Cannot reset trip at breaker box

17 years ago

One of the outlets in our breaker box has tripped and will not reset. This services wall outlets, some inside and some outside outlets. We have unplugged everything but the breaker will still not reset? This is 3-4 year old complete new wiring for an extensive remodel with additional square footage. We have had numerous electrical problems (However, this is a first for this problem.) from the get-go. Any advice? We are not electrically savy.

pdandmw

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Comments (6)

tom_o
17 years ago
Make sure you push the breaker handle all the way to the off position, then to the on position. If the breaker fails to latch (you should feel a mechanical action taking place when you flip the breaker to the off position as the internal mechanism re-engages) or it trips when placed in the on position, time to call an electrician.

Since you admit to not being up on electrical matters, this might not be the best time to get into troubleshooting your electrical system.
pdandmw
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you for your info...I think we will take your advice! Just out of curiousity...What could be the potential problem(s)? Any ideas? Thanks again.
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jeff_nj
17 years ago
I am not an electrician, but I have had the same problem. For me it was a bad circuit breaker. Mine was 30yrs old though. Easy fix for me. The other option that I can think of is a dead short somehwere in the wiring, so an electrician is a must if you are not comfortable testing the circuit breaker without electrocuting yourself.
pdandmw
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks Jeff (and Happy New Year to all) and how was that an easy fix? We will be calling an electrician....boy finding someone wh o is reputable is like finding a needle in a haystack. We will not use the electricians who did the installation. They also put gfi's on all the outdoor outlets. The slightest dampness and they are tripped!
jason1083
17 years ago
GFI's on outdoor outlets are a good idea in my opinion. I would say they are not properly covered or the box is not properly sealed if they are constantly tripping
jeff_nj
17 years ago
I pulled out the offending circuit breaker and even in my hands without a load, it would not reset. I brought it to HD and they had the same brand and model exact replacement(square D). I put the new one in and it worked fine. You could try swapping it with a breaker from another known good circuit (same amps, of course). If it works, the breaker is bad, if not, there is likely a short and time to call electrician. If you are not comfortable/familiar with swapping the breaker out, I suggest turning off the main breaker so you dont electrocute yourself, but that will turn off all your appliances, clocks, computers, etc and that can be a real pain, but no different than when my power goes out.

good luck, happy new year and better to be safe than sorry when it comes to electricity!!