When the breaker is tripped, the switch automatically switches off. But when I place switch back in the on position, the lights and heater come back on. What does the tripping indicate? Is that a sign I should stop using the heater, or is that normal after a few hours. The heater runs all day, and the tripping occurs around early evening. I'm usually in one room most of the time when I'm home, so it's cheaper to run the space heater, rather than heat up the entire place. Also, breaker box is in my kitchen.
2007-02-06 11:23:25 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
By the way, I didn't turn on anything extra when the tripping ocurred, and I intentionally turn off lights in the other rooms just in case.
2007-02-06 11:26:06 · update #1
So when the breaker trips, if I unplug the heater for a few hours, is it safe to plug it in again?
2007-02-06 11:33:00 · update #2
The heater is plugged into a wall outlet by itself, and the space heater is 1500 watts.
2007-02-06 12:39:49 · update #3
Most Portable heaters are 1500 watts which equals 12.5 amps @ 120volts, and I'm guessing it's on a 15 amp Breaker if you are using much of anything else on that circuit and you have been doing it for a while The breaker has gotten weak and will only hold for so long before tripping, Try finding a different location to plug the heater in that is not on a circuit that is used much, and replace the breaker even If you Move the heater, IF you Use a drop cord USE ONE AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE AND AT LEAST A 12GUAGE CORD!
2007-02-06 11:36:13 · answer #1 · answered by Ray D 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do not take the advice from ANYONE who says to replace your breakers with larger ones. I must support Tex in his answer to NEVER do that. Breakers are sized to fit the size wire installed. A wire can deliver a certain amount of continuous current and no more. Replacing a breaker with a larger breaker will allow the wire to carry extra current, then it will over heat, cause a fire, etc. If the cable is REPLACED with larger cable, THEN you can replace the breaker with a larger one, again as long as the breaker size fits the cable size. Why does the breaker trip? Look at the size of the breaker. Is it 15 amps, 20 amps, or what? Then look at the heater. How many watts is its rating? A popular size for portable space heaters is 1,500 watts. To know how many amps it will use, divide the watts by the volts. For example, if the wall voltage is 120 volts, then: 1,500 watts / 120 volts = 12.5 amps. If you add to the circuit a TV, lights, fan, radio, DVD/CD, whatever, the circuit will be overloaded and the breaker will trip. If nothing else is on, and the wattage of the heater is within the rating of the breaker, try the heater on another circuit where you know nothing else is on. Does that breaker trip too? Is it the same size? If it is the same size yet does not trip, replace the faulty or weak breaker with one of the same size. If the heater trips the other breakers too, perhaps the heater is bad. An electrician with an ammeter will be able to check the amps of the heater while it is on. He also will be able to check the draw of amps or current on this circuit both with the heater on to verify that the circuit is not overloaded, and while the heater is off to verify that nothing else is on. I hope this helps.
2016-05-24 01:08:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not keep flipping the breaker. It means the Line is over loaded or the breaker has gone bad. It is more likley the line is overloaded. A 15 amp breaker may take a while to trip if the line is at 16 or 17 amps. The more overloaded the line the faster it trips. It still means the wiring in the walls will heat up. This is a potential fire hazard. So Unplug as much as posible from the line, or get a smaller heater.
2007-02-06 11:58:27 · answer #3 · answered by Neil K 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means your heater takes a certain amount of power to run minimum... and your circuits are set up to carry a certain amount of power through them. The circuit is not large enough to carry all the charge needed to run the space heater, even at a minimum.. so rather than heat up and overheat/cause a fire, it just switches off, thereby interrupting the power and not causing a fire.
Usually house circuits are 15 Amp, 20 Amp, maybe one for the BIG appliances will be running on a 30Amp circuit. You have separate circuits and you are undoubtedly plugging the space heater into a cicruit that already has another electrical appliance on it, which is causing overload.
My suggestion, Bathrooms are required to have GFI switches( with the test, reset buttons) since they are near water.... so plug the space heater into that GFI bathroom switch.. The GFI switches are on larger circuits and can most likely power the space heater.
If that is an inconvenience, go out to Home Depot or a hardware store and get a Heavy Duty (25 or 30AMp capable) Extension cord and plug that into the bathroom outlet, then you can use the space heater wherever you want...and still utilize the bathroom's outlet.
It should work... if not, the space heater is too powerful for your circuits, dont use it.
2007-02-06 11:33:38 · answer #4 · answered by Peter Griffin 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all - is the heater plugged directly into a wall socket, or are you using an extension cord? If using an extension cord, remove it and plug directly to wall.
Second - people keep telling you to put in a larger breaker - DON'T!!!!! Circuit breakers are sized to prevent the wires in your wall from getting too hot and starting a fire. If you simply increase the amperage of the breaker (i.e. switch from 15 amp to 20 amp) you risk overloading your wiring.
The only truly safe way to keep your heater from overloading your breaker is to 1) make sure your wiring is the right size for for a larger capacity breaker; 2) replace the breaker AND the outlet plug to matching capacities. You should really consult an electrician.
Hope this helps!
2007-02-06 11:51:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
you are exceeding the maximum current handling
capability of your circuit breaker. they are usually on the order of 15 or 20A (amperes). sometime during the evening something else
is using that breaker at the same time as your space heater causing the over current condition. maybe a refrigerator or something like that may be cycling on briefly. two suggestions;
see if you can determine what else may be on that circuit breaker
by turning the breaker off and seeing what stops working. lights,
fridge etc. second most space heaters have two wattage or power ratings. typically 750 watts and 1500 watts. after you warm
the room switch to the lower power setting. my problem is the microwave. when you posted your added comments the electrician is probably spot on when he suspects a weak breaker.
2007-02-06 11:39:56 · answer #6 · answered by chipshot 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need a breaker that is a higher capacity. It might also be a good idea to plug the space heater into a GFI outlet rather than a regular one so that if it shuts of...you won't damage other things, such as appliances that are left plugged in...fridge, t.v., etc.
2007-02-06 11:32:38 · answer #7 · answered by lc 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Maybe the heater is overloaded and the run cycle is too high for it. As time goes on the heater runs longer and by evening the heater has run to long and drawing too much power.
2007-02-06 11:30:17 · answer #8 · answered by pioneer friend 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
too much power on one line- turn some of the lights off and tv
2007-02-06 11:33:12 · answer #9 · answered by manblind1969 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your space heater is pulling to much curent and over rated your breaker..might need a bigger breaker.
2007-02-06 11:28:13 · answer #10 · answered by karen_hayes31 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