Does a main breaker need power to reset?

If you are the only one without power, and your meter shows a digital reading you should try resetting your main breaker. In most cases, this will be located outside your home near your electric meter, but in older homes, you may find it inside. If your breaker continues to trip, please contact a licensed electrician.

Why is my main breaker not working?

When a tripped breaker won’t reset or repeatedly trips after resetting, there could be too many appliances or lights on the circuit. However, the problem could be from a damaged cord or plug or from a short circuit in a receptacle or fixture. Faulty wiring could also be the cause.

What happens when a breaker doesn’t reset?

If the circuit breaker won’t reset and trips immediately, the problem might be a short circuit. A short circuit can cause broken appliances, overheating, or even be a fire hazard. If you suspect a short circuit is the reason your circuit breaker keeps tripping, leave the breaker off and call a licensed electrician.

Which switch is the main breaker?

The main circuit breaker, usually located inside the main panel at the top, shuts off all of the electricity to the house. In a dire emergency, this is the one to turn off. Otherwise, shut off only the breaker that serves the problem circuit—that way, other parts of your house will continue to have lights and power.

What happens when you reset the main breaker?

This is done to ensure that circuits driving motors do not all activate at the same time when you reset the main breaker. It’s much safer to turn on individual circuits one at a time after resetting the main breaker. Reset the lever on the main breaker to the ON position.

What should I do if my circuit breaker fails?

If an individual circuit breaker fails and loses its ability to trip as designed, it may actually be the main breaker that trips to provide the secondary safety shutoff. Again, there is a recommended procedure for resetting the main breaker: First, turn off all the individual circuit breakers controlling branch circuits.

Where does the power come from in a breaker box?

All homes have an electrical service panel, commonly known as a breaker box or fuse box. The panel receives the incoming power from the electrical utility and distributes the power to the various circuits of the house.

What happens when a branch breaker gets tripped?

A faulty branch breaker can cause the main breaker to trip as a secondary precaution. If the main circuit breaker gets tripped you must reset it correctly to avoid a surge to your system. When power is restored, any branch breaker that is “on” will engage the circuits driving motor.

How often should a breaker box be replaced?

A circuit breaker should be replaced every 10-15 years. The reason is that over time, the inner workings of the circuit breaker can corrode together or become damaged and will no longer give you and your homes wiring the protection that it needs.

Can you lock a breaker box?

Yup, you can lock up your breakers. You cannot put a lock on any utility maintained meter or meter box, but that should be a no-brainer. The reason there is a lock on the water main is so the utility company can lock water off, not so you can lock it on.

Do circuit breakers ever need to be replaced?

Typically circuit breakers will not need to be replaced. Unlike a fuse, a circuit breaker is designed to reset. On occasion a circuit breaker may break or malfunction resulting in the need replace it with a new breaker.

Can circuit breakers go bad?

The simple answer is that, yes, circuit breakers go bad, so your suspicions may be well-founded. Just like any other essential device in your home (e.g. your water heater, HVAC system, etc.), circuit breakers can quit working properly.