electrical troubleshooting
Breaker keeps tripping
Common symptoms: breaker trips; circuit breaker tripping; keeps tripping; breaker won't stay on; breaker trips repeatedly
Stop and call a pro if:
- lockout-tagout-required
- arc-flash-ppe-required
- burning-smell
- scorch-marks
Step-by-step diagnostic flow
Step 1
Before opening any device on this circuit, establish an electrically safe work condition.
Step 2
Do you smell burning, see scorch marks at the breaker or any receptacle, or feel heat radiating from the panel cover?
Step 3
What type of breaker is tripping? Check the handle / label.
Standard breakers have only an amp rating. GFCI breakers have a TEST button and white pigtail. AFCI breakers say AFCI and may have a TEST button. Dual-function breakers do both.
Step 4
After resetting the breaker with NOTHING plugged in or switched on on that circuit, does it trip immediately or stay on?
Unplug every device on the circuit and turn off every wall switch fed by it. Then reset.
Step 5
When the breaker trips with loads connected, does it trip immediately, or after a delay (minutes)?
Possible outcomes
Stop — do not proceed until the circuit is verified de-energized
high confidenceNFPA 70E §120.5 requires verified zero energy before any conductor work.
- Turn off the breaker, lock it if accessible to others, then verify with a tester proven against a known-live source
Panel emergency — stop and call a licensed electrician now
high confidenceBurning smell or scorching at the panel indicates active or recent arcing or overheating.
- Leave the breaker OFF
- Photograph the scorch marks from a safe distance
- Note the circuit and approximate time it started
- Panel brand and model
- Breaker position and amp rating
- Photos of any scorching
AFCI-specific diagnosis needed
medium confidenceAFCI breakers trip on arc-fault signatures (and on combo devices, also ground faults). Diagnosis differs from standard breakers.
- See the 'AFCI nuisance trips' workflow
- AFCI brand
- When the trips occur (motor loads, dimmer activity, shared neutral?)
Likely short circuit or ground fault on the branch wiring
high confidenceImmediate trip with no load means current is flowing somewhere it shouldn't — line-to-neutral short, line-to-ground fault, or a damaged conductor inside a box.
- Confirm everything is unplugged and all switches OFF
- Inspect accessible boxes for pinched/burned wires
- Do not re-energize repeatedly — each reset can extend damage
- Circuit map (rooms/devices on this breaker)
- Recent work or damage that may have nicked a cable
Likely a defective appliance or device on the circuit
high confidenceThe breaker holds with nothing on, but trips when a specific load comes on — a short or ground fault inside one of the devices.
- Unplug everything, reset breaker, then plug devices in one by one until the trip recurs — the last one added is the culprit
- Leave that device unplugged
- Identified device(s) that cause the trip
- Manufacturer and model
Likely circuit overload — total current exceeds breaker rating
medium confidenceDelayed trips (minutes) typically mean the breaker's thermal element is responding to sustained over-rated current — sum of loads exceeds the breaker amp rating × 0.8 for continuous duty.
- List every device on the circuit and add up nameplate amps or watts/volts
- Move a major load to a different circuit and observe
- Total load calculation in amps
- Breaker amp rating
- Wire gauge (visible at the breaker)
Random trips — pro load-recording study recommended
low confidenceWithout a clear pattern, a recording ammeter or data logger across at least one full day is the right diagnostic step.
- Keep a log of date/time of each trip and what was running
- Trip log
- Panel make/model
- Breaker brand and amp rating
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