Why Your Breaker Keeps Tripping

A breaker doing its job means it's saving you from a fire or shock. Don't override it — find why.

Difficulty: Medium Time: 15–60 min Cost: $0

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Repeated trips need investigationIf a breaker trips immediately when you reset it, leave it off and call an electrician.

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1

Identify what's on that circuit

Reset the breaker. Note what stopped working when it tripped. Common culprits: space heaters, hair dryers, microwaves, window AC units.
2

Reduce the load

Unplug high-wattage devices on that circuit. Try running them one at a time. Most 15A circuits handle ~1,440 watts; 20A handles ~1,920.
3

Check for a short

If you unplugged everything and it still trips → a short circuit somewhere in the wiring or a faulty outlet. Time to call an electrician.
4

Consider an arc-fault trip

AFCI breakers have a colored test button — varies by brand (Square D often white, Eaton often green, Siemens often blue). They can trip from "nuisance" causes — older appliances, vacuum motors, fluorescent ballasts. If you have one, that's likely the cause.