Categories Residential

The Most Common Causes of Circuit Breaker Tripping and How to Address Them

Experiencing a tripped circuit breaker in your home can be frustrating. Understanding the common causes and how to address them can help you manage your electrical systems more effectively.

Understanding Circuit Breakers

A circuit breaker is a safety device designed to protect your home’s electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current. It’s usually found in the electrical panel and can be identified by its switch-like appearance.

Identifying a Tripped Breaker

A tripped breaker will often be in the “off” position or in a middle position between “on” and “off.” It may also feel loose to the touch compared to other switches in the panel.

Common Causes

Overloaded Circuit: Too many devices operating simultaneously can overload a circuit.

Short Circuit: A more serious issue where wires touch each other, causing excessive current flow.

Ground Fault: Similar to a short circuit but involves the ground wire.

How to Safely Reset Your Breaker

  • Disconnect or turn off appliances that caused the trip.
  • Locate your electrical panel.
  • Flip the tripped breaker fully to the “off” position, then back to “on.”

When to Call a Professional

If resetting doesn’t work, you experience frequent tripping, or you identify signs of a short circuit or ground fault, it’s crucial to call in a professional electrician. Attempting to fix electrical issues without proper training can be dangerous.

Understanding your home’s electrical system and knowing how to safely address common issues like a tripped circuit breaker is essential for any homeowner and can potentially save the time and energy of having a professional out to assess the issue. However, when in doubt, always seek the expertise of a professional electrician to ensure your home’s safety and compliance with electrical codes.

For any electrical issues or concerns, remember to contact Turn It On Electric. Our team of professional electricians is ready to assist you with all your electrical needs, ensuring your home remains safe and your electrical systems function efficiently.

Categories Electrical Wiring, Maintenance

Is Regular Electrical Maintenance Needed?

Electrical Maintenance

Diligent commercial property owners and leaseholders depend on electrical maintenance for safety. Regularly scheduled electrical maintenance is a priority for residential property owners too. Why is this electrical service so important?

Commercial Properties & Regular Electrical Maintenance

Commercial electrical maintenance ensures efficient, uninterrupted operations for any type of business. Commercial property electrical maintenance is not only needed, but it’s also necessary. It proves owners or lessees are providing a safe environment for workers and customers. For this type of maintenance, a commercial electrical contractor is required.

Maintenance frequency depends on your industry and operations. (Manufacturing companies rely on the efficiency of their electrical systems more than office buildings. But digital businesses usually depend on electricity more than retail.)

Look for a local commercial electrician who:

  • Can cite examples of commercial projects
  • Communicates clearly/responds quickly
  • Delivers guaranteed quality work on time using industry-best practices
  • Gets good reviews/testimonials
  • Has a reputation for ethical business practices
  • Is invested in your community
  • Provides required permits for local commercial/electrical projects

Electrical Maintenance & Central AZ Homes

You can and should do your own regular electrical maintenance. Simply walk about the house, inside and out, to examine outlets and plugs.

We also recommend you regularly:

  • Check breaker box for signs of damage/deterioration
  • Examine electrical cords for damage/deterioration
  • Inspect smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detector
  • Make sure bulbs are recommended wattage for each fixture
  • Review your utility bills/ look for unusual spikes in usage
  • Schedule residential electrical maintenance

…and always unplug appliances that aren’t in use to reduce vampire energy loss.

Why is regular electrical maintenance important to Arizona homeowners? Safety is the most significant reason but there are other considerations. For example, your family electrician can share smart-home upgrades available in your area.

Home electrical maintenance service is an investment that can pay for itself:

  • Increase electric efficiency (save money)
  • Prevent problems (save money)

If there’s a weather-related event that leads to area-wide electrical issues, electricians will be in big demand. But our maintenance clients are always at the top of the list for service.

Single-Family Rentals & Electrical Safety

The residential rental market is set to explode in 2023, as travel and home prices increase. Whether it’s a short-term or long-term rental property, you’re responsible for the home’s structural safety.

Electrical maintenance can reduce tenant turnover, which saves a great deal of money and stress. Electrical maintenance can also keep your property value high in a competitive real estate market.

Electrical Maintenance: What We Do

A Phoenix home electrical inspection can uncover problems and safety risks of which you might be unaware:

  • Aged/deteriorating wiring
  • CO/smoke alarm dead batteries
  • Code violations
  • Damaged circuitry box
  • Exposed wires
  • Outdated circuitry
  • Overloaded circuits
  • Uncovered wiring
  • Ventilation issues
  • …and more

Your electrical maintenance visit may include an inspection of:

  • Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs)
  • Breaker box labels
  • Cables/wires/anchoring
  • Electrical panel
  • Electrical ventilation
  • Environmental ratings
  • Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI)
  • Lightbulb wattages
  • Outdoor electrical systems
  • Outlets
  • Security lighting systems
  • Shock hazards
  • Surge protection
  • Unused openings

Turn It On Electric the Phoenix Electricians

Angi and Yelp recommendations are a good way to research service providers.

They did exactly what we asked them to do and then some.

This was the only company I could find that would do repairs on outdoor landscape lights. I called a half-dozen other companies and they flat-out told me they didn’t do landscape lights.

We keep coming back to TIO because they’re thorough, on time,
and communicative.

We recommend electrical maintenance for your homes and commercial properties. We care about your safety and Arizona’s energy efficiency. And we want to be your local electricians.

For more information, contact TIO Electric.