answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

A short, which will trip the main breaker.

User Avatar

Wiki User

6y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What can a loosely connected electrical wire in a breaker panel cause?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

What could be the cause of arcing between the buss bar and a breaker?

Arcing is caused by a poor electrical connection. The breaker is not making good contact with the buss bar. Try replacing the breaker.


Circuit breaker trip cause smoke will homeowner insurance pay for it?

A circuit breaker does not "cause" smoke. A circuit breaker "breaks" a circuit when there is too much current, creating a hazardous condition for the wires that are connected to the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker PROTECTS you from electrical fire. Find the source of the smoke; what burned? If a circuit breaker tripped during the incident, it is usually caused by melting/burning wire insulation, either inside or outside of an appliance. If the insulation inside the walls of your house has burned/melted, it could be that the circuit breaker was too large for the wire or that the circuit breaker failed to shut off at the appropriate current load. If the circuit breaker failed, your insurance should help you. If an appliance overloaded the circuit, your insurance should help you. If someone connected an oversized circuit breaker, causing the wire to overheat, your insurance company may refuse to help you.


What causes the breaker to trip on a central vac unit?

Maybe you have other electrical drains on that breaker line that cause it to exceed the 15 or 20 amp limit. Fix it.


Will cobwebs trip a breaker?

No, cobwebs alone will not trip a breaker. Breakers are designed to protect against overloading and short circuits, not cobwebs. However, if the cobwebs accumulate and cause insulation damage, it could potentially cause an electrical issue that may trip the breaker. Regular cleaning and maintenance can help prevent this.


Why does your garbage disposal breaker keep throwing?

There are only two conditions that cause a breaker to trip. An overload condition of the connected load is one cause. To cause an overload condition on a breaker that supplies a garbage disposal, the motor in the unit would have to be jammed. Turn the breaker off and see if you can turn the blades in the unit. This might have to be done from the under side, look for the motors cooling fan on the bottom of the motor and see if you can turn it. If the breaker trips instantaneously when the unit is turned on, then there could be a wire grounding in the motor junction box. Same scenario, turn the breaker off, open the junction box and look for wiring problem. Use your power of smell, it is a fine diagnostic tool when it comes to burnt electrical equipment.

Related questions

Can a thermostat cause a breaker to trip?

If it is a line thermostat and it is connected across the line instead of in series with the load then yes it will trip the breaker.


What could be the cause of arcing between the buss bar and a breaker?

Arcing is caused by a poor electrical connection. The breaker is not making good contact with the buss bar. Try replacing the breaker.


Circuit breaker trip cause smoke will homeowner insurance pay for it?

A circuit breaker does not "cause" smoke. A circuit breaker "breaks" a circuit when there is too much current, creating a hazardous condition for the wires that are connected to the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker PROTECTS you from electrical fire. Find the source of the smoke; what burned? If a circuit breaker tripped during the incident, it is usually caused by melting/burning wire insulation, either inside or outside of an appliance. If the insulation inside the walls of your house has burned/melted, it could be that the circuit breaker was too large for the wire or that the circuit breaker failed to shut off at the appropriate current load. If the circuit breaker failed, your insurance should help you. If an appliance overloaded the circuit, your insurance should help you. If someone connected an oversized circuit breaker, causing the wire to overheat, your insurance company may refuse to help you.


Can you use a 100 instead 20 to change breakers?

To replace breakers in an electrical box it is extremely important the replace the breaker with the same wattage. Do not replace a 100 breaker with a 20 breaker is can cause damage.


What happens to power if more current pass?

the amount of power going to the object will will cause the circut breaker to blow. if the object is not connected to a breaker then the object will catch on fire.


What causes the breaker to trip on a central vac unit?

Maybe you have other electrical drains on that breaker line that cause it to exceed the 15 or 20 amp limit. Fix it.


Will cobwebs trip a breaker?

No, cobwebs alone will not trip a breaker. Breakers are designed to protect against overloading and short circuits, not cobwebs. However, if the cobwebs accumulate and cause insulation damage, it could potentially cause an electrical issue that may trip the breaker. Regular cleaning and maintenance can help prevent this.


Why does your garbage disposal breaker keep throwing?

There are only two conditions that cause a breaker to trip. An overload condition of the connected load is one cause. To cause an overload condition on a breaker that supplies a garbage disposal, the motor in the unit would have to be jammed. Turn the breaker off and see if you can turn the blades in the unit. This might have to be done from the under side, look for the motors cooling fan on the bottom of the motor and see if you can turn it. If the breaker trips instantaneously when the unit is turned on, then there could be a wire grounding in the motor junction box. Same scenario, turn the breaker off, open the junction box and look for wiring problem. Use your power of smell, it is a fine diagnostic tool when it comes to burnt electrical equipment.


What would cause circuit breaker to trip in new box from old box?

A circuit breaker will trip if it is faulty or if the connected circuit has a short circuit or a connected device is trying to draw more current than the breaker rating. If you disconnect the output wire from the breaker and it still trips, it is a faulty breaker. If the breaker is tripping immediately when it is turned on then start disconnecting elements of the circuit to see what might be causing the problem. If everything was working and now isn't, it is likely that the wire from the breaker is nicked where it exits the box and is shorting to the feedthru connector.


Can 13 gauge wire be connected to a 20 amp breaker?

No, because NEC says that 12 AWG wire is the smallest wire that can safely handle 20 A. If you installed a smaller wire on a 20 A breaker you could possibly overheat the wire and cause it to fail, which can start a fire. It would not be to code. And the National Electrical code does not list a 13 gauge wire.


Can a 8 amp be changed to 15 amps on circuit breaker?

If you are asking if you can change an 8 Amp Circuit Breaker to 15 Amps, the answer is no. If there is an 8 A breaker in place it is sized to protect the wiring and devices on the circuit. Increasing to 15 A would defeat this protection and could cause a fire or cause a connected device to be destroyed with higher amperage.


Can you have two circuits off one breaker?

No, a breaker is designed to handle the load of only one circuit. Connecting two circuits to one breaker can overload the circuit and potentially lead to electrical hazards such as overheating, tripping the breaker, or causing a fire. Each circuit must have its own dedicated breaker.