Frequent Breaker Trips Common Causes

RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICIAN NASHVILLE

Frequent Breaker Trips Could Mean You Need a Dedicated Circuit?

As our appliances become smarter and modernize rapidly, they require better distribution from your circuit breaker. If you notice the breaker tripping every time you try to warm your coffee in the morning, you might be in need of a few dedicated circuits.

Whaaat? What is a dedicated circuit?

The Nashville Electrical Code, as well as the national code, require that certain appliances have dedicated circuits. These include refrigerators, stoves, and washers and dryers or any other appliance that consumes more than 1200 watts of energy. Generally speaking, a typical single family home has a minimum of 18 circuits to spread electricity evenly throughout the house. A breaker trips when a circuit becomes overloaded. Our smarter appliances require more energy, so when we plug in multiple modern appliances into one circuit, it trips. With a dedicated circuit, your big appliance isn’t sharing power with anything else. No more breaker trips! Dedicated circuit breakers protect your appliances and your home.

How do you know if you need a dedicated circuit? Here are some ways you can check without calling an electrician.

Check your breaker box. Are the circuits labeled by room or by device? If it’s only by room, you probably need to add dedicated circuits.

Next, pay attention to when your breakers trip. Maybe using the toaster and the coffee machine at the same time is fine, but the minute you use the microwave or plug in the blender, the breaker trips. This suggests that the kitchen appliances are all sharing a circuit, and your refrigerator needs its own dedicated circuit.

Here is a list of appliances that may need a dedicated circuit:

1. Refrigerator

2. Freezer

3. Oven

4. Electric water heater

5. Furnace/heat pump

6. Washer & Dryer

7. Microwave

8. Dishwasher

9. Garbage disposal

10. Sump pump

11. Air conditioner, HVAC systems

12. Bathroom heater

13. Hot Tubs

14. Saunas

15. Jet tubs

It’s also smart to have separate circuits for each room and for lights to prevent flickering and dimming. For help determining the cause of your frequent breaker trips and the installation of dedicated circuits on your Nashville home, give us a call, your families Nashville residential electrician! We’re ready to help.

Stan The Electrician

615-483-2271

www.electrician615.com

April 25,2022