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Why Does My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?

Serving Families Throughout Clackamas
A-Temp Heating, Cooling & Electrical
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Everything seems to be fine with your electrical wiring system then suddenly, the power shuts off. Urrggh! How did this happen? Electrical problems are common in most households, but if your power turns on and off often, something is wrong with your circuit breaker.

What Causes a Circuit Breaker to Trip?

  • Circuit overloads
  • Ground faults
  • Short circuits
  • Faulty or damaged appliances or wiring
  • Lightning

So, how do each of these issues cause your circuit breaker to trip? Continue reading to find out more. If you are experiencing issues with your circuit breaker, A-TEMP Heating, Cooling & Electrical can help! 

Five Reasons Your Circuit Breaker Might Be Tripping

You would not know the cause unless you bring in professionals to check on the problem. To help you understand the situation, A-TEMP gives you these five (5) causes of circuit breaker tripping.

Circuit Overload

Overloading happens when a wire/circuit gets higher amperage than the volume it can handle. Once the breaker has exceeded its safe limit, it will trip. Because your electrical system can only support limited high-power appliances, you should avoid overloading the circuit breaker. To identify the cause of the issue, try unplugging all items on the breaker then plug them in one by one. Ask help from your electrician to do it right.

Ground Fault

If a live or hot wire comes in contact with the grounded area, ground fault happens. In this situation, the grounding of your outlet become dangerous as it can cause electrical shock if left unnoticed. To avoid potential risks, call an expert to handle the matter.

Short Circuit

Have you seen black circles around your outlet? Or, did you smell burnt wires? No doubt – your breaker has experienced a short circuit. Experts advise not to interact with the outlet and call in professional electricians to address the problem.

Appliance Breakdown

Your circuit breaker has tripped probably because of a faulty and damaged appliance wiring or overloading. Faulty appliances draw more power from your central electrical source. They can cause fire or complete power disturbance. Have your appliances checked by professionals before plugging them into an outlet or any power source.

Storm/Lightning

In just one swift blow, lightning can shut off your power source without notice. When lightning strikes your home’s electric cable, you can lose power automatically. But, it does not take long for the power to come back. Yet, if the power does not come back after a while, you should ask your electricians for solutions.


Call A-TEMP Heating, Cooling & Electrical today at (503) 694-3396 or contact us online to schedule an electrical service in Portland!


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