| Circuit breakers trip for one of two reasons, | | | | happens this direct short causes the amperage |
| a short circuit or an overloaded circuit. A | | | | to increase coming through the breaker and |
| short circuit being the simplest to explain | | | | when the amperage is higher than the rating |
| and the hardest to repair and an overloaded | | | | on the breaker the breaker trips. When you |
| circuit being relatively easy to explain and | | | | try and reset the breaker it will trip right |
| easier to fix. | | | | back off. Repairing this situation requires |
| | | | someone with electrical knowledge or hire an |
| A breaker is designed to regulate the amount | | | | electrician. Electricity is dangerous so |
| of amperage a wire can safely carry. This is | | | | don't play around with it. It takes less than |
| why most 110 volt circuits in your home are | | | | one amp to kill someone. |
| wired with 12 Gage wire and placed on a 20 | | | | |
| amp breaker. Quite possibly your home could | | | | The other reason a circuit breaker trips is |
| be wired on 14 gage wire and a 15 amp | | | | because of overloading the circuit. As I |
| breaker. One could place a 15 amp breaker on | | | | have stated a circuit has a breaker |
| the 12 gage wire a swell but you can NEVER | | | | protecting the wire it is served by. If this |
| place a 20 amp breaker on 14 gage wire. | | | | is 12/20 then 20 amps is the maximum for the |
| | | | circuit. So, you plug in a hair dyer that is |
| See, wire has a rated ampacity that it can | | | | rated at 1500 watts and decide you better let |
| carry and 12/20 and 14,15 are the maximum for | | | | the 1500 watt curling iron heat up. Now, a |
| each circuit. This is what is violated when a | | | | simple calculation watts divided by voltage |
| circuit breaker trips. | | | | gives amps. So, 3000/120=25amps. Your circuit |
| | | | is overloaded and will trip. Plug only one |
| Ina short circuit the hot wire is broken or | | | | item in at a time or find another circuit for |
| possibly just has the insulation worn enough | | | | the curling iron! |
| to make contact with a ground. When this | | | | |