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Breaker Constantly Tripping? 4 Causes and Solutions

One of the most common service calls we get at Bolt Electric is for a breaker constantly tripping, often in one of New York City’s older pre-war buildings. As much as this situation can be a headache, it’s also a potential sign of danger and electrical fire risk. Here are four reasons why your circuit breaker may be switching off frequently and what you can do to fix the problem.

Bad Electrical Panel

Problem: outdated or recalled panel

Sometimes, especially in New York City multi-resident buildings built in the late 19th or early 20th centuries, old electrical panels are the culprit when breakers trip all the time. The circuit panel may have been updated at one time from old-fashioned fuses to breakers, but even that might not be enough. We have many more demands on our electrical power supply now than people had a generation or two ago, such as air conditioning, computer equipment, entertainment systems, in-unit washer/dryers, and countertop kitchen appliances.

Your building’s electrical panel may not be up to the job of handling all the power running through it. It may also be worn over time, as electrical panels do have a lifespan. Furthermore, there are some old panels that have been recalled for safety reasons. As well as breakers constantly tripping, signs that your electrical panel is at fault include:

• Burning smells
• Charring on the panel
• Melted parts on the panel, such as switches
• Electrical panel hot to the touch
• Sizzling sound coming from the panel

Solution: electrical panel upgrade

In this scenario, the only real solution is an upgrade of your electrical panel. We are happy to come out and assess your panel to see if this is necessary. While it’s a bit of expense and disruption up front, in the long run, you will appreciate the updates. You won’t have to deal with the amperage issues described below, and of course, occupant safety will be improved as well.

Wrong Breaker Installed

Problem: incorrect amperage

We’ve seen properties where a broken or problem breaker gets replaced. But if the new breaker is not of the proper amperage (a measure of the current strength), the breaker can keep tripping.

It’s very common to see people mistakenly replace one circuit breaker with a larger one, and this is always a safety hazard. It typically won’t fix issues where demand on a circuit exceeds the supply, so the breaker will keep tripping (see more on insufficient amperage, below). And this also poses a fire risk due to overheating.

Solution: professional consultation

If you are trying to fix the issue of a breaker constantly tripping by simply increasing the size of a breaker, you’re both creating a safety concern and not addressing the root of your problem. At this point, you’re better off consulting a licensed electrician. You need to have the correct breaker installed, but you may also need to address wiring issues or other problems that led you to change breakers in the first place.

Insufficient Amperage

Problem: overloaded circuit

Excess demand on low-amperage circuits is a common problem in pre-war New York City condos, co-ops, and apartments. One key sign that a circuit doesn’t have enough “juice” for what’s plugged into it is the breaker repeatedly tripping.

We frequently see this problem along with too few outlets in units. Occupants resort to using power strips because they don’t have enough receptacles for lamps, stereos, TVs, and appliances. However, this can also overload circuits and cause breaker tripping.

Solution: rewiring with panel upgrade

As mentioned above, our modern-day demands on electricity outstrip the supply wired into many New York City buildings. The answer here is to upgrade the electrical panel and add more outlets with some rewiring. This provides two solutions, making it very worthwhile for property owners and management.

First, it separates high-demand items, such as large appliances, onto their own circuits, so they’re not competing with other items for electrical supply. This eliminates the need to unplug one thing when using another and stops constant breaker tripping. Second, it makes life much easier for occupants because they wind up with receptacles for all their electric belongings, and they won’t have to use extension cords or power strips (which can be hazardous as well as inconvenient).

Wiring Problems

Problem: short circuits, ground faults, and more

Your circuit breaker is there as a fail-safe for various scenarios when fire could result from sparking or overheating. A breaker that keeps tripping may be a sign that you have a wiring issue from which it is protecting you. Some possibilities include:

• A short circuit — a gap in the wiring (arcing) or a live wire touching a neutral wire
• Ground fault — a hot wire and a bare ground wire both touch their metal housing box
• Loss of wiring insulation (common in older NYC buildings)
• Wiring problem in the item that is plugged in (e.g., short circuit in an appliance)

Solution: repair wiring

Wiring problems are generally safety issues that should be remedied as soon as possible. At Bolt Electric, we have experience working in pre-war buildings and can often fix wiring or perform rewiring in ways that are less disruptive, such as running wires along the exterior of baseboards and walls, rather than drilling into thick building structure.

A breaker that’s constantly tripping should never be ignored. It’s a warning that something is wrong with your electrical system between the panel and item using electricity. Call Bolt Electric today at 212-434-0098 to schedule an appointment for help with breaker problems in your building.