GFCI Circuit Breaker Plus GFCI Outlet?
It is typical to install GFCI receptacles on standard breakers. This should be fine next to a sink. The other receptacles that are protected by one GFCI circuit, need to be labelled as such. A GFCI receptacle has terminal to feed standard receptacle and protect...
Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping?
It is often said to get an electrician to help. This question requires that solution because they have the tools. Breakers trip from either overload or short circuit, so put an ammeter on it and see if it is overloaded. If not, use a megger to test wiring to...
New Wall Outlets Won't Work?
It could be that a GFCI is protecting the circuit and it is tripped. If so, that is the easy fix. Find and reset the GFCI. More likely is that a bad connection exists in the rewire. draw out a map of the house with the breaker panel and imagine wire running...
Spotlights Tripped Breaker?
What do you mean by the breaker trip switch wont go back on? To reset a breaker it must be shut off and then turned off. If this was done and it tripped immediately, you have a short somewhere, most likely in the wiring box of one of the 20 fixtures. Another...
Stove Keeps Tripping the Circuit Breaker?
If it is copper wire a #6 can be good for 55 amps, but an electrician needs to look to see if it needs derated. In any case, a #6 copper would not be protected by a 60 amp breaker. If the wire is not protected, it can overheat and cause fire.
Fix for Overloaded of 15 amp Breaker?
Flickering is not typically overloaded. Breakers trip when overloaded. Flickering is typically a loose connection somewhere. As the conductors heat from being loaded, they expand and this movement can cause flickering.
Wiring a Bathroom Ceiling Light and Fan Combination?
The old light had a switched live and neutral. The new requires an additional live to power the timer and fan after the switch is off. The live is obtained from the other side (line side) of the switch feeding the fixture.
Can Moisture Cause a Circuit Breaker to Trip?
Breakers can trip from being overloaded or shorted. A short period of running usually indicates an overload because a short would trip the breaker immediately. It may be possible that the old breaker was bad and would have never tripped and the new one is doing...
