Do I have a Bad Breaker

All outlets and fixtures that are on a 15A breaker have no power. The breaker has not tripped. I have tryed turning it off and on with no success.
Sounds to me like the breaker has gone bad, right????

To change a breaker do I shut off the main power at the panel, snap out the breaker, remove the wire, and replace with identical breaker???

I have never done this before.

Thanks,

Jim

 

You can test the breaker if you have an ac voltmeter. You should measure 115 - 120 VAC between the connection on the breaker and the return.

You can also test that it is the breaker by temporarily switching the wire on this breaker with the wire on another 15 amp breaker. If you have no power on the new circuit and power on the old circuit then it is the breaker.

To change the breaker you need either a new breaker of the exact same type or a breaker listed for the circuit breaker panel that you have. The circuit breaker panel will list allowable breakers, and new breakers will list panels they can be placed in. It is not sufficient to just find a replacement that fits in the panel.

To change the breakers requires removing the old breaker and installing the new one. Do this with the breaker off. Be careful not to touch anything metal when you install the breaker, as the bus where you install the breaker will be hot.

For added safety, turn off the main before removing and replacing the breaker.

Good luck.

 

It's very, very, very unlikely to be a breaker problem.

Have you checked for a tripped GFCI? Do you need helping figuring out how to do so? Please tell us where the outlets are that are served by this breaker?

 

The outlets are the front porch light, yard lamp post, 2 living room outlets, and 4 bedroom outlets.

I am not sure what the GFCI is or if it has been tripped??

The house was built in the early 1970's.

Thanks,

Jim

 

A GFCI is an outlet that has the TEST and RESET buttons on. Since this os outdoor lighting there is probably a GFCI somewhere. Look around in the garage,basement or any outdoor receptacles.

 

The only GFCI I have is in the bathroom and that is not having a problem.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Keep looking. It's behind that stack of boxes in the garage usually.

 

I agree. Keep looking. Concentrate first in the garage, but look everywhere else too. And I do mean everywhere.

 

Last month, a friend had the house power washed (big clue) and painted. A day later, we noticed some circuits suddenly stopped working. I poked around and noticed that one of failing fixtures was the back porch flood light. Ah ha! This should be easy, right?

I looked all over the house, but strangely, no tripped GFI anywhere. I was dumbfounded and perplexed. I went to trip the circuit breaker and only then did I discover that it was a GFI circuit breaker in the main panel. Voila!