Electric problem help!!

bigrake

Well-Known Member
You are overloading the circuit, and the breaker is dead because you have been running 14 amps on it for long periods of time.
Branch circuit breakers should only be loaded up to 80%. I assume this circuit is on a 15amp breaker so you should be trying to load it up to 12 amps. Your 1000w is going to pull 9 amps and the 600 will pull 5 amps. Running these two lights is putting you over the 80% derating, however, at 14 amps, it is probably just on the line of making the breaker trip, but it will get warmer than it is intended to and cause it to failsafe (stop working) eventually. As soon as you plug the vacuum in, you are pulling over 15 amps so it is definitely going to trip within a short order of time.
It's not going to look suspicious if you want to hire someone to replace the breaker, trust me, happens all the time.

It's easy to replace yourself, though. Will cost you much less.
Replace the breaker with the exact same model. You can't upsize it unless you upsize your wire as well.
This is very easy to do, most are push-on and worst case, it's a bolt on in which case you only need to tighten 2 screws.
TURN THE POWER TO THE ENTIRE PANEL OFF, it should have a MAIN breaker. This will allow you to touch anything in the panel, except for the wires going to the main breaker, without the possibility of being electrocuted. IMPORTANT - turning the main breaker off will kill power to the buss bars and all the branch circuit breakers in the panel, but it will not kill the power to the wires feeding the main breaker in the panel. They will still be live, and are the largest ones, at the top or bottom of the panel. usually are quite well protected from fingers slipping onto them. Just keep your hands and the panel cover away from those larger feeders. You really have to try in most panels with main breakers to touch them, as they have plastic guards, but it's important to understand that part of the panel is still live. It's the most dangerous part of the panel, in fact.

Take the cover(s) off the panel. Usually 4 screws hold an outside trim cover, then 4 more screws hold a buss bar/breaker cover. Some brands it is all one piece.
Take the old breaker out by pulling on one side, the side towards the middle of the panel, not the side the wire connects to it. You'd have to try hard to damage the panel so don't be afraid to use a little force if the breaker doesn't pop out easily. Square D and FPE panels are usually stubborn. Siemens are easier.
Disconnect the wire from the old breaker, connect it to the new breaker. Tug to make sure tight connection. Make sure only the copper is touching the screw that tightens onto the wire, you don't want any of the insulation touching the screw on the breaker.
Pop the new breaker back in. Seat the side the wire connects to first, and then push the opposite side onto the metal buss bars (you'll see the slot on the breaker where it slides in).

Don't plug the vacuum into that circuit again (make note of all the plugs without power now, that is all one circuit and shouldn;t be used to power anything else if your lights are on.)
You should really be running those lights on either a 20amp breaker with #12 wire, or split them between two 15 amp circuits, heck bring an extention cord in from another room if you need to, then with either of those 2 options you will most likely be able to run the vacuum on any circuit you want.
Okay so I got up and tried a plug in the rimmed and a light and it worked but went out and came on again for a second . I haven't tried again I don't want to keep fucking with it if it's something that shouldn't be messed with . Meaning turning it on and letting it keep going out so I'm leaving it alone. Any idea why it's working for a little bit and going back off?
 

atxlsgun

Well-Known Member
15amp breaker=1800w
20amp breaker=2400w
Your breaker shouldn't trip with 1600w plugged in I had a similar issue in my basement at my house see my house has aluminum wiring and the basement was finished with copper so the main power line is aluminum and it connects to copper which connects to all the receptacles well the aluminum to copper connection either got loose or the aluminum oxidized and got hot and melted where the connection was made with a regular wire nut which is not correct you are supposed to use alumiconn connectors for aluminum wiring. So when it melted the breaker didn't trip the plugs just stopped working downstairs I had to pull a light fixture down and that's where the connection was made. So is everything on the breaker off? BTW what I had plugged in was a portable ac some fans and pumps just under what the breaker would allow

5280
 

bigrake

Well-Known Member
15amp breaker=1800w
20amp breaker=2400w
Your breaker shouldn't trip with 1600w plugged in I had a similar issue in my basement at my house see my house has aluminum wiring and the basement was finished with copper so the main power line is aluminum and it connects to copper which connects to all the receptacles well the aluminum to copper connection either got loose or the aluminum oxidized and got hot and melted where the connection was made with a regular wire nut which is not correct you are supposed to use alumiconn connectors for aluminum wiring. So when it melted the breaker didn't trip the plugs just stopped working downstairs I had to pull a light fixture down and that's where the connection was made. So is everything on the breaker off? BTW what I had plugged in was a portable ac some fans and pumps just under what the breaker would allow

