What Are the Causes of Partial Power Loss in a Breaker Box?

Partial power loss in a breaker box often occurs from a tripped breaker.

A breaker box refers to a distribution box that controls the supply of electrical power to a connected area. Numerous problems can affect the function of a breaker box and result in partial power loss.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Circuit breakers refer to switches that protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by short circuits or overload by "tripping" or interrupting the electrical flow. Manually resetting a tripped circuit breaker typically restores the lost power.

Incomplete Switch

A circuit breaker may open in response to high current or short circuit conditions, but the switch may fail to fully complete the flip to the off position. This results in partial power loss without fully tripping the breaker switch. Flipping the circuit breaker switch off, then on again to properly reset it typically restores power.

Short Circuit

A short circuit in an appliance, appliance plug or cord or the wiring can result in a circuit breaker tripping repeatedly, which in turn causes partial power loss. If short circuits are causing a circuit breaker to constantly trip, consult an electrician to determine the cause of the short.

References

• Electrician PDQ: I'm Having a Partial Power Outage in My Home
• "Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Wiring"; Brevik Tharaldson; 2008

Resources

• "Home Basics - Electrical Made Easy"; Ron Hazelton; 2009