by 
The Curious Bag
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Electric circuit breakers are protection devices, designed to interrupt the flow of electricity when certain electrical faults occur. Knowing why circuit breakers blow can help prevent needless interruptions and damage to equipment.
Short Circuit
A short circuit will quickly cause a circuit breaker to blow. This condition occurs when a live wire directly connects to another wire, causing power to flow through an unintentional pathway. This is dangerous and often causes smoke and fires, so the circuit breaker blows to prevent this from happening.
Overload
Overloading causes a higher level of current to flow through wires, but not enough to be considered a short. This occasionally happens when too many appliances are running at the same time on the same circuit.
Lightning Strike
A lightning strike is a very high voltage event which ideally conducts through earth ground. Some circuit breakers are designed to blow if a lightning strike occurs.
Ground Fault
A ground fault happens when a live wire is inadvertently connected to ground. This is common in bathrooms where water is present, leading to outlets being configured with a ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI---a mini-circuit breaker.
Defective Breaker
A mechanical or electrical failure in a circuit breaker can cause one to unintentionally blow. Always check a breaker for proper operation.
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