breaker tripping?

[wvterri]

I have one of those microwaves above the stove. Yesterday the breaker for it has decided to start tripping. There hasn't been any changes for that breaker since we've lived here. Is the microwave going bad and causing it to trip? Or has a critter possibly messed up the wire? Breaker going bad? Help please!

[TRAVIS]

You probably need to unplug the microwave. Reset breaker and plug in something else to see if the breaker trips. If it does not trip, try plugging the microwave in a different plug and try it to see if it trips the breaker. You may have to use an extension cord. If the microwave trips the other circuit, then there is something wrong with the microwave. If what ever you use is plugged into the original microwave plug and it trips the breaker, then you have a problem with the circuit. Could be loose wire on breaker, bad breaker or anything in the circuit.

[Use Less]

What Travis said. I can run my microwave and my window AC at the same time, but tripped the breaker when I turned on a light in another room. So also double-check that something else isn't on that you forgot about, even a nightlight that starts when it gets darker in the house.

[wvterri]

I reset, unplugged the micro and before I could get anything else plugged in I heard a pop. The micro's working fine in another plug in. So, I reset and plugged the micro into another plug in that I know is on the same circuit. Ran for a minute, didn't trip. Plugged the blender in where the micro was originally plugged, pulled the plug on the micro and ran the blender. Didn't trip. Plugged the micro back in the second plug, ran it and the blender, didn't trip. Plugged the micro back in the original plug and ran for a minute, didn't trip. While sitting here writing this, it's tripped again, without the micro running(and the blender unplugged).

Nothing has been added/changed to this circuit and I've had no problems with it in the 1 1/2 years that we've been here. Anything else I can try?

[Deleted]

I ain't much of an electrician, so don't take me seriously (my disclaimer), but I had something similar to that happen to me. It was on a regular wall plug though. I finally laid my hand across the wall plug and it felt a little warm so I just took hold of the cover which was attached to the plug by a little screw in the middle of it, and shook it a time or two. It produced a subtle frying noise. I tripped the breaker then myself and called my son in law who knows what is what with that sort of thing and so he fixed it. He said the hot wire was loose in there. I guess my only point is don't take chances in case the condition is unsafe.

[TRAVIS]

There has got to be something wrong with the plug, wires, or breaker. Loose wires could cause this. Turn power off before tightening wires.

[wvterri]

Here's the rundown now. We'll have lived here 2 years come December. We have not had any problems until now. We are not playing musical plug ins and nothing has changed in the time that we've been here. None of the breakers are marked(wasn't that nice of them?). The one breaker keeps tripping and there is nothing knowingly plugged into the circuit now. When I went to do dishes, I had no hot water. Checked the breakers again. The one's still tripping, but I noticed that there were 3 breakers off, not tripped, off. I flipped all four and have hot water now. I do not know if those 3 breakers were ever on and I will turn them off before I go to bed, just for safety's sake, until I can get this crap figured out.

I know, logically, that the water heater should be on a breaker by itself. I also know that nothing is what it seems with this place. sigh...It's also reasonable to assume that if the water tank, micro, and who knows what else were all together, that something should have presented before now. It hasn't. This is a 20amp breaker that has started acting up. The others that were off were a 20, 30, and 40.

I'm hoping that this is a minor glitch and is something that I can work out/fix, as trying to get any help down in here is darn near impossible.

[comfortablynumb]

Its probably a good idea to trace those circuits and see what is on which breaker. All sorts of oddball things are wired up in old houses.

At this point I suspect you have a squirrelly breaker. Maybe some corroded contacts along the line somewhere. If somebody in the past was reusing aluminum wire for additions and repairs someplace, Al and brass don't mix well and come loose over time.

Mapping the box will give you a good start point.

I once was chasing a similar problem in my moms house, it turned out to be an old receptacle on a loose line under the house that had fallen off its mount and was in the mud and was shorting out now and then. An old forgotten line on an otherwise well mapped circuit.... surprise.

Rodent damage on a line will do that too. And thats a dangerous thing depending on where it is so.... keep your nose open for smoke and burn odors.

[here to stay]

I had a problem with a breaker tripping that was caused by ants starting a nest in a receptacle in the garage. They caused a short as it turns out their little ant bodies are good conductors. I turned off the power, vacuumed them out of the receptacle and everything was fine.

Have you shut off the power and opened the receptacle to see if there is evidence of a short?

[motdaugrnds]

There is a tool that will let you test the power lines inside your walls. I forgot what that tool is called but any electrical department can probably tell you. Also, simply replacing that breaker shouldn't be too much of a problem; and since you've just started having problems with it, that is where I'ld start.

I'm certainly not an electrician; so be careful!

I have a similar situation here in this old 1972 trailer. Two of my outlets stopped working. Since I had extras in the kitchen I simply turned the breaker off to those. Then one outlet to which I had the microwave started tripping if I used both the microwave and another plugged-in tool in that same outlet. I simply stopped running the microwave at the same time as any other kitchen tool at that same outlet. Problem solved! Yes I know I've still a wiring problem that really needs to be dealt with; however, no one wants to work on a trailer house this old and I'm not foolish enough to think I can re-wire my trailer. So I've simply learned to live with this situation. Not bad. Just an inconvenience.

wvterri, whatever you decide to do, please make sure your power is not connected to it; and this may well mean you need to turn the whole thing off for your entire breaker box just to replace the breaker...

[wvterri]

Sept 19, 2016 15:11:49 GMT comfortablynumb said:

All sorts of oddball things are wired up in old houses.

I once was chasing a similar problem in my moms house, it turned out to be an old receptacle on a loose line under the house that had fallen off its mount and was in the mud and was shorting out now and then. An old forgotten line on an otherwise well mapped circuit.... surprise.

Rodent damage on a line will do that too. And thats a dangerous thing depending on where it is so.... keep your nose open for smoke and burn odors.

Any one of these wouldn't surprise me in the least. Not with this place. I'm going to replace the breaker and go from there. I do think I've found someone that will come out here. I might have him come out anyway, just to trace all the lines and get the box marked for future reference. And to see how much he'd charge for updating some of the electric that I know is way past its prime.

Thank you all so much!!!!

[spacecase0]

your idea of replacing the breaker first is a good plan
I did about 6 months of circuit breaker research
learned that if a beaker ever trips, it will trip more easily the next time, usually about 15%,
takes about 3 trips to stabilize, and will not get lower after that
if you still have an issue after replacing the beaker, then figure it out quick