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Finding Household Electrical ShortsWhile there could be a number of causes, the most likely is either that one of the receptacles (wall socket) is bad or that an electical appliance plugged into the circuit is shorting out after it runs for a while. The quickest way to check the wall sockets is to get close enough to smell each one. If the socket has gotten hot enough to trip the breaker numerous times you should be able to smell a burnt smell. If you have an older home that has never been rewired think back to when this all started. Did you add a new appliance, microwave oven, space heater, refrigerator or other appliance that uses lots of electric. Some new appliances draw more current than older circuits were intended to provide. If no new appliances have recently been added, check the items currently plugged into the circuit. Smell the appliance for any burnt smell or try plugging a small table light into the circuit and then run an appliance already on the circuit as you normally would. Do this one item at a time, with each item on the circuit. If the table light goes out while you are running a certain item chances are that item is in need of repair or replacement. If you have added a new appliance that uses more current than the circuit can handle you will need to upgrade the circuit with a larger breaker, if the existing wire size permits, to handle the extra load, and you might need a heavy duty receptacle for that appliance. If you cannot find the cause of your problem soon, call an electrician who can quickly find and correct the problem. DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE WITHOUT FINDING THE PROBLEM, ELECTRICAL SHORTS CAN CAUSE FIRES. Thankfully your circuit is tripping out, but that does not assure absolute protection from an electrical fire.
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14y ago
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14y ago

Generally the ingress of water into the socket or the load which is connected. <><><> As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

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13y ago

You don't explain the phrase "seem to be blown". If the outlet appears to be burnt and the breaker didn't blow this is reason for concern. If it happens to be a GFCI outlet, it could trip without the breaker tripping since it is looking for a ground fault and not a current surge. If there is just no power to outlet and breaker is on and working then you have a wiring problem; or the outlet could be controlled by a switch that is off. All these things have happened in more than one case.

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11y ago

Either a defective interrupter or an actual ground fault exceeding .005 amps

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Q: Why would the wall outlets seem to be blown and the circuit breaker was not tripped?
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How can you tell if a home fuse is open?

Usually there will be lights or equipment in the house that will not operate. If all of the branch circuit breakers or fuses have not tripped or blown the only conclusion left is that the main breaker or fuse has tripped or blown.


What do tripped circuit breaker and blown fuses indicate?

Blown fuses indicate overload in the electrical circuit. Possible short-circuit or higher input voltage.Tripped circuit breakers I guess means:A residual-current device (RCD), similar to a residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) which is used for breaking the circuit when electric current pass through a man or could cause fire/burning in the/near the electrical sockets.


Why do some lights go off in your house when you turn on too many appliances?

In a well designed house the lights are not connected to the same circuit as an appliance. If by going out you are saying that a breaker trips, then your appliances and lights combined are exceeding the rating of the breaker. You either need to rewire and balance the loads better or plug high current appliances into different outlets on another breaker. If you are not tripping breakers, but lights are just dimming you have a bigger problem with inadequate current supplying your house.


You have 4 outlets in a bedroom only outputting 10 volts instead of 120 what could cause this?

Circuit breaker or fuse supplying those outlets may be tripped or blown. Wiring from fuse or breaker box may be open. If the outlets are all in the same group, then they are fed from a single set of interior wiring. All may be dead if a single wire is disconnected inside the outlet box. Shut off power, remove the cover plate from the outlet box, put at least one hand in your pocket, and LOOK around inside the outlet box for a disconnected or broken wire.


What if lights do not work but outlets work?

You probably blew the breaker for the lights. While usually the lights and outlets in a room are on the same breaker, it isn't always done that way. And you may have blown the light bulbs in the lights.

Related questions

How can you tell if a home fuse is open?

Usually there will be lights or equipment in the house that will not operate. If all of the branch circuit breakers or fuses have not tripped or blown the only conclusion left is that the main breaker or fuse has tripped or blown.


How the circuit breaker differ in its function from combination switch fuse unit?

The function is the same in that they both are designed to remove an over current situation by opening the circuit. A tripped breaker can just be reset. A blown fuse needs to be replaced.


Why would be no power in bedroom?

Blown fuse or circuit breaker. Wires loose on another outlet in that run feeding that bedroom's outlets.


Why does your electricity go out in one room?

Because you have blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker. This is caused by a) too much equipment plugged into a single circuit, or b) faulty equipment causing a short circuit.


What do tripped circuit breaker and blown fuses indicate?

Blown fuses indicate overload in the electrical circuit. Possible short-circuit or higher input voltage.Tripped circuit breakers I guess means:A residual-current device (RCD), similar to a residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) which is used for breaking the circuit when electric current pass through a man or could cause fire/burning in the/near the electrical sockets.


What to do if outlets don't work?

Check for a tripped GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor), a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.


How does a fuse differ from a breaker?

A fuse must be replaced if blown, a circuit breaker can be reset.


How do you reset the circuit breaker on the cigarette lighter on a 63 ford falcon?

It does not have a circuit breaker. It uses a fuse to protect the circuit. Look for a blown fuse in the fuse panel under the dash on the drivers side.I believe the cigarette lighter circuit is protected with a glass barrel fuse not a circuit breaker. Check the fuse box for a blown fuse.


How come the breaker is not blown and there is no power to the switch?

You have checked the wire at the switch? Breaker may be bad but not tripped. Loose connection at light or outlet that the switch controls. Use a screwdriver to touch the two terminals on the switch if you do not have a tester. May not be hot side of the circuit, but the neutral.


What do tripped breakers and blown fuses indicate?

Blown fuses indicate overload in the electrical circuit. Possible short-circuit or higher input voltage.Tripped circuit breakers I guess means:A residual-current device (RCD), similar to a residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) which is used for breaking the circuit when electric current pass through a man or could cause fire/burning in the/near the electrical sockets.


What do Tripped circuits and blown fuses indicate?

Blown fuses indicate overload in the electrical circuit. Possible short-circuit or higher input voltage.Tripped circuit breakers I guess means:A residual-current device (RCD), similar to a residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) which is used for breaking the circuit when electric current pass through a man or could cause fire/burning in the/near the electrical sockets.


Why do some lights go off in your house when you turn on too many appliances?

In a well designed house the lights are not connected to the same circuit as an appliance. If by going out you are saying that a breaker trips, then your appliances and lights combined are exceeding the rating of the breaker. You either need to rewire and balance the loads better or plug high current appliances into different outlets on another breaker. If you are not tripping breakers, but lights are just dimming you have a bigger problem with inadequate current supplying your house.