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Why would a wall outlet seem to blow when you plugged in a poorly wired lamp but now other outlets on adjoining walls are not working either but no GFCI or circuit breaker was tripped?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
(LIFE SAFETY WARNING! [disclaimer]
Electricity is dangerous!
You can be injured or killed!
Improper installations can cause fire, injury and death!) The reason a poorly wired lamp [fixture] may seem to cause a receptacle to blow but have an effect on other receptacles when no GFCI or breaker tripped is that these devices are all wired in parallel [mechanically speaking] on the same circuit.
The fault current flows through the whole circuit, so every device is subjected to the same current.
1.] The circuit breaker on the main panel may be tripped, but not have an external mechanical indication. [The handle could be stuck.] Reset your breakers anyway and the circuit may reset.
2.] The breaker may have failed under the fault current and needs to be replaced.
3.] One of the splices or screw termination connections for the conductors in the circuit hs failed completely or partially under the fault current and needs to be repaired.
4.] You are possible mistaken, and there is some device in the circuit you have not recognized. <><><>
As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIt could be a GFCI outlet, and the reset button needs pushed. It could be protected by a GFCI outlet somewhere that needs the reset button pushed. It could have had a wire come loose.
If you don't find a GFCI outlet that needs to have the reset button pressed, you should not use the outlet and get someone over right away to fix it. A problem like this could cause a house fire whether the outlet is being used or not.
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Why power circuits and lighting circuits require a separate circuit breaker?
Utility outlets and lighting outlets should be separate so that when a utilization device plugged into an outlet trips the breaker or blows the fuse, you won't be left trying to find your way to safety in the dark. Light fixtures are much less likely to trip a breaker in ordinary use, but there are places you also want more than one lighting circuit for illumination.
Why would using a small kitchen appliance trip the circuit breaker for the bedrooms and not for the outlet that it is plugged into?
If a small kitchen appliance is tripping the circuit breaker for the bedrooms and not for the outlet it is plugged into, it could be due to the difference in electrical load. The bedrooms circuit may already have a higher load from other devices plugged in, whereas the individual outlet might have a separate circuit with a lower load. The small kitchen appliance could be exceeding the capacity of the bedrooms circuit, causing it to trip. It is recommended to redistribute the load or use a different outlet on a different circuit.
Can a garbage disposal be on the same circuit as four outlets and a ceiling fan?
Yes, if the circuit breaker and the wiring is large enough to carry the sum of the amp draw of all. Without knowing what will be plugged into the outlets, there is no way to be more specific. <<>> It is recommended to use a dedicated circuit for a garbage disposal. It is best not to add any additional loads to kitchen counter receptacles as these are also dedicated circuits.
When installing a circuit breaker do you size the breaker to correct wire size or the device its controlling?
When installing a circuit breaker, you size the breaker based on the wire size. The breaker should be matched to the ampacity of the wire to ensure proper protection against overloads and short circuits. The device being controlled by the breaker is not a determining factor in sizing the breaker.
Do you need a gfi plug for a spa if it is being plugged into a gfi circuit?
If your spa is connected with a GFCI circuit breaker you will not need the GFCI receptacle.
What if your circuit breaker started tripping with no change of things plugged into an outlet Does this mean the circuit breaker needs to be replaced?
Circuit breakers can degrade over time but it would be better to get a competant electrician to do it. It might also mean you have too many things plugged into one outlet. Sometimes one circuit breaker may protect several outlets so it might be tripping because of a change in another outlet. ELECTRICTY IS DANGEROUS!!!! Don't do it yourself.
If your circuit breaker popped and will not go back what should you do?
first be sure to reset the breaker handle to the off position. When a breaker trips the handle goes to a neutral position. After resetting the handle turn it tothe on position. If it trips again there is a short in the circuit. Find out which outlets are not workingand unplug anything that is currently plugged in to the outlets. Reset the breaker and turn it to the on position,if it trips again call a qualified electrician.
Why power circuits and lighting circuits require a separate circuit breaker?
