Circuit breaker keeps tripping?

Question

I have a 15amp circuit breaker serving a circuit which connects 2 outlets in 2 different bathrooms. The only think attached to the outlet is a 4-watt night light.

Yet every other week this circuit breaker trips and upon a reset of it, power comes back to the night lights.

How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Question
How old is the house
Are you sure those are the only to items on the breaker
Have you tried not plugging anything in to the outlets or at least not leaving them plugged in.

Answer 2

If It serves toilets, it will be a GFCI type breaker.
These are very sensitive to provide safety from electrical shock. They detect 'leakage current` at milliamp levels and thus can be tempermental.
Because trouble shooting this problem requires some knowledge and maybe an expensive, sensitive, meter,
I'd consult an electrician.
Before you do though just turn off the breaker, remove the plates from the affected outlets, and look for any lint, dust or moisture that might be causing the slightest leakage current. - It's a long shot, but might save you some dough.

Answer 3

If you are comfortable working with electricity, go to the circuit breaker main panel and shut off the circuit breaker for those plugs, then verify that the circuit is OFF in both bathrooms. Unscrew the wallplate from the first bathroom's receptacle and unscrew the receptacle, pull it out of the wall far enough to turn it 90 o or so in each direction (= side to side). Most commonly, electricians strip off about 1/2" of insulation and jam the bare wire into the back of the receptacle. Sometimes, especially if it's been tripping, the wires get loose...black wire goes to the brassy terminal, white wire goes to the silvery terminal. Personally, I prefer to strip about 3/4" to 7/8" of insulation off of the wire, then bend the wire around the terminal lug screw and screw it down tightly. Check to see that any wire-nutted wires inside the junction box are tightly together, i.e., one wire isn't all the in the wire-nut. Also, because GFCI receptacles are so large, I like to wrap electrician's tape around the top bottom and sides of the receptacle, covering the terminals to protect them from accidentally contacting any other wires, screws, etc., in the junction box. Also, be sure the ground wire is properly attached and routed...that ground wire is your 'safety net' feature for any wet-location receptacle. Repeat the procedure for the 2nd bathroom. There is the possibility that the circuit breaker itself is bad, 'though that isn't all that common. Turn breakers back on, after putting GFCIs back into junction box and 'check for function.' While you're at it, go to a store and get a GFCI circuit tester...it has a chart on it of correct/incorrect wiring. In doubt? Call a LICENSED electrician. **we ARE talking about GFCI outlets, no? If 'no,' they SHOULD be converted to GFCI outlets...all wet-location outlets MUST be GFCI's for safety's sake (near sinks, tubs, vanities, showers, hot tubs, pools, spas, outdoors, etc).

Answer 4

A professional electrician is the only one who can help you with this. And by law he has to be a licensed service man/women.

Look in the yellow pages of your telephone book and get two or three free estimates to do the work. Choose one and get a contract before the work begins.

You need to have this repaired. There is always the possibility of fire inside the wall.

Answer 5

Have the circuit breaker tested . Sounds like it needs to be replaced

Answer 6

Shut the power off first. Remove plug cover. Look inside and see if the ground (bare wire) is near or touching the silver or gold screws. If it is push it away from the screws. Wire (metal) expands/shrinks in different temperatures. If it is near one of those screws it will move and hit it causing a short. Check both plugs.

Answer 7

the breaker is okay and doing her job

the problem is in the design of nigh tlight on which the plastic material is carbonized and causing intermittent short cicuit. replace or remove the night light.

Answer 8

THAT BREAKER BE A "GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER" (GFCI) AND IT MAY BE DEFECTIVE. IT IS COVERED IN HOW STUFF WORKS. THEY ARE REQUIRED FOR BATHROOM CIRCUITS. I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE IT.

Answer 9

http://www.circuitbreaker.com