I turned off my main breaker to add a socket out back in the garage. It just seemed easier. When I finished and came in to turn on the main, my furnace thermostat breaker kept tripping. I checked the wires and the thermostat, everything looked fine. Even though the thermostat was fine I ended up replacing it a few days later since I couldn't find anything else wrong. It worked. My breaker stopped tripping and all went back to normal. I again turned off the main breaker today and the same thing happened. Except now if I disconnect the thermostat it keeps tripping the breaker still if I reset it. What could be causing this? Why would using the main breaker cause problems with only this breaker? Btw, I replaced the breaker thinking it was the problem, it still didn't help.
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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 your wire is shorted somewhere. Most likely at one end. (Often damaged when stripping back jacket of cable during installation).
There was a period of time when the breaker was not tripping but this ended after killing the main breaker.
When you shut the main off the second time, did you open the panel or the thermostat to reveal the wire connections at either end? Could this cable have been bumped?
You probably already know that when you shut off the main breaker you still have power in your panel.
I would get an electrician to again kill the main to test the wires and repair them where necessary. Where it is arcing to ground, there will most likely be burn marks. I recommend an electrician because they have the tools, test equipment and knowledge.
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