HELP! Tripped breaker won't reset - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gmercoleza · #1 04-14-2008, 10:35 AM

I was at a buddy's house over the weekend and we tripped a circuit breaker. Now the breaker won't reset. If you hold it in the closed position, the lights, fan, etc. turn on, but it won't stay locked in that position. Ever hear of one of these going bad? Or does this point to a more serious problem, eg. short circuit? We were thinking of swapping with one of the other working breakers to see if the breaker itself is at fault. Any other recommendations?

Matt L · #2 04-14-2008, 10:36 AM

Did you move the lever to the fully open position first?

123c · #3 04-14-2008, 10:38 AM

Sounds like it needs to be replaced.

gmercoleza · #4 04-14-2008, 10:54 AM

Yes, moved it to fully open first, and it won't stay closed. Interestingly, this breaker has a "test" button - several others in the panel have test buttons too. I've never seen one like that before. Anyway, I'm hoping that the breaker is bad and can just be swapped out...

MattBelliveau · #5 04-14-2008, 10:57 AM

What caused the breaker to trip?

gmercoleza · #6 04-14-2008, 11:06 AM

We were using a carpet cleaning machine. The manual for the machine states that it is OK to use on a 15A circuit, which is what is stamped on the breaker. However, in addition to the machine, there were recessed ceiling lights, a ceiling fan, and a 60-inch TV and amplifier running. We didn't know everything was on the same circuit, otherwise we would have shut everything else off.

Stoney · #7 04-14-2008, 11:09 AM

It's a GFI Breaker designed to protect all lines on that breaker same as the outlet GFI protects what is plugged in at the outlet.

you have a condition of a Ground Fault that has not been resolved so the breaker will not reset, it is doing it's job.

Get an outlet tester, the kind with a 3 pin plug end and 3 lights on lit and check each outlet on the line while somoeone holds the breaker in the on position, you may have a bad outlet (IE: THe ground may be melted, etc)

Or the surge caused by the overload may have fried the GCI Breaker internals.

Either way unless you are a Licensed electrician you should not be replacing it yourself. If you do self replacement and you screw up and later there is a fire, etc you have NO INSURANCE PROTECTION as you DID NOT have a qualified licensed electrician do the work.

A neighbor decided to "add" a 220V AC line himself and 3 months later in the summer he had every AC in the house on and the "new" line fried and caused $50K in damages to the Sun Parlor and Dining room (Structural Damage to Floor Beams)...1st thing his carrier did was have a forensic inspection and compared against the plans on file with the city and architect. When they found the "added" line and no proof of install by a licensed electrician they denied the claim based on the policy.

Even worse, imagine you do the work and there is a fire while you sleep...
lots of folks die this way every year.

OMEGAMAN · #8 04-14-2008, 11:12 AM

Is it a new house? Sounds like it might be an arc fault breaker because it has a reset button on it. Try unplugging everything on that circuit and reset the breaker. Could be a problem with an appliance.

gmercoleza · #9 04-14-2008, 11:18 AM

I appreciate the cautionary tone. I'm only talking about replacing the breaker with the exact same brand, type, and rating. Just to rule out a failed breaker. I've done it many times. If that doesn't resolve things, we will obviously call someone more qualified (that's the extent of my electrical troubleshooting skills anyway). I just wanted to know if anyone has ever seen these things fail (I've never heard of it).

I also suspected the outlet that the machine was plugged into (the machine was the only "variable"). But we removed it and gave it a quick inspection, and it seemed OK. Wires seemed fine too.

gmercoleza · #10 04-14-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMEGAMAN

Is it a new house? Sounds like it might be an arc fault breaker because it has a reset button on it. Try unplugging everything on that circuit and reset the breaker. Could be a problem with an appliance.

That was the first thing we did - turn off all lights, fans, the TV, unplugged the carpet machine, etc. And waited about 10 minutes, and it still wouldn't reset.

gmercoleza · #11 04-14-2008, 11:26 AM

One thing I should add is that the homeowner had previously added some recessed can lighting on this circuit. He described how he installed and wired everything, and it all sounded OK, eg. everything in parallel, hooked up to an existing line which was run for optional lighting, etc. When we attempted to reset the breaker, his add-on lights came on briefly, so I don't immediately suspect a short there. However, I'll admit the fact that there is add-on wiring on this circuit bugs me a bit.

dynalow · #12 04-14-2008, 11:31 AM

Just a thought.. how many amps do those items listed draw when they are all running together? 60 inch TV, amplifier, etc.
Your buddy may want to consider putting an extra breaker in and split the load. Is this an older home?

Good luck.

gmercoleza · #13 04-14-2008, 11:34 AM

This is a 5-year-old Centex home. I must say, the wiring did look awfully thin to us. I'm not a good judge of wire gauge, but it looked like 14ga to me, and my buddy agreed it looked pretty thin compared to what we're used to seeing.

123c · #14 04-14-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmercoleza

This is a 5-year-old Centex home. I must say, the wiring did look awfully thin to us. I'm not a good judge of wire gauge, but it looked like 14ga to me, and my buddy agreed it looked pretty thin compared to what we're used to seeing.

#14 wire=15 amp breaker

gmercoleza · #15 04-14-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 123c

#14 wire=15 amp breaker

That explains it. I think my house has all 20A breakers and the wires are thicker gauge, so his looked a bit thin at first glance. Not that I think the builder would use inferior materials or anything like that.