Utility outlets and lighting outlets should be separate so that when a utilization device plugged into an outlet trips the breaker or blows the fuse, you won't be left trying to find your way to safety in the dark. Light fixtures are much less likely to trip a breaker in ordinary use, but there are places you also want more than one lighting circuit for illumination.
How many outlets on 15 amp breaker?
As many as you want. It is the power consumed by the thing(s) plugged in that is of concern.
Why would using a small kitchen appliance trip the circuit breaker for the bedrooms and not for the outlet that it is plugged into?
If a small kitchen appliance is tripping the circuit breaker for the bedrooms and not for the outlet it is plugged into, it could be due to the difference in electrical load. The bedrooms circuit may already have a higher load from other devices plugged in, whereas the individual outlet might have a separate circuit with a lower load. The small kitchen appliance could be exceeding the capacity of the bedrooms circuit, causing it to trip. It is recommended to redistribute the load or use a different outlet on a different circuit.
Can a garbage disposal be on the same circuit as four outlets and a ceiling fan?
Yes, if the circuit breaker and the wiring is large enough to carry the sum of the amp draw of all. Without knowing what will be plugged into the outlets, there is no way to be more specific. <<>> It is recommended to use a dedicated circuit for a garbage disposal. It is best not to add any additional loads to kitchen counter receptacles as these are also dedicated circuits.
When installing a circuit breaker do you size the breaker to correct wire size or the device its controlling?
When installing a circuit breaker, you size the breaker based on the wire size. The breaker should be matched to the ampacity of the wire to ensure proper protection against overloads and short circuits. The device being controlled by the breaker is not a determining factor in sizing the breaker.
Do you need a gfi plug for a spa if it is being plugged into a gfi circuit?
If your spa is connected with a GFCI circuit breaker you will not need the GFCI receptacle.
What type of circuit and or breaker should a typical consumer-sold hot plate rated at around 1800w with 2 burners for 120v ac be plugged into - will typical kitchen countertop plugs do?
1800 watts will require a 20 amp circuit. Kitchen countertop outlets are usually, but not always, 20 amp circuits.
Why will too many electric devices operating at one time often blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker?
In a house, usually all the outlets in a room are on one breaker or fuse. Each thing plugged into those outlets consumes some electrical power. This is a number rated in Watts. In this case, the more Watts something consumes, the higher the current is (measured in Amps) in the wires that connect the outlets to the main power in the breaker box. The current in power circuit must be limited for safety reasons. The wires in the walls can only handle a certain amount of current safely. If too much current flows the wires can become extremely hot, possibly starting a fire.
Why does your electricity go out in one room?
Because you have blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker. This is caused by a) too much equipment plugged into a single circuit, or b) faulty equipment causing a short circuit.
Why would a breaker trip after 30 sec with nothing plugged in to the circuit except the tv that is turned off?
First unplug the TV. Some TVs may still draw current when off, but not enough to cause a breaker to trip. However you still want to make sure you don't fry your TV as you troubleshoot. If there is nothing plugged in to any outlet on the branch circuit and there are no light fixtures the problem is a bad breaker or in the wiring. The ideal is to have an electrician troubleshoot since you can kill yourself while messing with the breaker panel if you don't know what you are doing. Turn breaker off, make sure with a meter that the breaker is no longer hot and remove the wire by unscrewing the lug screw. Do the same for another breaker of the same rating. Hook the first wire removed to the second breaker. Turn on the second breaker. If it doesn't trip the problem is first breaker, and you need to replace it. If the second breaker trips it is the wiring. With the second wire and breaker restored to original connection, leave the first wire disconnected. Measure the resistance with a meter of the disconnected first wire to neutral which are where white wires are connected in panel. If you have everything unplugged there should be an open circuit. If not you need to start disconnecting wires in outlets and fixtures on the branch circuit and determine where the short is. Since breaker stays on for 30 seconds it is likely the breaker since a dead short would trip breaker immediately. The exception would be a short that is causing a current to flow that is very close to the rating of the breaker. If the breaker is good then I suspect you have something plugged in you don't know about.
