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Signs You Need to Replace a Circuit Breaker

When you purchase a Ripple Creek Home, you are getting a brand-new home. All new appliances, electrical wiring, plumbing, and more. But naturally as the decades pass by, these components will need repairing and eventually, replacing.

It can be hard to know exactly when an item in your home needs replacing, which is why we want to help. Today, we want to share the signs to look for that signal the need to replace a circuit breaker.

All the electricity that runs through your home goes through your electrical panel. Housed inside of your electrical panel are many individual circuit breakers. Which is why electrical panels are often referred to as breaker boxes. Each circuit breaker is responsible for regulating the electrical output to a certain area of your home. When it senses that too much power is being drawn, it might trip and shut off power to that part of the house. This reduces the risks of fires and increases home safety in many ways.

Each circuit breaker has a general lifespan of 20 years, but other factors can shorten this lifespan. Here are some things to look for that signal that a circuit breaker is worn out.

It Does Not Stay Put

If a circuit breaker is especially worn out, it will not snap back when turned off and on and it will not feel securely in place. If it has a lot of give and wiggle to it, this is a sign that it is worn out.

It Is Not Up to Code

It is also important that everything connected to a circuit is up to code. Most building codes require that circuit breakers be upgraded to ones that can detect arc or ground faults. If yours is old and does not have this capability, it is time for a replacement.

It Is Faulty

There are cases where a circuit breaker is just plain faulty. Signs that this is the case are burn marks, smoke smells, or cracks in the casing.

It Keeps Tripping

If you are finding that a certain circuit breaker keeps tripping, it is a good sign that your electrical panel does not have the capacity to meet your electrical needs. In this case, you will benefit from an upgraded electrical panel altogether.

And there you have it. A few telltale signs that a circuit breaker needs to be replaced.

By Ripple Creek Homes 9-26-2022