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Why would the circuit breaker short when a multilight lamp on the end of a run with a pull chain switch is turned on?
Wiki User
∙ 19y ago
The cicuit braker should only trip when there is too much current running through it. Check to see what the braker is rated for (maybe 10 or 15 amps). Then take stock of what equipment is in that circuit (maybe a couple of lights?) and estimate how many amps the circuit should be drawing (maybe two or three). If there aren't a million lights plugged in to this circuit then chances are the light fixture in question is shorting out when you turn it on.
Wiki User
∙ 19y ago
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Can a Circuit breaker be used as a Switch?
Yes a circuit breaker is a switch but it should not be used as a switch. The continuous turning off and on of a breaker weakens the internal mechanism and reduces the tripping value of the breaker. There is in the marketplace breakers that are designed to be used as switches. These are usually used in large warehouses where the lights are turned on in the morning and shut off at night. Using these specifically designed breakers for switches does not wear out the tripping mechanism or reduce the tripping value. <<>> A circuit breaker can be used as a switch, although in most cases there are less expensive switches you can use.
What opens or closes an electrical circuit?
That function was traditionally implemented in the form of a mechanical deviceknown as a "switch".The practice became so firmly embedded in the art and science of electricitythat the word became the generic term for any device that could performany similar function, so that now we have "switching transistors", integrated"CMOS switches", and even central office telephone-circuit "switches".
How do you make a circuit so the lights can be turned on and off separatley?
To design a circuit so that lights can be turned on and off separately, we connect the circuit in parallel.
Compare and contrast a circuit breaker and a fuse?
A circuit breaker is something you can reset. When the switch "trips", the position of the switch goes to the middle. To reset it, move to Off, then On.When a fuse blows, its two external contacts are no longer connected by the internal piece of fuse wire and an electrical current can no longer flow.More technical details about fusesIn all types of disposable fuse, two contacts which are on the body of the fuse are connected to a piece of fuse wire inside. The material used to make the fuse wire, and its thickness, designed to melt - and thus break the circuit - if the current flowing through it exceeds a certain amperage, which is known as the fuse's "maximum rated current".There are many different types of disposable fuse: some are screwed into what looks like a light bulb socket.Other types are small tubes - made of glass or ceramic - with a metal contact at each end. They are held in a fuse holder that has contacts, clips or springs which make contact with each of the fuse's end contacts.Some commonly used automotive fuses are made of plastic and have two flat metal "pins" which plug into a pair of contacts in the fuse box.
Why circuit breakers do not trip even though there is a fault?
1. Maybe you are using more than you think. Hair dryers really suck a lot of juice. 2. You may have a low-amp breaker with a lot of outlets wired to it. 3. It really depends on how many amps are being pulled vs how many amps the breaker can handle. What you need to do is identify every light and outlet that is wired to that breaker. Next time the breaker trips, leave it off and start figuring this out. Identify every light that is no longer working. Then carry a lamp (better yet, a night-light) around your house and try it in every outlet, identifying the ones that don't work. Before you flip the breaker switch, look at the switch. It should tell you how many amps it can handle before it trips. Overhead light fixture generally suck about 2-3 amps. A celing fan another 2-3 (a combination ceiling fan with light kit, around 5). Add up all the fixtures you identified as being on that circuit, and that's how many amps you are pulling, even when nothing is plugged into an outlet on that circuit. Now, a general rule in electrical wiring is that you're not supposed to have fixtures and outlets on the same circuit. I don't think there's any real danger in doing that, but it just kind of makes it easier to keep everything organized. So it may or may not be true in your house. So you may not have any fixtures at all on the circuit. If you don't, then ignore the lights and ceiling fans. Your load on that circuit is whatever appliances you have plugged in and running at the time. If you DO have fixtures on the circuit, then you can add the amps from those fixtures. Growing up, I lived in a house where the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room were all on the same circuit. That circuit must have been a huge number of amps to support all that. But nevertheless, if you turned on the hair dryer while the clothes dryer and bathroom vent were both on, it tripped the breaker every time. And the lights went out in all three rooms. Solutions? Well, if turning on your hair dryer is what causes the breaker to trip, you can try drying your hair when other things on that circuit are not operating. Or just plug your hair dryer in to an outlet that is not on that breaker. That's the easiest thing to do. You might also think about putting a bigger (more amps) breaker on that circuit in your