You’re sitting at home, relaxing with your family, when suddenly…poof! A circuit breaker has tripped, leaving you in the dark without much of a clue about why it happened. As your local electrical contractor supply company in Rock Hill, SC, CESCO wants you to know about some common causes behind circuit breaker trips:
- System overload – Every breaker has a cut off, or power safety, limit. If you plug in a malfunctioning appliance or one that requires a lot of energy, you can overload your electrical system. This usually ends up causing a circuit breaker to trip.
- Short circuiting – When active wires touch other active wires, they can overheat or short circuit. The result is a circuit breaker trip. If your outlet turns black and it begins to smell like it’s burning, let the circuit breaker trip and call an electrician immediately. Do not touch the outlet.
- Bad weather – Severe weather, like lightning storms, can cause a circuit breaker to trip. Once the storm ends, try resetting the breaker. If the power doesn’t come back on immediately, call an electrician. It may be more than a standard DIY project.
- Ground faults – Almost identical to a short circuit, ground faults happen when active wires contact with a grounded wire. Like short circuits, ground faults most often result in a circuit breaker trip. Call a professional to help you with ground faults as they can be dangerous.
If you need an electrical contractor supply company to provide you with the supplies you need to fix your circuit breaker, visit CESCO’s residential electrical supply store in Rock Hill, SC today.