Tripping circuit breaker
#1
06-10-14, 03:30 PM
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Tripping circuit breaker
I'm am at my wits end. I purchased a newly constructed 3BR/2.5BA home in 2011. One of the bedroom we use as an office. The breaker in this room will trip/blow at least 3-5 times a week. I can never reproduce what makes it trip and it's completely random. I've had an electrician replace the breaker twice because he said that sometimes they come faulty from the manufacturer.
In our office we have our computer (monitor, modem, printer), phone, 42" flat panel TV, PS3, and an audio receiver with a powered subwoofer. There are times when I can be on the computer surfing the web, playing PS3, with the audio equipment on and have the ceiling fan and lights on and nothing happens. Other times I can have the TV off, audio equipment off, PS3 off, lights and fan off, and just be working on the PC and the breaker will blow. Vice versa, I can have the PC shutdown, monitor off, printer off, and just watching TV or playing PS3 and it trips.
I'm completely puzzled
Any help or suggestions at this point would be more than welcome.
In our office we have our computer (monitor, modem, printer), phone, 42" flat panel TV, PS3, and an audio receiver with a powered subwoofer. There are times when I can be on the computer surfing the web, playing PS3, with the audio equipment on and have the ceiling fan and lights on and nothing happens. Other times I can have the TV off, audio equipment off, PS3 off, lights and fan off, and just be working on the PC and the breaker will blow. Vice versa, I can have the PC shutdown, monitor off, printer off, and just watching TV or playing PS3 and it trips.
I'm completely puzzled
Any help or suggestions at this point would be more than welcome.
#2
06-10-14, 04:17 PM
Welcome to the forums. When it happens again, check the rest of the house, garage, basement, etc to see if anything else loses power. You may have something, like a small refrigerator that powers on intermittently that will cause an overload.
#5
06-10-14, 06:21 PM
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Thanks for the replies. I spoke to an electrician earlier today and he is coming to check out the problem. He mentioned arc-fault but I'm not sure if those are installed or not, but hopefully he will solve the problem.
I'll be sure to check the rest of the house if it trips between now and the time he comes, to see if any power hungry electronics or appliances kick on or off.
I'll be sure to check the rest of the house if it trips between now and the time he comes, to see if any power hungry electronics or appliances kick on or off.
#7
06-10-14, 07:21 PM
Group Moderator
I did a service call once and found a surge protector that was causing an AFCI to trip. Looking on the web confirmed that some older surge protectors can cause issues. If you have one (or more) try bypassing it.
#9
06-11-14, 05:31 AM
Depending on the OP's location...a house built in 2011 could have been inspected under the 2005 code cycle or possibly even the 2002 as some states do not adopt the more current ones. In NY where I am we just recently came off of the 2005 and are currently on the 2008. Depending on the code cycle it was inspected under, Arc faults may not have been required unless local amendments required them.
#10
06-11-14, 08:53 AM
Member
Depending on the OP's location...a house built in 2011 could have been inspected under the 2005 code cycle or possibly even the 2002 as some states do not adopt the more current ones.
