I bought this house this past April. It is 7 years old. This past month or two my circuit breaker goes off more and more. Tonight, I was going out and pushed my garage door opener to leave and half way up, it blew the curcuit. It had done it when I used a saw in the garage another time. My lights in my kitchen are now starting to dim when I use my microwave. Do I need to add something to the main box? Any ideas by anyone who might have electrical knowledge? This way if I hire a professional, I will have some knowledge and he/she will not "pull one over on me". Thank you.
2006-11-22 13:47:53 · 5 answers · asked by Stephanie F 7 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Other - Electronics
You have two separate problems. The dimming of your lights could indicate a loose neutral at your breaker panel, or your lights are on the same circuit as the receptacle you have your microwave plugged into. The National Electrical Code requires kitchens to have two separate small appliance circuits (Article 210.52 (B) (1). It sounds to me like you have your microwave plugged into a convenience outlet that is not on one of the two dedicated small appliance receptacles. As far as your breaker tripping goes I would need more information such as the horsepower of the door opener and what other loads you have on the circuit. You do not need to have your breaker panel replaced. Breakers are sized to protect the wires coming from your panel, not to protect the equipment they serve, that is what fuses are for. My suggestion is to call a licensed and bonded reputable electrician. Be prepared to pay for an hour and one half of his time as this is the minimum charge that is customary for my area.
2006-11-22 16:57:09 · answer #1 · answered by Julie C 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
if you do not want an electrician to get one over on you have at least two come by and give you a quote. If it were me the first thing I would do is have the house's breaker box changed. Make sure they are licensed.
When they come by make sure to ask about how long the job will take to complete.
2006-11-22 13:57:42 · answer #2 · answered by I R G _ H I Q 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Call an electrician most definitely. It sounds like you have some bad wiring in the house, and also, you need to get the breaker box looked at. Good luck, and start with the BBB to find a reliable electrician.
2006-11-22 13:49:43 · answer #3 · answered by c.grinnell 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Breakers can trip when they are starting to fail.
It may be as simple as changing the breaker with the same rating.
It could also be that the breaker is underated for the number of devices on that circuit.
2006-11-22 14:44:45 · answer #4 · answered by stratsandlespauls 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You mis-wired things. Lets figure our what you mean. A socket is for a light bub. Are you saying that the receptacles in the room do not work? Do they work with switch in the "on" position? Can't quite figure out how you managed to disconnect the receptacles without getting a pretty bad surprise.
2016-05-22 19:58:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