Breaker Keeps Tripping? 3 Common Reasons and How to Fix It

If your breaker keeps tripping and cutting power to parts of your home, you’re not alone. While it’s easy to assume a blackout or outage is to blame, a tripped breaker is often the culprit. Understanding why your circuit breaker keeps tripping can help you protect your home from potential electrical hazards.

This guide explains the top three reasons your breaker keeps tripping, and what you can do to fix the issue safely.

What Is a Circuit Breaker and Why Does It Trip?

A circuit breaker is a critical safety device that protects your home from electrical overloads. It’s located in your home’s breaker panel, also called the service panel, and monitors the flow of electricity through circuits.

When too much electricity flows through a circuit, the breaker automatically shuts off or “trips” to prevent overheating, fires, or electrical damage. After a trip, you can reset it, but if your breaker keeps tripping repeatedly, there’s usually an underlying problem that needs attention.

Why Your Breaker Keeps Tripping: The 3 Most Common Causes

There are three primary reasons a breaker may keep going off. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. Too many appliances are drawing power from the same circuit.

One of the most common reasons a breaker keeps tripping is an overloaded circuit. This happens when multiple high-powered devices draw electricity from a single circuit at once.

Imagine a cold night when the lights, TV, phone charger, and laptop are all plugged in. Then you add a space heater, and suddenly, everything shuts off. Your breaker tripped to prevent overheating and electrical overload.

If this happens repeatedly, rearrange your appliances or move some to different outlets to balance the electrical load.

Pro tip: If your breaker started tripping suddenly, note which devices were running when it happened. That’s often the quickest way to pinpoint the overload.

2. Faulty or failing electrical wiring 

Old, damaged, or improperly installed wiring is another reason a breaker keeps tripping. Modern electrical systems use three main wires:

• A hot wire (black) carrying power to outlets and fixtures.
• A neutral wire (white) returning unused power to the breaker.
• A ground wire (bare or green) that safely channels electricity into the earth if a fault occurs.

If a hot wire touches a neutral or ground wire, it causes a short circuit. This unimpeded flow of electricity creates a surge that immediately trips the breaker. A short circuit is a serious safety hazard and should always be inspected by a licensed electrician.

Other common causes include water exposure in outlets or fixtures, wires touching metal boxes or building materials, and rodent or pest damage to insulation. If your breaker keeps tripping even after being reset, wiring damage or a short is likely the cause. Leave the breaker off and contact an electrician immediately.

3. The electrical system is being overwhelmed by power surges.

A sudden increase in voltage, known as a power surge, can also be why your breaker keeps tripping. Lightning strikes, downed power lines, or grid fluctuations can overwhelm your home’s system.

External surges are usually temporary, but if power surges repeatedly trip your breaker, the issue might be internal, like faulty wiring or a malfunctioning appliance. To protect your home, consider installing a whole-house surge protector or using surge-protected power strips for sensitive electronics.

How to Safely Reset a Tripped Breaker 

If your breaker has tripped, follow these simple steps to restore power:

1. Locate your home’s breaker panel. It’s typically found in the basement, garage, or utility room.

2. Identify the tripped breaker. The switch will usually be in the middle position or slightly out of alignment with the others.

3. Flip the switch fully to “Off,” then back to “On.”

4. If the breaker keeps tripping immediately after reset, do not force it back on, this indicates a serious electrical issue.

Older homes may still use fuse boxes instead of modern circuit breakers. If you have blown fuses instead of tripped breakers, replace the fuse with one of the same amperage rating.

What to Do If Your Breaker Trips Frequently

If your breaker keeps tripping every time you use certain devices, unplug unnecessary electronics and redistribute the load across other outlets. However, if your breaker keeps tripping without a clear cause, or if it happens daily, it’s time to call a professional electrician. Repeated tripping can signal damaged or deteriorating wiring, faulty outlets or fixtures, ground faults, or major appliance malfunctions. 

Never attempt to repair high-voltage wiring yourself. Always leave electrical troubleshooting to licensed professionals. Until the issue is fixed, keep the breaker switch in the “Off” position to reduce the risk of fire or shock.

Does a Home Warranty Cover Electrical Panel and Breaker Repairs?

Home warranty coverage can help you avoid costly electrical repairs when your breaker keeps tripping due to system issues.

Liberty Home Guard’s robust plans cover key electrical components, including circuit breakers, wiring, and service panels. If something goes wrong, a qualified technician can be dispatched to diagnose and fix the problem quickly, usually within 24 to 48 hours.

Get a free home warranty quote or learn more about electrical coverage by calling (833)-545-7060.