Electricity is the flow of electrons. This sounds rather complex, and in some ways, it really is. But many years of innovation have made it fairly simple for the average person to have and use electricity in their home. An electrician can run wires from the public electric lines to your home. They can then set up a panel box with multiple circuits to power all of your appliances, lights, and other electronics. All you have to do is plug things in and maybe flip a few switches. That's pretty awesome, and we decided to write more about it on this blog about electricians.
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One of the common residential electrical repairs you could need is to have a circuit breaker replacement. Circuit breakers can last for decades, but they can also be damaged by a power surge or short circuit. An internal part, such as a spring, could also go bad. Here are signs of a bad circuit breaker and how this residential electrical repair is done.
Signs A Circuit Breaker Could Be Bad
Just because a circuit breaker flips off, it doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Circuit breakers are supposed to flip off when a circuit is overloaded. This happens when you have too many things plugged in at the same time. However, if you turn the breaker back on and it flips off right away, this could be a sign the breaker is bad. The breaker might also feel hot or smell like it's burning.
You might even see a flame shoot out when the breaker flips off. If you're not around when it happens, there might be flame marks on the panel. If you suspect the breaker is bad, leave it off and call an electrician right away since a bad breaker could be a serious problem that could lead to a fire.
Checks An Electrician Can Make
Since problems with wiring or appliances you have plugged in can also cause the circuit breaker to flip off, the electrician has to narrow down the problem. They may start with a visual inspection of the electrical panel to look for signs of damage. They may flip the breaker on to see how it acts when it flips off. Then the electrician might unplug everything on the circuit to see if it still trips off.
They might plug things in one at a time to narrow down the problem to a specific appliance. If all indications seem to point toward a bad circuit breaker, they can take the breaker out and test it with a multimeter to verify it's bad.
Electrical Repairs That Might Be Needed
The electrician wants to rule out problems with the wiring that might have affected the breaker since the wiring needs to be replaced too if it's bad. If the problem is isolated to the breaker, the electrician turns off the electrical panel and the branch circuits. Then they disconnect the wiring to the bad breaker and remove it from the panel.
The electrician has to choose a replacement breaker with the same amps, and all that's needed is to pop it in the open slot. This is an easy residential electrical repair, but the electrician has to invest time in making sure the breaker is the only problem with the circuit.
Contact a local electrician to learn more.
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