Breaker popped and won't stay on
#1
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Breaker popped and won't stay on
First, to qualify myself....I know little to nothing about electrical. Unless someone here can talk me through this...I'll be out of luck and at the mercy of an electrician's bill.
So here goes nothin':
For some unknown reason, I have a breaker(residential) that won't stay on. I went into the basement and tried the light...nothing. Went to the box and sure enough the corresponding 15 amp breaker popped. I tried to flip it back...nothing. I unplugged everything I could find on the circuit and tried again...nothing. I figured the breaker was shot and I replaced it....again, nothing.
So, before I call an electrical for a house call I thought I would give doityourself a try. Any suggestions on what it might be? Thanks in advance.
Gerry
So here goes nothin':
For some unknown reason, I have a breaker(residential) that won't stay on. I went into the basement and tried the light...nothing. Went to the box and sure enough the corresponding 15 amp breaker popped. I tried to flip it back...nothing. I unplugged everything I could find on the circuit and tried again...nothing. I figured the breaker was shot and I replaced it....again, nothing.
So, before I call an electrical for a house call I thought I would give doityourself a try. Any suggestions on what it might be? Thanks in advance.
Gerry
#2
Usually the first thing to do is to disconnect the wire from the breaker and see if it resets but since you replaced the breaker we can skip that step. So first you need to open each light, switch, and receptacle and look for obvious problems.
#3
I tried to flip it back...nothing. I unplugged everything I could find on the circuit and tried again...nothing.
Nothing..... breaker trips again ?
Nothing.... breaker is now on but no power to circuit ?
#4
It would help to determine if the breaker tripped on overload or from a short circuit.
Did you turn the new breaker fully off and then on?
Did you turn the new breaker fully off and then on?
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ok, more info. the wife had the exterior of the house power washed. this has to be the source of the problem. assuming, one of the exterior lights was compromised with pressurized water, suggestions on where to start?
#7
We understand the breaker tripped originally.
How about now.... is the breaker still tripping or is it on and the circuit is dead ?
How about now.... is the breaker still tripping or is it on and the circuit is dead ?
#9
So that would not likely indicate a tripped GFI and I would doubt water in a fixture could trip a regular, non-GFI type, breaker.
The problem indicates a hard short. You could start by checking the outside receptacle to make sure it's not physically shorted to the box. If not there you'll need to check each location that is dead for a short.
Since GFI receptacles are so large it's easy for them to short to a metal box.
The problem indicates a hard short. You could start by checking the outside receptacle to make sure it's not physically shorted to the box. If not there you'll need to check each location that is dead for a short.
Since GFI receptacles are so large it's easy for them to short to a metal box.
#11
As an electrician I get calls for problems like yours a lot. Here is how I would approach the problem.
I use a good digital VOM (meter) locked on Rx1 or the 100 ohm scale. I'll zero the meter so that when the lead tips are touched I get a true 0 ohm (dead short) reading. I'll go to the panel and disconnect the white wire from the bar. I'll measure from hot to neutral and hot to ground. Then I'll go each location and make the same two measurements without removing anything.
I'll give you an example....
at the panel....... hot to neutral inf. ohms...... hot to ground 3 ohms. The short is hot to ground. From this point on I'll only check from hot to ground.
at the panel..... hot to ground 3 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 2.9 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 2 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 1.5 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 1 ohm.
The one that comes the closest to 0 is the problem device or very close to the area.
In the meter description I used an ohmmeter set to the 100 ohm scale which is pretty much the lowest you'll find on most meters but I do have a dedicated meter that has a 10 ohm scale and is much easier to see slight differences between readings.
I use a good digital VOM (meter) locked on Rx1 or the 100 ohm scale. I'll zero the meter so that when the lead tips are touched I get a true 0 ohm (dead short) reading. I'll go to the panel and disconnect the white wire from the bar. I'll measure from hot to neutral and hot to ground. Then I'll go each location and make the same two measurements without removing anything.
I'll give you an example....
at the panel....... hot to neutral inf. ohms...... hot to ground 3 ohms. The short is hot to ground. From this point on I'll only check from hot to ground.
at the panel..... hot to ground 3 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 2.9 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 2 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 1.5 ohms.
a receptacle..... hot to ground 1 ohm.
The one that comes the closest to 0 is the problem device or very close to the area.
In the meter description I used an ohmmeter set to the 100 ohm scale which is pretty much the lowest you'll find on most meters but I do have a dedicated meter that has a 10 ohm scale and is much easier to see slight differences between readings.