Use a flashlight to inspect your circuit breaker box.
Electrical breaker boxes have spring loaded fuse switches designed to protect household electrical circuits. In the even of an overload, or short in the circuit, the breaker flips to the off position, disconnecting the power to help prevent further damage. Breakers are designed to be "thrown" or triggered hundreds of times without failure, but from time to time, a breaker wears out. Troubleshooting and breaker replacement are electrical projects that most home owners can complete on their own. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Resetting the Breaker
1. Locate the breaker box, typically installed in the garage, a closet or pantry. Look for a large gray or black metal box with a door set flush in the wall. Open the door by pulling out on the wire handle to reveal the circuit breakers.
2. Start at the top and run a flashlight over the breakers, looking for a clear indicator box with a red square in it, indicating a breaker that has been tripped. Use the locator list on the inside of the door panel to assist you; breakers are typically listed by the room, or area of the house they serve, with the breaker number at the end of the line on the chart.
3. Flip the breaker into the full off position to reset it. Flip the breaker in the opposite direction to the on position to restore the power. Return to normal usage unless the problem happens again. Move to the next step if problems persist.
4. Locate all outlets attached to the offending breaker and check to see what is plugged in, by checking the power of items plugged in nearby, while the breaker is off. Unplug all items on the circuit.
Testing the Circuit
5. Reset the breaker as described in the first section. Plug the items back in and turn them on, one at a time, waiting one minute between each item until the breaker trips again. If it does not, return to normal use. Unplug all but the last item you plugged in and reset the breaker.
6. Turn the single item on and wait to see if the breaker throws. If it does, replace the item, or plug it into a circuit with a higher amperage breaker. If it does not, spread your appliances and other items out to more circuits to prevent future overloads.
7. Count up the total wattage of electricity used by the appliances and other items on the circuit if the problem persists. Locate this information on the UL tag, on the power cord, or base of the item. Divide the total by 100.
8. Check the breaker's amperage by reading the number from its spine. Subtract the divided number from the last step from the amperage of the breaker. If you have a negative number, redistribute the appliances further, if not, call an electrician to replace the breaker and to check the circuit for wiring faults.
Tags: amperage breaker, appliances other, appliances other items, breaker check, circuit breaker, Flip breaker, items circuit
