Articles / Electrical

Why Circuit Breakers Trip

13 February 2020

Why Circuit Breakers Trip

Circuit breakers are vital components of your electrical system. Along with fuses, they help to protect your home from fires. They stop the flow of power through the circuit if there’s a fault in the electrical system. Circuit breakers have a bimetallic strip that detects overcurrent and protects your electrical wires from overheating. They trip when there’s a sudden surge of current in a short span of time.

Reasons Why Circuit Breakers Trip

Caught in a sudden power outage and don’t know what’s going on? Your circuit breaker may have tripped. You could reset the circuit breaker if it’s not damaged. Before you do that, you must understand why the circuit breaker trips. Circuit breakers trip when there’s an overloaded circuit, a short-circuit or a ground fault. Let’s understand these situations in detail.

Overloaded Circuit

Overcurrent occurs when your appliances draw current higher than the maximum strength. When too much electricity runs through the conductor, the circuit breaker trips to prevent overheating and damage to the electrical system. For example, if you run 2 or more hair dryers on the same circuit the fuse may blow. To solve the problem, don’t run all high power-consuming devices on the same circuit. Sometimes an appliance itself may overheat and draw excess power from the system. This could also lead to an overload.

Short Circuit

A short circuit happens when wires cross. When wires cross, they release more current and they overheat the circuit. If you smell something burning at your power outlet, you’ve probably got a short-circuit. A short-circuit could either lie in the electric wires within the wall or in the appliance that was plugged in when the breaker tripped.

Ground Fault

When a hot wire comes in contact with a ground wire or the grounded part of an electrical appliance, a ground fault occurs. This makes the circuit breaker trip. Ground faults generally happen when the wires are not properly insulated or if your insulation is damaged by water or moisture. Make sure your appliances are not kept in moist or damp environments to avoid this. A combination circuit breakers offer ground fault protection. They constantly measure electricity that flows through the circuit.

What to Do When the Circuit Breaker Trips?

If the circuit breaker trips because of an overload, unplug devices that are consuming a lot of power and reset the circuit. If the cause is a short-circuit, find out if the short-circuit is in the wiring or in the appliance. Call an electrician if you smell something burning. If there’s a ground fault problem, you will have to replace your ground fault circuit interrupter. If nothing looks damaged, reset the RCD and test the circuit.

Domestic Electrical Services

If you need an emergency electrician in West Melbourne, get in touch with the professionals at O'Brien Electrical Yarraville. We are 24 hour electricians in Melbourne. If you need to fix your wiring or bring back your power, we can help. No job is too big or small for us. From design and installation to maintenance and repair, we cover it all. We have the expertise to make sure your electrical systems are free from all errors. Whether you need an electrician in Williamstown, Footscray or Port Melbourne, give us a call on 1300 761 024. Alternatively, you can visit us online to look up our services.

Loading...
O'Brien
Damage

Do you have broken glass?
Call us now on 1800 059 829

For emergency glass repair or replacement in your home or business, speak to one of our experts. We'll discuss options, costs and appointment times.

We'd love to help you, but unfortunately cannot assist with:

  • Cook tops or oven doors
  • Refrigerator glass
  • Light and lamp shades
  • Spectacle repairs
  • Phone or tablet screens
  • Curved glass or tanks
Damage

Is your plumbing job an emergency?
Call us now on 1300 761 024

Your message may not be seen until the next business day, so if this an emergency job please call us directly now on 1300 761 024 and we can get to you as soon as possible
Damage

Is your electrical job an emergency?
Call us now on 1300 761 024

Your message may not be seen until the next business day, so if this an emergency job please call us directly now on 1300 761 024 and we can get to you as soon as possible
Your details
Get expert help

Are you sure you want to leave?

Exiting this page will clear your answers.

Thank you for your enquiry with O'Brien.

Sorry, there was an issue saving your booking.

Please try again later.

We are sorry, but that service isn't currently available in your local area.

Not available

To find out if there is an alternative O'Brien® AutoGlass Branch or O'Brien® Authorised Dealer within reasonable travelling distance, please go to our O'Brien® Locations page and enter your suburb to check.

Close

Thank you. You will be notified when we are able to service your request.

Close
Thank you for choosing O'Brien Electrical Yarraville!
Finished

You’ll hear from us shortly about your task, and we’re looking forward to getting you booked in with one of our experts as soon as we can.

If your task is an emergency, we recommend you call us on 1300 761 024.

Return to website

Thank you for registering your details with O'Brien.

Finished

We will be in touch when we have availability in your area. Thank you.

Return to website

Where do you need the work done?

How soon do you need the work done?

Damage

Is your plumbing job an emergency?
Call us now on 1300 761 024

Your message may not be seen until the next business day, so if this an emergency job please call us directly now on 1300 761 024 and we can get to you as soon as possible
Damage

Is your electrical job an emergency?
Call us now on 1300 761 024

Your message may not be seen until the next business day, so if this an emergency job please call us directly now on 1300 761 024 and we can get to you as soon as possible

Would you like mobile or branch service?

Street address

First name

Last name

Mobile number

Email address

Vehicle registration

Vehicle registration state

Type of damage

Preferred payment method

Is there anything further you'd like to tell us about your task? (optional)

By clicking submit you confirm that you have read and accept the O'Brien® Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.