Why do sockets trip

A GFCI outlet is usually installed in damp or wet areas of your home such as the bathrooms, kitchen, and outdoor areas where water is present. Sometimes, your plug socket could just be worn out due to age and heavy use. For most newer plug sockets, the lifespan ranges from around 15 to 25 years so if you have an older home with older materials, it may just be time for a replacement.

In other cases, the socket could have been exposed to things like water, dust, or debris. If there is worn out insulation or the wires are starting to deteriorate, this can also cause the outlets to trip. Although, it may be frustrating when a circuit breaker trips or when a fuse blows, this action has served to protect us and our property. Enjoy the reliability and security of having a comprehensive electrical diagnostic and repair by Farryn Electric , which includes a lifetime warranty on our workmanship, for as long as you own your home and a 5-year warranty on any new part replacement — our workmanship is guaranteed!

Your Name required. Your Email required. Your Phone Number. Your Message. Call Us. What is a Circuit Overload? What is a Short Circuit? What is a Ground Fault? Voltage acts like pressure to make the electric charge move through the conductor. Current is the rate at which it flows. And resistance occurs when the electric current interacts with the conductor — different kinds of conductors offer different levels of resistance, which is why some materials conduct electricity better than others.

Normally, the hot and neutral wires never touch each other, and the current passes through an appliance, which applies a high level of resistance to the current to keep the voltage at safe levels. If something causes the hot and neutral wires to come into contact, the current will suddenly encounter dramatically reduced resistance, and that can cause voltage and current levels to become high enough to cause a fire. When current and voltage levels are too high on a circuit, the circuit breaker trips, cutting off electricity to the circuit until the issue can be resolved.

If power has gone off in a certain area of your home rather than all over the house, or you have multiple outlets not working in a room, the problem may be a tripped circuit breaker. Electrical circuits of your home are protected by either circuit breakers or fuses. All homeowners should know the location of their electrical panel or fuse box, and the opening should be easily accessible and not blocked by shelving, boxes or furniture.

If there are two breakers or fuses for one area, such as the kitchen, take care to detail which part of the kitchen each of the two switches controls. To reset a tripped circuit breaker , turn off the breaker by moving the switch or handle to the off position, and then turn it back on.

Reset the circuit breaker for a few minutes before unplugging and plugging items to determine what might have overloaded the circuit or caused the trip.

Often, however, an overloaded circuit occurs simply because too many things are plugged into the circuit. If a circuit trips because it has been overloaded, you can try disconnecting something from the circuit, and using another circuit for the electrical power instead.

To help determine what caused the problem, unplug all the items on the circuit before resetting the breaker. After it has reset and rested for a few minutes, turn on or plug in items, one at a time, to determine what may have caused the overload.

If circuit overloads continue to happen in your home on a regular basis, you may need to install a new dedicated circuit and outlet for the area to handle the amperage load.

To prevent circuit overloads, put large appliances and home systems like your HVAC on their own, dedicated circuits. A short circuit happens when a hot, or active, electrical wire and a neutral wire touch, causing a large amount of current to flow and overload the circuit. We can take a look for you with our comprehensive home cover plans.

Peace of mind is only a few clicks away. Share Email Whatsapp Twitter Facebook. Homepage Help and advice Cover Why does my fuse box keep tripping? Why does my fuse box keep tripping? How does a fuse work? Fuse box tripped? Identifying an overloaded circuit Electrical circuits are only designed to handle a certain amount of electricity and every light you switch on or appliance you use will add to its load. Home electrics cover. Identifying a faulty electrical appliance As we mentioned in the intro, another reason why your fuse switches are tripping could be down to a faulty electrical appliance.

How to repair a tripped fuse box Today, most homes have modern fuse boxes installed with fuse electrical breakers. What if my fuse box keeps tripping?