Tripping breaker
#1
08-25-12, 10:36 AM
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 4
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
Tripping breaker
I have a circuit in my house that includes a bathroom and parts of two adjacent bathrooms. The circuit includes at least one ceiling fan. Anyway, when my wife uses the hair dryer and the ceiling fan is on, a 15 amp breaker trips. For years we have just made sure that the ceiling fan is off when she dries her hair and it has worked ok, but she recently got a new hair dryer that trips the breaker after it has been running for a few minutes, even with the ceiling fan off.
Question - will replacing the breaker with a 20 amp breaker likely do the trick, and are there any codes I should know about if i do this?
Thanks.
Question - will replacing the breaker with a 20 amp breaker likely do the trick, and are there any codes I should know about if i do this?
Thanks.
#3
08-25-12, 11:20 AM
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Cressona, Pa, USA
Posts: 2,541
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
#4
08-25-12, 11:41 AM
Question - will replacing the breaker with a 20 amp breaker likely do the trick, and are there any codes I should know about if i do this?
How many watts does your wife's new hair dryer draw?
#7
08-25-12, 04:28 PM
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Cressona, Pa, USA
Posts: 2,541
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
#9
08-25-12, 06:15 PM
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Cressona, Pa, USA
Posts: 2,541
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
#11
08-26-12, 12:45 PM
Podunk opined:
Actually cost less then $100 in materials and bring the bathroom up to modern code which requires a 20 amp circuit for bathrooms. Nothing in the post indicates this isn't a DIY job so I'm not sure where the $500 came from.
spend.....$500.00 to run a new circuit
#12
08-26-12, 05:24 PM
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 4
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
I'm always up for a DIY project - so basically what I would be doing is replacing the present wire along the entire circuit with 12AWG and putting in a 20A breaker?
In my house it is pretty easy because it is an old house and I have access to all the wiring in the basement along the ceiling and/or in the attic. There would be some snaking involved but not a lot, I don't think...
In my house it is pretty easy because it is an old house and I have access to all the wiring in the basement along the ceiling and/or in the attic. There would be some snaking involved but not a lot, I don't think...
#13
08-26-12, 06:17 PM
The breaker should hold around 125% for an hour before tripping.
If it is as easy as the OP makes it sound the new 20 amp circuit is definitely the way to go.
If it is as easy as the OP makes it sound the new 20 amp circuit is definitely the way to go.
#14
08-26-12, 06:47 PM
so basically what I would be doing is replacing the present wire along the entire circuit with 12AWG and putting in a 20A breaker?