5280
I had the lights and 2 fans and my outake some times so I was close probably before I used the vacuum
 

Eternal

Well-Known Member
Wow thanks for the details this will really help later . I'm going to split them now that I know this. Luckily almost half the plugs are on another breaker so this helps. I appriciate the help . This almost explains it good enough to where I feel I could do it . Just scared of messing up and there's no second chance . I have someone I think can fix it. Where is the best place to buy a breaker and do you know how much they run? It's a 15 amp Siemens I think it's how its spelled. Thanks again I really appriciate it!!!
An electrical supplier or home depot, lowes, rona most of those stores carry them. A single pole 15amp siemens should only cost $5 thereabouts.

If you turn the power to the panel off and make sure the wire is secured well to the new breaker with no insulation under the beaker screw, it will be very hard to damage anything in the panel, or hurt yourself. If you did hire an electrician it would only take him 5-10 minutes to change it for you and hell mark up the breaker price a bit.
 

Eternal

Well-Known Member
Okay so I got up and tried a plug in the rimmed and a light and it worked but went out and came on again for a second . I haven't tried again I don't want to keep fucking with it if it's something that shouldn't be messed with . Meaning turning it on and letting it keep going out so I'm leaving it alone. Any idea why it's working for a little bit and going back off?
Sorry i missed that. Unfortunately it may not be the breaker then. There may be a loose connection either in the panel or one of the plugs, switches, or lights that are on the circuit. The wiring and possibly the breaker may be damaged from heat generated as a result of a loose connection. When this happens the resistance of the wire where it had been burned will be very high, and will cause a large voltage drop. A friend had this issue and was getting only 70v to the plugs downstream from the one that had a loose connection and burned wires that were welded to the plug from arcing constantly. This wasn't enough for his ballast to fire up but was enough for a 60watt incandescent to light up.

If this were me I would start at the panel and inspect every connection on the circuit make sure everything is tight and that the wire is not black brittle or the insulation dry and brittle. I would then re-seat the breaker in the panel and turn it on and test the circuit.

If issues continue, and I was confident the wire is undamaged and no loose connections, it is probably the breaker.
 

bigrake

Well-Known Member
Sorry i missed that. Unfortunately it may not be the breaker then. There may be a loose connection either in the panel or one of the plugs, switches, or lights that are on the circuit. The wiring and possibly the breaker may be damaged from heat generated as a result of a loose connection. When this happens the resistance of the wire where it had been burned will be very high, and will cause a large voltage drop. A friend had this issue and was getting only 70v to the plugs downstream from the one that had a loose connection and burned wires that were welded to the plug from arcing constantly. This wasn't enough for his ballast to fire up but was enough for a 60watt incandescent to light up.

If this were me I would start at the panel and inspect every connection on the circuit make sure everything is tight and that the wire is not black brittle or the insulation dry and brittle. I would then re-seat the breaker in the panel and turn it on and test the circuit.

If issues continue, and I was confident the wire is undamaged and no loose connections, it is probably the breaker.
Thanks for your time I appreciateit. The 1000 watt ballast on the metal part of the plug that plugs in the wall was black on it and looked like some residue from something was on it . I was putting the ballast up and notices it . I'm thinking its something with the socket that I had my 1000 plugged into . I have a guy coming Wednesday to check it out but all your info will be helpful to tell him ahead of time What it might be and for me to know this . Thanks a lot bro this has helped me a lot I really appreciate it!!
 

Eternal

Well-Known Member
Thanks for your time I appreciateit. The 1000 watt ballast on the metal part of the plug that plugs in the wall was black on it and looked like some residue from something was on it . I was putting the ballast up and notices it . I'm thinking its something with the socket that I had my 1000 plugged into . I have a guy coming Wednesday to check it out but all your info will be helpful to tell him ahead of time What it might be and for me to know this . Thanks a lot bro this has helped me a lot I really appreciate it!!
Glad I could help probably a wise decision to have someone in to look at it, at this point thats what you need is a good eye to check the circuit over. Too many possibilities now haha.

If you do end up having to replace the wire perhaps consider asking the electrician to switch the receptacles, wiring, and breaker to 20amp then youd be fine running both the 1000 and 600 on that circuit plus a fan or 2 even.

Cheers
 
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