4 Main Reasons for Electrical Circuit Breaker Failures
October 26, 2022
One of the biggest fears of homeowners and business owners in Charleston, SC is electrical circuit breaker failure. The reason for this is simple: in homes as well as in commercial and industrial facilities, electrical circuit breakers are responsible for the power supply. For this reason, even a second of electrical circuit breaker failure spells trouble for homeowners and people managing industrial and commercial facilities.
The reasons for this power failure are a plenty but the good news is that there are qualified and experienced electricians in Charleston, SC who will fix the problem before you even take a sigh in anguish. Nevertheless, it’s always good to find out why electrical circuit breaker failures occur as this helps limit the damage before the arrival of an emergency electrician in Charleston, SC. Following are some of the main reasons for failure of electrical circuit breakers in Charleston, SC.
Overloaded Circuit
A smoothie is being blended, a toaster is switched on, and a popcorn is being heated in the microwave—all at the same time, and the power goes out. Congrats, the circuit has just gotten overloaded. Generally, circuits in a house run at 15 amps and 120 volts. Additionally, they can safely draw over fourteen hundred watts of power. But, the breaker will trip as soon as the overall wattage exceed this number.
To ensure the circuit doesn’t go past the rating of the circuit, add up the overall wattage amount from fixtures and appliances. In case you notice tripping of the circuit and that it reboots only after cooling down, tripping again after some time has passed, you can be almost sure that you’ve overloaded the circuit. You are likely to overload the circuit, causing it to trip, if you too many gadgets or lights running on a circuit at the same time. A faulty device plugged into the circuit is another reason it overloads.
As electrical circuit breakers protect your entire electrical system, and in turn your house or business facility, you should get an overloaded circuit fixed as soon as possible. A Charleston electrical contractor can help you with this.
Power Surges and Spikes
If you thought that overloaded circuits are the only reason electrical circuit breakers fail, then you couldn’t be more wrong. There are many more reasons electrical circuits fail and this includes power surges and spikes. A common occurrence in electrical components, voltage surges and spikes often cause an electrical circuit breaker to fail. However, the chances of circuit breaker failure can be minimized by equipping the electrical panel with a surge suppressor.
While you can the minimize the chances of the above-failure with a surge suppressor, there is no guarantee that this will help you to completely avoid failure due to voltage surges and spikes. For this reason, having the number of electrician services in Charleston, SC stored in your phone is a good thing.
Short Circuit
Another reason to have the number of electrical services in Charleston, SC is fixing a short in the circuit as soon as possible. Now, how does one know there is a short in the circuit? Easy! If your breaker does not reboot and trips instantly, then you have the above-electrical problem. Since it can lead to an electric current that has the potential to not only damage the circuit, but also fire or explosion, a short is a very serious problem that needs to be tended to immediately by an emergency electrical service in Charleston, SC.
So, what causes a short in the circuit? A short circuit occurs when the hot or black wire comes in contact with another black wire or with a white or neutral wire. Additionally, a break in the circuit’s wire can also cause a short circuit. Unlike electrical circuit breaker failures due to overloaded circuits or power surges and spikes, short circuits are not easy to identify. The reason for this is that short in the circuit may be caused by something plugged into an outlet or your home’s wiring.
However, there are ways for you to check what caused the short in the circuit. For instance, you can check for a defective appliance by unplugging the machines one at a time and checking whether the breaks remain closed when you reset it. By doing this, you will be able to identify exactly what’s causing the problem.
In case the problem continues and you’re unable to determine where the problem lies, call in a service that performs electrical repair in Charleston, SC. To take care of short circuits safely and prevent them from turning into a major headache, it is always good to seek help from electricians in Charleston, SC. This will help you to avoid dangerous situations.
Conduit Systems Having Grounded Wires
This occurs in commercial or industrial facilities. When grounded wires in conduit systems come in contact with the certain materials in the commercial or industry facility, a range of problems can occur including a short-circuit, a blown fuse or even a fire accident. This is not good news for any business as this can cause serious damage to workers or the machinery installed at the facility.
The only way to prevent this problem is getting the wiring in the conduit systems inspected and maintained regularly by electrician services in Charleston, SC. This will help you avoid many electrical problems, ensuring your peace of mind.
There you have it—the four main reasons for electrical circuit breaker failures in Charleston, SC. In addition to the aforementioned—reasons, there are a few other reasons that cause electrical circuit breakers to fail including loose wires, tripped breakers, and faults in the ground wire. The good news is that regardless of what caused it, an electrical circuit breaker failure can be fixed quickly and expertly by Mister Sparky in Charleston, SC. So, what are you waiting for?