why does the same fuse keep blowing even when nothing is being used?

Question

a bedroom fuse keeps blowing, even though it's not being overloaded. the room's overhead lights are on a separate fuse and aren't affected...but the wall plugs, which have a lamp and clock radio plugged in--keep blowing. odd thing is, sometimes it comes back on, on it's own without "resetting" it. (panel is outside so i didn't switch it once, and it later came on by itself.) it's in the baby's room, and at night we keep music on the clock radio going on all night--but other than that, just a night light is in use when this happens. this also happens when nothing is on. (except the clock radio is plugged in) it also affects wall plugs in another bedroom, in which i have my computer plugged into.
know what could be causing it and how to fix it?
thanks!
this is the only fuse in the house that does this. new construcion, home is less than 2 years old.

sorry--not using correct termonolgy--it's the circuit breaker. keeps tripping.

thanks for all the great answers! so if a circuit breaker can't "turn itself back on," then is there an explanation for being able to flip the switch at the circuit breaker and restore power AND/OR not doing it, and still getting power back eventually?

Answer 1

Fairview is right but he missed one other possibility. The radio or the lamp might have bad wiring which is causing the breaker to trip. Unplug them and test the circuit by plugging something else into the same outlet. If the breaker does not trip, you know the problem is not the house wiring.

Answer 2

Four possibilities exist.

1st. Defective wiring installation. More common than you would think or hope for on new construction houses.

2nd. there exists an intermittent dead short occurring most likely from the result of rodent damage if this problem has recently developed. This can only be determined by a process of eliminating and isolating branch circuits which may be difficult without interior wall wreck out. The first step would be identifying all outlets serviced by the circuit, unplug everything and see if the breaker trips.

3rd. Something you currently have on that circuit is drawing too much power. Unplug everything and then plug one piece at a time until the breaker trips.

4th. You simply and hopefully just have a defective or weak breaker and it is tripping at low loads.

If the problem is number one, the builder should be willing to come in and fix it at no cost, even if he warranty has expired. Better to fix something like that for free than meet in the court room.

Answer 3

Fuse Keeps Blowing

Answer 4

On those occasions when the power "came back on, on it's own" - was it TURNED off? Did you actually have the breaker turned off when the power returned? Or is simply that you had no power, and then you did, without doing anything to it?

If this is the case, then youve got a short or loose wire. Its quite common to run power from one set of wall outlets to another... so a problem with one outlet, can actually shut off power to several others... just depends on where in the series, the problem is at.

In your case, I would seriously recommend that you call an electrician to come out to find and fix the problem.

Most likely, they will use a circuit tester to check for fault. By checking at each outlet, and looking at how the house is laid out, they can narrow down the location of where the problem is at. Then the outlet will be removed, and connections checked. If its just a loose connection, it can be repaired in just a few minutes.

Better safe than sorry.... a loose connection is a fire hazard.

If youve had a problem with mice... there is the possibility theyve chewed thru a wire.

Now... if on that occasion the power came on 'by itself' and you actually had the power shut off... the problem is the breaker, and its serious. Call that electrician, and have it checked out.

Good Luck

Answer 5

First, if a circuit breaker trips, it almost always has to be "reset" manually to regain your electricity to that circuit. If a fuse "blows" it has to be replaced.

When you say "...a bedroom fuse keeps blowing..." I assume you're saying that some appliance (such as your lamp or clock radio) ceases working but subsequently comes back on without any action on your part. If that is the case, then there is most likely faulty wiring to those outlets that are behaving erratically. It might be clearly evident at the outlet if you take off the cover plate and examine the connections -- BE SAFE -- if you know nothing about electricity, get someone else to tackle it.

Answer 6

No.....don't change the breaker to a "non-arc fault" breaker. You have an arc-fault breaker connected to your bedroom circuits for a reason. If you know what your doing, try turning off the main breaker at the panel so that the whole house is turned completely off. Then, just to be safe, turn off every single individual breaker in the panel. Then take a flat head screwdriver and re-tighten every screw that has a black, red, white or green wire landed on it. DO NOT touch the wires that are feeding the panel that is connected to the main breaker. Those wires are still going to be "hot" and will shock you if it doesn't kill you. I can't stress how important it is that you do not touch anything metal. Hopefully I've scared you enough to have someone that knows what they are doing to do this for you if you don't know what your doing. IF.....they don't find a loose wire in the panel, then there is a loose wire somewhere in the house and someone is going to have to remove every switch and receptacle starting in the bedrooms your having problems with until you find the loose wire. Good luck and be safe.

Answer 7

Do the fuses blow without stepping on the brake? I say the first thing to check is the brake/tail bulbs. Pull them out and look at the filaments. I have seen filaments get crossed up and shorted out. These 2 circuits should not be related. you must have 2 failures going here. Generally you have to start out at the end of a circuit and start removing things (bulbs, wire connectors) and trying to isolate the short circuit. The wiring IS mostly contained in a wrap and if it is not pinched or chafed it should be ok. Check the brake wires to/from the brake switch (above the pedal). Regarding the dash - it could be an internal short in the instrument cluster. I think a couple screws hold it in - slide it out of the dash and unplug the connectors behind it. Try fuse again. I think the dash fuse also powers the speed sensor - trace that out to the transmission and make sure it is not damaged or cooked on the exhaust pipe. Isolate individual wires connector to connector and check w/ ohm meter for short to ground.

Answer 8

A circuit breaker cannot turn itself back on. You have an intermittent open circuit. Such as a bad connection. Have an electrician fix it before it starts a fire. I recently saw a picture of a receptacle outlet where the electrician forgot to tighten the screw on the wire. It did what you are describing, and then started a fire. Luckily the house did not burn down.

Answer 9

New homes require "arc proof" breakers in all bedrooms. Does the breaker have a "reset" button on it? (similar to a gfci breaker) These breakers are very sensitive, any minor faulty wiring could affect the breaker. Something that you have plugged in could be creating a tiny arc. Try changing to a regular non-arc proof breaker and see if it solves your problem.

Answer 10

first of all, do you mean an old fashioned fuse? or a circuit breaker keeps popping? second, you better keep it turned off. it sounds like you have a grounding issue, or one of the cables is cracked or not properly hooked up. this could cause a fire or something. if you live alone, and you are handy, you could try to figure it out. if you have a family - keep it turned off and call a bonded electrician.