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Step 1
Plug a radio into an outlet on the circuit you're dealing with. Make sure that the volume is turned up so you can hear it when it comes on.
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Step 2
Find your panel box. It's usually in the basement or utility room.
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Step 3
Turn off the main power, if possible. Most panel boxes have a main on/off switch.
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Step 4
Press the tripped breaker toward "off" to reset it, then to "on." If it trips immediately, you either have a bad breaker or a short somewhere in the circuit.
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Step 1
Purchase a new circuit breaker from a hardware store.
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Step 2
Take the panel cover off the panel box by unscrewing the face plate.
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Step 3
Notice the two wires feeding into the side of the breaker. Remember which one is in which position.
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Step 4
Loosen the screw holding the white wire first just enough to get the wire out.
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Step 5
Put a wire nut on the end of the white wire and bend it out of the way.
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Step 6
Loosen the other screw and do the same thing with the colored wire.
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Step 7
Pull the old circuit breaker out and snap a new one into place.
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Step 8
Replace the wires in the same positions as they were on the old breaker - colored one first, white one second.
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Step 9
Tighten the screws holding the wires.
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Step 10
Replace the face plate.
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Step 11
Turn the power to the panel on, if necessary.
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Step 12
Turn the breaker on. You should hear your radio. If it trips, call an electrician since you most likely have a potentially dangerous short circuit.
Comments
ry3100 said
on 3/16/2009 Just call the electrician! Is saving a few bucks worth endangering your lives. Electricians go to school and have creditable time on the job and most of them are liscensed. You wouldn't practice to be your own lawyer, why try to pretend your an electrician an get yourself KILLED!
allenjf said
on 12/16/2008 Step 3 should be: Turn off the main power. (Period). If you cannot find the main power switch DO NOT ATTEMPT THE REPAIR, and call an electrician. Step 4 and 3 should be swapped because, once you turn off the main breaker, the circuit breakers won't be energized and they won't trip. Most breakers will have only one black wire, or two black wires it's for a water heater, AC, stove, or dryer. If it's a high amperage breaker (60A or 100A) and it feels hot before/after it trips, you could simply have a loose or bad connection. Replace the breaker and make sure your wire(s) are not corroded. Cut off any corroded part of the wire and restrip the insulation.
Freon said
on 8/3/2008 Sometimes a breaker will not stay in the "on" position because the switch is slightly sticky. Before concluding that the breaker is bad and replacing it, try squirting a little WD-40 into the switch and turning it on and off a few times. It worked for a breaker I was having trouble with.
ncblu66 said
on 7/27/2007 the comment about two wires could and most likely is referring to 220 volt breakers.
mradtke said
on 12/28/2006 There is only ONE wire attached to a common circuit breaker. It MUST NOT be colored WHITE OR GREEN. It is usually black or red. The only circuit breakers that have a white wire (already connected to it) or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) or Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI). Never buy any circuit breaker replacement for your electrical panel unless it is "listed" for that panel. Check the placard inside your electrical panel for the circuit breakers allowed for that panel. Caution: some breakers look very similar put have slight differences that prevent using them in a particular panel or position. Check with a licensed electrician first to make sure you do not have a "fault" before assuming that a consistently tripping breaker is faulty. It may save your life or that of a loved one.