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Circuit breaker · Repair Copilot

Breaker keeps tripping

A breaker that trips the instant you reset it is doing its job — it's protecting you from an overload or a short. The safe DIY part is narrowing down WHAT is tripping it; the fix past that is licensed-electrician territory. Show SightLine the panel and the room and a no-nonsense electrician persona keeps you safely on the right side of that line.

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Steps to fix breaker keeps tripping

  1. Note which breaker trips and unplug EVERYTHING on that circuit, then reset it — if it holds, one of your devices is the overload.
  2. Plug items back one at a time to find the culprit; a space heater, hair dryer, or microwave sharing a circuit often overloads it.
  3. If it still trips with nothing plugged in, or trips instantly with a snap or a burning smell, STOP — that's a short circuit or ground fault, not an overload.
  4. Do NOT keep resetting a breaker that won't hold and do NOT tape it or swap in a bigger breaker — that defeats the protection and starts fires.
  5. This one crosses the line fast: repeated tripping with the load removed, any scorching, warmth, or burning smell at the panel means you call a LICENSED ELECTRICIAN now — panel and circuit faults are not DIY.

Safety first: if a step calls for gas, a main water or sewer line, a service panel or main breaker, or a sealed refrigerant system, stop and call a licensed pro — Repair Copilot will tell you when you're there.