Also known as your arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breaker, your arc fault breaker detects dangerous electrical arcs before they cause fires. If an AFCI breaker detects danger, it triggers the shutdown of your circuit.
However, AFCI breakers can sometimes be tripped by non-emergency situations.
If you’re researching why your AFCI breaker keeps tripping, there’s a good chance you’re feeling annoyed by constant outages at your home. Should you be concerned? How do you determine the cause of a tripped AFCI breaker?
At Mister Sparky, we get calls about tripping AFCI breakers from worried homeowners on a daily basis. This rundown of common reasons why arc fault breakers keep tripping can help you out.
Top Reasons Why Your Arc Fault Breaker is Tripping
1. Bad Plugs or Wires
The problem might not be your electrical system. A faulty appliance or device in your home could trigger the AFCI breaker. There are two telltale signs that a single item is tripping your breaker. First, look for any damaged plugs. Bent or damaged blades that are meant to go into a wall outlet could prevent an appliance from being plugged into the socket all the way. The lack of full contact can generate a spark that trips the breaker. The second telltale sign that a single item is responsible for your tripped breaker is a frayed or damaged cord. Like damaged plug blades, damaged cords could create sparking that triggers the AFCI breaker.
2. Poor or Faulty Wiring
Here’s where a tripping AFCI breaker becomes a blaring red flag! Your breaker tripping frequently could mean that there’s faulty wiring somewhere in your home. Common culprits include:
- Loose wires.
- Corroded or decaying wires.
- Exposed wiring.
- Improper wire insulation.
- Improperly wired outlets caused by poor work or incorrect DIY wiring from the previous owner.
- Wires that have been chewed by animals.
If you suspect your breaker is being triggered by a wiring issue, contact a local licensed electrician right away. Digging around to find faulty wiring on your own can be dangerous. Electricians have tools to detect where faulty or damaged wires are concealed in your home.
3. Overload
This is one of the most common reasons for an arc fault breaker tripping. If high electrical usage is putting strain on a circuit, your wires will become overheated until the breaker is triggered. Have you noticed that the breaker is usually tripped when you’re running several appliances at once? Dishwashers, washing machines, hot tubs, and other big-ticket items that pull a lot of electricity can trip a breaker when they’re running simultaneously.
It’s important not to think of this as just a nuisance. If your breaker is being tripped by heavy electrical usage, it’s actually doing its job. Your energy consumption would be enough to potentially start an electrical fire if your breaker didn’t intervene. Take this as a sign that you’ve outgrown your home’s current energy capabilities. The good news is that a licensed electrician can come in to add an additional circuit that will allow you to partition your appliances. You can also consider having a new subpanel installed to help distribute your home’s growing electrical load. For example, adding central air or a heated swimming pool could tax your current load capabilities.
Think about reevaluating your home’s amperage (electrical current) any time you make major upgrades that could increase your electrical load. The average home has between 100 and 200 amps of electrical service. However, your home may not have the amperage to keep up with the demands of modern electrical usage if it’s an older home with lower amperage.
4. Older or Outdated Appliances
Did your breaker trip after you inherited a hand-me-down appliance from your parents or picked up a vintage lamp at a tag sale? There could be something to this. Older appliances and devices may have antiquated arc patterns that aren’t compatible with modern AFCI breakers. An appliance doesn’t necessarily have to be big and bulky to trip an AFCI breaker. Common under-the-radar items that can cause problems include power tools, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, slow cookers, floor lamps, and printers.
Can You Troubleshoot What’s Tripping Your AFCI Breaker on Your Own?
Generally, it’s not advised that you attempt to troubleshoot a tripping breaker unless you already have knowledge of your home’s circuitry. One easy way to determine if the issue is being caused by an electrical item in your home or an underlying issue with your electrical wiring is to unplug everything in your home. If a newly reset breaker still trips after everything has been unplugged, you can rule out that the problem is caused by a faulty appliance or electrical device. If the breaker doesn’t trip, you can then go through the process of plugging each item back in one by one to determine which one is tripping your breaker.
Don’t take risks with a tripping arc fault breaker. Let a licensed electrician safely diagnose and repair the issue. Your local electrician can inspect your home’s electrical panel, outlets, switches, junction boxes, and wiring to get a clear picture of what’s tripping your breaker. They can also recommend options for dispersing your home’s electrical load to ensure the problem won’t happen again. The team at Mister Sparky is waiting to help if you’re experiencing a tripping arc fault breaker in Melbourne, FL. We’re Melbourne’s most reliable electricians. Contact us today!