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  • Everyone at least once has had to take care of a tripped circuit breaker. Few, however, think about just why the breaker tripped in the first place.

    Circuit Breakers

    A circuit breaker box directs electricity in a house. The electricity flows into the breaker box, which divides it into circuits that feed it to different parts of the house. Some rooms, such as bedrooms, use smaller amp circuits than larger consumption rooms such as the kitchen.

    Tripped By Design

    You might think the tripping breaker means something is wrong with your circuit breaker. In actuality, the breaker is doing what it was designed to do: shut down the circuit when there's too much power. Otherwise, the wires would heat up with excess current, the insulation on the wires would melt, and eventually, you'd have a house fire.

    Overload

    When the demand on a circuit is too great, the circuit shuts down to prevent damage. For example, if an air conditioner is running by itself in a bedroom, it would run all right. However, plug in a hair dryer on the same circuit, and the demand is so high that the breaker can trip.

    Short Circuit

    A short circuit occurs when the hot wire (black) touches another hot wire or a neutral wire (white), or when there is a break in the wire in the circuit.

    Ground Fault

    When the hot wire touches the ground wire (bare copper) or the side of the metal box, it is called a ground fault. This is a type of short circuit, but it bears a greater danger of electrocution, as the box may be electrified as a result.

    Source:

    Reader's Digest

    Articlesbase

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