Home » Blog » Ways To Tell If Your Circuit Breaker Is Bad?
Circuit Breaker Is Bad

Ways To Tell If Your Circuit Breaker Is Bad?

Electrical installations are one of the essential things that a home and commercial area needs. Installations allow the smooth flow of electricity into and through your homes. 

Components of electrical installations

Electrical installations are composed of various components such as switches, isolators, circuit breakers, fuses, and wiring connections. These various electrical installation components play unique roles. They complement each other to ensure the success flow and use of electricity into our homes and work offices. In this article, the main component we will be focusing on will be the circuit breaker and how to know if one of these devices has gone bad.

What are circuit breakers?

Electrical circuit breakers cut the flow of electricity through an outlet in the event of excess current, which can damage an electrical circuit. These circuit breakers act as a safety measure to prevent the electrical installation from electrocuting or causing accidental fires. It shows how vital and beneficial circuit breakers are to a building that will make use of electricity. Circuit breakers can be seen as the ”police” of an electrical system, shutting down in the case of an emergency.

Types of circuit breakers

There are three main types of circuit breakers in use today. Let’s look at them briefly:

Ground Fault Circuit Breaker Interrupter (GFCI): A GFCI is a circuit breaker built purposely to prevent electrocution when switches and outlets come into contact with water. It is a popular circuit breaker because they have saved many lives and prevented fires. GFCI are primarily installed in bathrooms, pool areas, kitchen, garages, etc.

Standard Circuit Breakers: Standard Circuit Breakers perform a similar role as the GFCI, but these breakers monitor the flow of electricity in the circuit. Any excess current is tracked and cut off to prevent the circuit wires from catching fire. There are two types of Standard Circuit breakers. They include single pole breakers and double pole breakers.

Arc – Fault Circuit Interrupter: An AFCI is a circuit breaker that searches for any fault in the electric circuits and either control or shuts it down to prevent a fire outbreak.

How to identify Bad circuit breakers

We now appreciate the importance of circuit breakers in the electrical installations in our homes. Unfortunately, there are cases where these circuit breakers no longer function as they ought to. It may be due to a fault, or the breaker has been damaged and will need immediate replacement. In addition, circuit breakers can be flawed due to excessive tripping. The following are ways or steps in determining if your circuit breakers have gone bad and you will need to replace them.

Determine which circuit the breaker protects.

It is a critical step because there could be many breakers for different circuits in a building. Therefore, finding out which circuit’s breaker has a problem is the key to solving this problem.

Disconnect any electrical devices to that circuit.

After the circuit with a faulty breaker has been identified, switching off all appliances using that particular circuit is best. It is done to prevent high current from damaging these electronic devices because the circuit breaker is no longer working. One telltale sign of faulty circuit breakers is you can see sparks or a burnt smell coming from the wires or electric panel

Flip the breaker back in place.

Flipping the breaker in place is a way of resetting it. After you have flipped the breaker, you should hear a ticking sound, showing that you have restored it. However, there are cases when your circuit breaker won’t respond to this flip.  When this happens,  your circuit is likely damaged and has to be repaired.

Expert Tips

Need an electrician near you? RG Electric has electricians on its board that acquire extensive experience in electrical installation and repairs. The tips we share reflect their expertise to help you avoid dangerous situations. Don’t hesitate to contact our local electricians for any questions or concerns regarding your wiring. We’ve got you covered!
Operation,And,Maintenance,In,Solar,Power,Plant,;,Engineering,Team

How An Electrician Can Maintain Your Solar Panel

How An Electrician Can Maintain Your Solar Panel Solar energy is a trend today, and for the future, that is […]

Whole house air ventilation

A Whole House Fan – Save On Your Cooling Bill

A Whole House Fan – Save On Your Cooling Bill When summer hits, fans help to cool our houses. Whether […]

Home Energy Saving, temperature control_ Thermostat

How To Wire A Thermostat (Step-by-Step Guide)

How To Wire A Thermostat (Step-by-Step Guide) Are you planning to install a thermostat? They are the top-of-the-line control systems […]

power-strip

How To Use A Power Strip? Safety Tips for Your Home

How To Use A Power Strip? Safety Tips for Your Home Are you tired of looking for free power outlets […]

Does Your House Need a 200-AMP Panel? All You Need to Know

Does Your House Need a 200-AMP Panel? All You Need to Know Do you realize how much the safety of […]

underground cables

Running Underground Electric to the Shed: Entire Process Explained

Running Underground Electric to the Shed: Entire Process Explained Do you like spending time in the shed? If so, you […]

power outage

What Causes Power Outages & How to Get Rid Of Them

What Causes Power Outages & How to Get Rid Of Them Even though modern technology has transformed how electric power […]

Man installing a smart doorbell

How To Install Ring Doorbell? 5 Simple Steps & Tips

How To Install Ring Doorbell? 5 Simple Steps & Tips These days, the Ring doorbell is an essential part of […]

Contact Form

RG Electric comprises a team of qualified and professional electricians who can meet any of your electrical needs. We offer an extensive choice of services from replacing your outlets and switches to upgrading your whole electrical system. Tell us about your electrical problem in the contact form, and our representative will get in touch with you soon.

Request a Free Estimate

    Location

    Full Name

    Email Address

    Phone Number

    Message