Is your circuit breaker tripping frequently? An occasional trip is common for most homeowners and business owners especially during the winter or summer months when extra power is being used to heat or air condition a home. The increased electrical needs of your home can put a strain on your electrical system. But if your breaker keeps tripping, this could be a sign that something is wrong with either your breaker or your electrical system. For homeowners and business owners in Greater Boston, the team at Cardoso Electrical Services can help with inspections, repairs, and new installations. In the meantime, here is a quick guide on how to troubleshoot your breaker.
Why Does My Breaker Keep Tripping?
Before we can get to the root of the problem we need to understand what a breaker is and what it does. A circuit breaker does exactly what it’s name says, it breaks your circuit. It does this a failsafe to prevent your electrical system from overheating or cuasing an electrical fire due to the load being too high for the system to handle. Circuit breakers are designed to prevent electrical emergenices by cutting power to your home or business when there is a surge, short circuit, or other issue. But like many failsafes and security systems it can get damaged over time and start registering false problems. A bad circuit breaker is bad in two distinct ways. First, it is inconvenient when your power shuts off unnecessarily becuase the breaker is making a mistake. Worse, a bad breaker might fail to shut off the power when it needs to. As soon as you notice signs of a bad breaker you should consider calling an electrician.
Signs of a Bad Circuit Breaker
One of the biggest issues with an overloaded electrical system is the chance of an electrical fire. If you notice a burning smell coming from outlets, lightswitches, or near your breaker, you should call an electrician immediately Visually, if you see burn marks or sparks when you plug things in this is also a sign of an issue with your entire electrical system and not just your breaker.
If your breaker trips frequently this is a sign that there is something wrong with either the breaker or the electrical system in general. This is not something you want to ignore. Like an issue with a car, an issue with a breaker tripping can start as a mild inconvenience but quickly become a large safety concern.
Electrical Inspections & Repairs in Boston
If you own a property in Boston, Wakefield, or the surrounding area and need an electrician to help with repairs or an inspection, give a call to the team at Cardoso Electrical Services. Our team would be happy to help you with your electrical needs.