ISO Residential Electrician

[dt_3pin]

Any residential electricians on the board, or does anyone have a quality referral for Seattle? I'd like to avoid the yellow pages option, if possible.

 

For some reason, a breaker switch (powering our office) keeps tripping and we need to get it checked out before our house burns down . . .

 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2008 by dt_3pin

[Frikadeller]

I am not an Electrician, but I am a HVAC Technician, so a lot of it translates.

 

First off, what kind of circuit is it that is blowing? Does it only do it when you plug certain stuff in or is it random?

 

Plus, what brand is your panel. Some brands (Federal Pacific) are notorious for breakers that are faulty.

 

Lastly, where are you Located, besides "Trimmed and Burning"?

[Tom_Sjolseth]

I'm a commercial electrician. There are several others on the board.

 

Frikadeller has good info. Federal Pacific Panels suck, but their main problem was failure of breakers to trip under fault conditions, so I doubt that's your problem.

 

If this has always been a recurring problem, you might try putting an ammeter on the circuit that keeps blowing and see if the circuit load is exceeding the breaker capacity. Breakers should not exceed 80% of their rated capacity. So a 20 amp breaker (or fuse, if you have them), should only be loaded to 16 amps max.

 

It's possible the breaker itself is failing. They are easy to replace, but you should know what you're doing (this will probably be your last recourse before trying everything else).

 

Feel the breaker itself, is it hot? If you have aluminum wiring, there could be corrosion on the termination points causing heat buildup and successive tripping of the breaker. Replacing the breaker, and adding some deox compound to the aluminum conductor will fix this problem.

 

Do you have "fuses" or "breakers"? If fuses, you have an old electrical system and there could be bigger problems than just a tripping breaker.

 

Good luck, electricians aren't cheap. I wouldn't worry too much about fires unless you see blackened receptacles or smell burning insulation.

[pc313]

when you say fuse I'm assuming your referring to a glass

screew-in type, old style! If so, you may have a bad plug box,

or to much pluged in on that line. If you have new style

breaker box(toggle UP@DOWN) could be a bad breaker,and

needs replaced. Breakers do go bad,and are easily change out,

you would need to take it with you to HOME DEPOT For Their

are different types of boxes.

Edited August 21, 2008 by pc313

[dt_3pin]

Edited to clarify that its a breaker box, not an old-school fuse box.

[pc313]

check your pm's

[TREETOAD]

Does the breaker trip instantaneously, or does it take some time?

[dt_3pin]

Decreasingly short period of time.

[Hugh Conway]

Decreasingly short period of time.

 

describes my career expectation as electrician

 

$15 and a sixer

[dt_3pin]

Decreasingly short period of time.

 

describes my career expectation as electrician

 

$15 and a sixer

 

So if I'm drunk, I won't get electrocuted when I start fucking around with the breaker box?

 

[Hugh Conway]

Decreasingly short period of time.

 

describes my career expectation as electrician

 

$15 and a sixer

 

So if I'm drunk, I won't get electrocuted when I start fucking around with the breaker box?

 

No, you won't feel it when you get electrocuted

[Recycled]

If it were me, I would just go ahead and replace the breaker if you're sure you're not overloading the circuit. It's cheap and easy, though be very careful with an open panel. 220 can kill you fast.

 

If that doesn't fix it, I'd suggest going professional unless you want to go though checking wire connections at every outlet and spending the time tracking it down.

[Frikadeller]

Decreasingly short period of time.

 

describes my career expectation as electrician

 

$15 and a sixer

 

So if I'm drunk, I won't get electrocuted when I start fucking around with the breaker box?

 

No, you won't feel it when you get electrocuted

 

Thats not true. I was fucking around with some 277 lighting circuit after "a few", and it hurt like hell when it bit me...

[Frikadeller]

220 can kill you fast.

 

Not any faster than 110. Actually 220 is nothing more than two seperate "legs" of 110.

 

[pc313]

220 can kill you,but will usely knock you no your ass! And 110

will hold on to you!!!

[TREETOAD]

Decreasingly short period of time.

 

When the breaker is tripped, find out what equipment is affected (off). Unplug what you think might be the largest load, ie a lazer printer, refrigerator, or some other load and reset the breaker. See if that helps. Microwaves and kettles in offices are notorious. Breakers will get weak after multious trips and it may have to be replaced, but it sounds as if the circuit is slightly over loaded. If the tripping circuit is the only one in the room then you will have to either have another circuit pulled in or move some equipment in to another room.

[Frikadeller]

220 can kill you,but will usely knock you no your ass! And 110

will hold on to you!!!

 

 

Do you get really drunk before you post here, or what?

 

And, whats with the cryptic PM's you have been sending me?

 

 

Are you my first and only ever CC.Com stalker?

[pc313]

Decreasingly short period of time.

 

describes my career expectation as electrician

 

$15 and a sixer

 

So if I'm drunk, I won't get electrocuted when I start fucking around with the breaker box?