We all know that feeling when you're just sitting down to enjoy a meal or a favourite television show and "click!" All the lights go off, appliances shut down, and electronics go dark. It's a clear sign of a tripped breaker, but don't worry, you don't have to sit in the dark.
It's frustrating, but it is not the world's end when a breaker trips. It happens because of a surge of power, when there is a sharp spike in your home or business's electrical current, or when the current is stopped and then started again. A tripped breaker can happen for several reasons and sometimes severely damage appliances and electronics.
Most power surges originate inside the house when an electrical appliance is switched ON. These are generally small in scale. However, a number of them, over time, can cause electrical degeneration. Less common (but far more powerful) surges originate from outside the home, such as when lightning strikes, a power line goes down, or an animal gets into a transformer, or in some cases from a neighbour’s house as a supply cable is looped between houses.
Steps to Take When the Lights Go Off
Fortunately, a tripped breaker is pretty easy to "fix." Unfortunately, it may signify something more serious, such as faulty or inadequate wiring or an old or insufficient consumer unit aka fuse box
When a breaker trips, follow these steps:
Turn off all the lights, electronics and appliances working off of that particular circuit. When you turn the breaker back on, it's best not to have anything switched ON. Turning the breaker ON will cause a surge, so having everything OFF will help protect your appliances, fixtures, and electronics. Gaming systems and computers are especially sensitive to harm from surges.
At your electrical fuse box, find the switch for the tripped breaker. Search for the one facing a different direction than all the others or in the "OFF" position.
- Turn the switch back to the "ON" position.
- Turn your lights, appliances, and electronics back on one by one.
If the breaker trips again, it's time to follow a self-diagnostic diagram specially prepared for you by Viliam from V&R Electrical Services. We think of your electrical system as integral to your day-to-day life and believe in ensuring everything runs as efficiently as possible. That may mean reconfiguring your circuits, upgrading your electrical panel, or replacing faulty wiring.
Reasons Why a Breaker Trips
A breaker usually trips because of general wear and tear to your electrical system; if this happens often, it will require inspection and replacement. Reasons why circuit breakers trip OFF are because:
Short circuits. If a Live conductor comes into contact with a Neutral conductor, this will cause an overload of current flow known as a short circuit. The overload causes heat, sparking and arcing, which can start an electrical fire. Breakers are developed to sense situations like these and should automatically shut off to help avoid a fire.
An overloaded circuit. If your electrical system is older, it will not to able to handle the amount of Amps passing through. This will cause the breaker to trip. Overloaded circuits can also cause electrical fires. We can add additional circuits to help circumvent this problem.
Earthing faults. Earthing faults happen when a Live or Neutral conductor and a CPC (Earth) conductor both touch together. RCD will safely and quickly disconnect the power supply to all protected circuits and save your electronics. Earth faults will often ruin sensitive electronics such as TV, game console, USB sockets, etc.
LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICAL SERVICE?
Get in touch with the team at V&R Electrical Services based in Failsworth to learn more about our electrical services. We can be reached through our online contact form and will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services or your project.
