The only thing more frustrating than blowing a fuse is walking down to the basement and finding a circuit break that will not reset. Most people expect that they can just hit the circuit breaker and flip it back, but it gets confusing when it flips back to off every time.

There are a dozen reasons why a circuit breaker will not reset, and you need to figure out which one it is before you attempt to fix the issue. Electrical contractors in Florence, SC should be able to analyze the situation and help you out.

It is important to never guess when it comes to electrical issues, especially one as large as an overactive circuit breaker. If your breaker keeps tripping there is a good chance it’s doing that to keep you safe. The following are a few possible reasons why your circuit breaker won’t reset but keep in mind that this is a situation you should always leave to electrical contractors.

SHORT CIRCUITS

There are two signs of a short circuit: a breaker that trips on a regular basis and a breaker that will not reset even after you give it some time. If you are absolutely sure that nothing is drawing electricity at the same time you are trying to reset it, then the problem may be a short circuit.

As most electrical contractors will tell you, a short circuit is the result of a hot wire coming into contact with a neutral wire. If the problem is not resolved, it could lead to a fire in your home. In this scenario, your circuit breaker is tripping to cut the electricity flow and turn off the hot wire.

If you have any reason to think that a short circuit is preventing your circuit breaker from resetting, stop trying to fix it and leave the breaker in the ‘off’ position. This is your circuit breaker doing its job, now let the electrical contractors in Florence, SC do theirs.

CIRCUIT OVERLOADS

The most common reason that a breaker trips is a circuit overload. As the name implies, this occurs when there are too many things drawing power such as too many appliances drawing energy off of the same circuit. It may not require you to call electrical contractors right away, but if the situation cannot be easily resolved you should.

In order to fix this problem, you will need to take a step back and think about anything you may have plugged into the circuit. Give your circuit time to cool down first, and then turn off or unplug the appliances on the circuit that you don’t need. Once a significant amount of time has passed, go back and try to flip the breaker again.

You can prevent a circuit overload from occurring by minimizing the number of appliances plugged into your circuit in the future. If you can’t do this, or you don’t have many plugged into it at all then you may need to upgrade your circuit box. Electrical contractors in Florence, SC should easily be able to help you with this task.

FAULTY BREAKER

Faulty breakers are uncommon, but that does not mean that they do not occur. If your circuit breaker box is quite old, it is more likely that this could be the cause. This is not something that you should ever play around with unless you happen to be a trained electrician in Florence, SC. If you are not, then you need to call electrical contractors to come to your home and check out your box.

Once again, your breaker box is responsible for not only providing power to your entire home, but it also is responsible for keeping your home safe. A circuit breaker that will not reset is telling you that something is wrong, it’s your job to listen.

HUMAN ERROR

Depending on the type of breaker box you have and its age, the breaker switch may be very stiff and make it hard to flip. If this is the case, you may not be exerting much force. However, do not just assume this as you can break the circuit breaker if you apply too much pressure.

Instead, try switching another circuit breaker that was not affected by the trip to the off position. Then flip it back to on. If it is easy to flip then you know something was wrong with the first one. If you have to exert a lot of pressure to turn the non-faulty circuit breaker back on then you may have to do the same for the one that tripped.

If you are unsure, err on the side of safety and call electrical contractors in Florence, SC to help you. Once again, it is always best to be safe than sorry.

AVERAGE AGE OF A BREAKER BOX

As a reference point while you are attempting to troubleshoot problems with a circuit breaker that won’t reset, the average age of a breaker box is about 60 years. If you live in an older home it is quite possible that your breaker box is inching close to that figure. While they are designed to last forever, the electrical needs of every home change over time.

Homes today demand more electricity than they did decades ago, which is why electrical contractors regularly install expansion slots to accommodate new appliances. A washer today requires much more energy than a simpler machine from 50 years ago.

If you suspect that your breaker box needs to be updated you should call for help from electrical contractors right away. Circuits that fail to trip or start to perform erratically are not able to properly identify an overloaded circuit. This could result in a home fire or electrocution if left unattended. A licensed electrician can assess your breaker box and determine if you need to make any changes before something drastic occurs.