breaker box (I suggest you don't do this yourself - hire an electrician). Another option is to change some of the outlets and/or fixtures to another circuit, one that doesnt have as much load on it. This will require some re-wiring, which, with a little bit of knowledge, you can do yourself. But if you are not comfortable with that, then again, hire an electrician. Overhead fixtures aren't so bad because the wiring is usually up in your attic. You just need to identify which wires are on which circuits and divert another circuit to include your fixtures. Also, you need to make sure that the old circuit is still continuous (if there was a fixture in between the breaker and an outlet, or between two outlets, and you took that fixture off the circuit, then you have to complete the circuit between the breaker and outlet, or between the two outlets, directly - make sense?). The thing that you have to keep in mind is that, while you are decreasing the load on one circuit, you are increasing the load on the other circuit, and you don't want to put so much on the other circuit that it starts to trip. Oh one warning. Anything that draw a LOT of amps, like a hair dryer or clothes dryer or chop saw, should never be plugged into any outlet that is on the same circuit with electronic devices (TVs, stereos, computers, DVD players). Even if it doesn't trip the breaker (a potential disaster for some electronics), the current change created by turning the high-amp appliance on and off can damage the sensitive components of such electronics. So-called "surge protectors" are not sufficient for protecting your electronic equipment from this - they only protect against minor fluctuations caused by slight changes in the current coming into your house.
What could be the problem if a breaker trips when the light is turned off?
A short circuit in the wiring or in the switch.
How do you de-energize a circuit?
To de-energize a circuit, the voltage has to be cut off at the source. This is usually done with a disconnect switch which is located just before the circuit's load. Turning off the breaker on a distribution panel will de-energize the circuit it is feeding. To make sure that the voltage can not be turned back on when work is being done on the circuit, the switch or breaker must have a lock off device to prevent the circuit from being turned on, except by the person that locked the circuit off.
Could a bad circuit breaker light switch or plug outlet cause the bedroom light to flicker when turned on?
Yes a bad circuit breaker and a bad light switch can cause a light to flicker when its turned on. It could also be caused by loose wiring going or coming from that paticular circuit. it also could be something in the fixture itself causing. Checking for loose connections is your cheapest and first route to go.
Why did electricity along the line go out when switch was turned on?
Bad switch or a short and tripped the breaker.
Can a Circuit breaker be used as a Switch?
Yes a circuit breaker is a switch but it should not be used as a switch. The continuous turning off and on of a breaker weakens the internal mechanism and reduces the tripping value of the breaker. There is in the marketplace breakers that are designed to be used as switches. These are usually used in large warehouses where the lights are turned on in the morning and shut off at night. Using these specifically designed breakers for switches does not wear out the tripping mechanism or reduce the tripping value. <<>> A circuit breaker can be used as a switch, although in most cases there are less expensive switches you can use.
What is the difference if a switch is before or after a bulb in a circuit?
It is a safety concern. With the switch before the bulb, the bulb is completely isolated from the potential source when the switch is turned off. With the switch behind the bulb, even if the switch is turned off, the potential source is still at the bulb. If any of these lamp holder parts touch the ground when removing the bulb the circuit will short out and trip the breaker. If you are grounded and touch any of the lamp holder parts you will get a nasty shock.
What happened when you turned on the switch of the light?
A switch is placed in an electrical circuit in order to place a gap when the switch is off, so the circuit is broken. When the switch is on, the circuit is complete and the electricity can flow round the circuit.
Why do the headlights of a 1991 ford explorer go off and on when turned on?
The headlight circuit is protected by a self-resetting circuit breaker. Something in the circuit is drawing too much power and the breaker is cycling on and off.
A circuit with a switch turned to the Off position or a circuit with any break is called?
a closed circuit
When a switch in an electrical circuit is turned off what will happen?
Closing a switch in an electrical circuit will complete the circuit. The supply voltage will then be applied to that circuit, and current will flow through that circuit.
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.
Do you have a 15 0r 20 amp circuit?
Go to your distribution panel and shut off the breaker that you think is the circuit in question. If the circuit becomes de-energized then the breaker you just turned off feeds that circuit. Look on the handle of the breaker and the number you see is the amperage of that circuit. <<>> Determination of a 15 or 20 Ampere circuit is normally indicated by a combination of a 20A breaker and a 20A dedicated outlet. A 15A circuit normally has multiple outlets; not typical in a 20A circuit.
