Bad Circuit Breaker

[mindbender]

The circuit breaker for my 2nd bedroom recently tripped. we had a visitor and she was probably using her blow dryver, curling iron, etc.....damn women. anyway, i reset it but it went off again and will not go back on.

my computer, cable modem, printer, and a tiny TV were all plugged into outlets on this circuit. i'm guessing the circuit was overloaded and tripped but why isn't it going back on? seems like the entire ckt breaker has gone bad.

i saw some other posts about making sure the breaker is not loose. i'll check that, but if it needs replacing is this a safe job? how do i check or replace this? i'm thinking i need to remoive the panel, shut off the main, and remove the bad breaker...but i'm short on the details. help me out if you can. thanks.

[mindbender]

[RBM]

To reset the breaker, push the handle hard to the off position before the on position, to reset it internally. Try unplugging everything on that dead circuit and turn off all lights on it as well. If the breaker then resets, as you turn things back on, you may find what's causing the problem. If it is a defective Arc fault breaker, you probably should have an electrician replace it

[G Hensley]

[Joseph Meehan]

It is also possible that there is now a fault in the circuit.

Replacing a breaker is not all that difficult. While I kill the power at the main breakers I also treat the job as if I had not.

The particular procedure depends on the box you have and I don't feel qualified to give you instructions over the internet for a job that my have variables that I might not think of. Maybe someone else will offer their advice. Same goes for testing the circuit. Testing the breaker takes a special tool and that runs $100 +.

[PHILIPWOLF]

please stop posting these inflamatory and useless statements. All of these posts are based on the best of our knowledge and anyone with a brain will understand that it may or may not be right... safety warnings not withstanding.

phil

[House Mouse]

Any time you remove the front of the panel box you are in dangerous territory unless you know what you are doing.

Electricity is not a trial and error learning thing. Touching the wrong thing inside a hot panel box can leave you dead on the floor.... if your lucky.

Most homes are at least two phase. Bucking phases even at only

110V/220V can hospitalize you or put you in the morgue.

Consider this as you debate doing it your self or calling an electrician.

My advice just based on your question is that you call an electrician. No offence meant.

HM

[RBM]

This is not a standard circuit breaker,it is an arc fault breaker, which wires differently and is tested differently then a standard breaker. If the OP has never seen the inside of a breaker panel, this is not where he should start learning

[George E. Cawthon]

If the tool to test the breaker costs $100, forget the tool and buy a new breaker, or several. Actually, testing the breaker is as simple as placing it in another operating circuit and putting the breaker it replaces in the "bad" circuit. Costs nothing. But of course a person that knows nothing about electrical circuits and is unwilling to buy a book and learn may fry him/herself. Fortunately, anyone smart enough to be able to own a house, or smart enough to operate a car and change tires, can learn the basics quickly.

[Joseph Meehan]

...

Would like likely be a good enough test for the case in point, but it does not test if a "arc fault breaker" is providing the protection it is designed to provide. That is why the tester is a little higher than might be needed to see if the breaker is the cause of the lack of power on a given circuit.

[George E. Cawthon]

Whoa! The breaker broke the connection twice, he reset and it broke the connection again. His problem is that it now won't reset. The breaker is providing protection since it allows no current. The question to be answered is: 1, is there a fault (short) in the circuit or

2, is there a fault in the breaker. This isn't complicated and there is no safety problem since the breaker is either providing no current or won't allow enough current. The simplest solution as someone pointed out is to remove all load from the circuits and try to reset the breaker, and if that doesn't work, then remove the breaker from the panel and try reset. If it doesn't reset the breaker is bad and one buys a new one. If it does work and putting it back into the circuit (no load) makes it break, then the breaker is working and the circuit has a fault in it.

[Joseph Meehan]

I agree it is providing protection, but the tester I am talking about, as I understand it, test more than just a simple overload. However from the description I can't tell if the breaker is now tripping early or if there is some sort of load or wiring error causing the problem.