For example, if your bathroom and kitchen are part of the same circuit—that is, the plugs in your kitchen and bathroom are all connected to the same switch on your circuit breaker—then the breaker might trip if you run your microwave and hair dryer at the same time.
Short circuits often happen when wires come loose or get damaged by corrosion or wear and tear, or even from an animal chewing through them. [3] X Research source Short circuits can occur in the wiring in your home or in individual devices. For instance, a refrigerator can have a short circuit due to a loose wire.
Ground faults often happen due to water leaking into outlets or devices. They also occur when loose or corroded wires come into contact with ground wires, or when defective devices cause electricity to flow to a ground wire.
If you have multiple devices sharing a single outlet in the area affected by the tripped breaker, it’s likely that that group of devices is causing the overload. [6] X Research source
Wear safety goggles or stand to the side of a breaker when flipping a switch to “ON” in case of sparks. If the switches aren’t labeled, narrow down the affected area by flipping the switch to “ON” and checking which devices and lights turn on again. If multiple switches tripped at the same time, there might be an overloaded circuit in more than one area of your home, or you may have another issue such as a short circuit or ground fault.
If none of the devices immediately trip the circuit breaker, it’s possible that your circuit isn’t getting overloaded right away. Leave the devices plugged in and turned on for a few minutes to see if the breaker trips again. If the breaker trips after several minutes, try the process again, but leave 1-2 less important devices unplugged. Eventually, you’ll find a combination of devices that doesn’t trip the circuit breaker.
Leave your devices plugged in and on for a few hours. If the circuits are not overloaded, the circuit breaker shouldn’t trip. If the circuit breaker trips for the same part of your home again, plug additional devices into other outlets. You may need to try different combinations of plugs and outlets to see which combination doesn’t overload your circuits. If you try several combinations and the breaker continues to trip, it’s possible that you have a short circuit or ground fault somewhere in your home.
If devices are plugged into surge protectors, unplug each device from the surge protector before unplugging the surge protector itself.
If the circuit breaker trips whenever you plug something into a particular outlet, you probably have a short circuit in that outlet. If one particular device always trips the breaker, but other devices don’t, you probably have a short circuit in that particular device.
If the device you want to test is too large to move—such as a kitchen refrigerator or washing machine—use a long extension cord to reach other outlets.
If you find a short circuit in an individual device, check if your product is covered by a warranty. If it is covered, you might be able to get it fixed or replaced for free. [14] X Trustworthy Source Federal Trade Commission Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson Go to source
Tell your electrician which outlet or area of your home is affected by the tripped circuit breaker. This will help them narrow down the exact problem. Avoid using sockets that appear water-logged or that show signs of water damage.
