How do I stop tripping the circuit breaker.

[Darkleoco]

Whenever I go to turn on my computer I always have to make sure that the only things running are the monitor and then after I flip the power button on my psu I have to wait a good ten seconds to turn it on or without fail I will trip the circuit breaker for my room, it will also do this if I have left the computer off but still had the power to it on for half an hour, is this just something I am going to have to live with?

 

[mastrdrver]

Good God man! How much crap do you have on one outlet?

 

[Darkleoco]

Surge protector with only my modem and router, I can turn things on fine after the computer is on but when it starts up it tends to draw alot of power :/

 

[blkhogan]

You shouldnt be drawing that much amperage. Not even close. A normal size breaker for rooms (bedrooms, bathrooms ect) is usually 15 to 20 amp. There has to be something else drawing from that curcuit, or the wire is loose at the breaker causing amperage to rise, or you have a weak breaker that needs to be replaced. Would maybe have an electrician take a look if possible.

 

[Darkleoco]

An electrician taking a look isn't in the cards unfortunately but I don't see why it only does it on start up, after the computer is going I can turn on my tv, my ps3, my laptop, lights, ceiling fan, and the surround sound box for my Tritton headset which should be much more power?

 

[cdawall]

could be a worn out breaker popping lower than its made for. swap it for a new one and see how that does.

 

[Delta6326]

it could be like my home it has crappy wiring, the garage and 1 bedroom and bath in the basement are on the same breaker, if you have lights on in the garage and in the bed room start a vacuum the breaker will pop.

 

[Darkleoco]

could be a worn out breaker popping lower than its made for. swap it for a new one and see how that does.

If I swapped to a new breaker and still had the problem then it would be the wiring?

 

[Batou1986]

Sounds like an overloaded circuit to me what else is on it ?

 

[dank1983man420]

leaning towards bad breaker or posssibly underrated breaker. Overloading the internal wiring(if wiring is at fault) would start a fire in the wall if anything.

How many amps is the breaker on the line that controls your room ,garage, and bath?

Have you tried to move your computer and monitor to a different room on a different line to see if it still does it? That could rule out a bunch of stuff if you try it and it works ok.

 

[Darkleoco]

I haven't tried moving it yet since rolling my case down the hall would be a bit agravating but I might do it later, the breaker as a whole is 200 amps and this room with the hallway (just two lights that are off their) is only 15 amps.

 

[dank1983man420]

woops, thought someone else's post with what is on their breaker line was yours

15 should be ok if you are only having 1 room and a hallway on it. I've got 20 for 2 bedrooms and 1 hallway light.
Come to think of it, I did have an outlet go bad on me once, maybe try a different outlet in the room to rule that out?

 

[Darkleoco]

woops, thought someone else's post with what is on their breaker line was yours

15 should be ok if you are only having 1 room and a hallway on it. I've got 20 for 2 bedrooms and 1 hallway light.
Come to think of it, I did have an outlet go bad on me once, maybe try a different outlet in the room to rule that out?

I'll try a different outlet and see if that solves any of my problems, would be nice if it was just a simple fix.

 

[erocker]

could be a worn out breaker popping lower than its made for. swap it for a new one and see how that does.

I'm pretty certain your answer is this^^^ Replacing the breaker is a pretty simple fix.

If I swapped to a new breaker and still had the problem then it would be the wiring?

Possibly, but it would really have to be some messed up wiring.

 

[Darkleoco]

I'm pretty certain your answer is this^^^ Replacing the breaker is a pretty simple fix.




Possibly, but it would really have to be some messed up wiring.

How much do new breakers go for though :/ and wouldn't an electrician need to install it or is changing the breaker simpler than I think?

 

[m4gicfour]

A lot of circuit breakers work because they have a bimetallic strip inside (a strip made of two different kids of metal). LNK When the breaker is overloaded, it heats up, the different metals expand at different rates, and the strip changes shape, opening the circuit. (sort of like going from a C shape to an I shape, or vice versa)

Because of that, after they've been popped a lot, they can REALLY lose their rating (the metal inside weakens) and they'll pop if there's a sudden surge of current. (like your computer starting up).

SO that's why I'd say #1 probability is a bad breaker. Assuming, of course, that your home doesn't have wonky wiring. I've seen a lot of older places where the home-owner has added onto the electrical system him/herself and there's a set of lights in an addition that are on the same circuit as the fridge plug, for example. My dad's house has the outside plug on the same circuit as the kitchen. My brother's trailer has kitchen lights on the same circuit as the plugs in the spare room, the lights in the addition on the same circut as the hallway, and the plugs in the addition on the same circuit as the bedroom. Of course, with a completely unlabeled panel box

If at some point you CAN have an electrician come and trace your circuits, it could find out if that's a problem, but it'd likely be expensive, so that's a last resort.

#2 bad wiring, #3 is probably bad receptacle or bad contact between the receptacle and plug, or loose wiring on the receptacle.

I'm not an electrician, either, so take my advice with some salt.

How much do new breakers go for though :/ and wouldn't an electrician need to install it or is changing the breaker simpler than I think?

$5-$10 for a standard 15-amp. Don't buy a larger breaker than what's originally in there, as the circuit will be wired to handle what the breaker is. No, strictly speaking, an electrician doesn't need to install it, but unless you know what you're doing, I'd REALLY suggest having him do it.

Also, What 95Viper just posted.

 

[95Viper]

Is there a GFCI on the circuit? As, I had one die and it would not trip any longer and it would trip the breaker (at the panel) when used.

If the house is a newer (2002+ depending on local requirements) build it could also have AFCI breaker and an arc (in a device or in the wiring/receptacles) could be tripping the AFCI breaker.

You might wanna, really, get an electrician (friend, co-worker, etc.) to take a look at the circuit for you. A look now could save you from disaster in the future.
Or, at least, invest in a kill-a-watt or something and check out, if, it is a device you are plugging in drawing that much current.
Circuit overloads, poor/inadequate wiring, faulty wiring, etc. are nothing to play with.

 

[silkstone]

How much do new breakers go for though :/ and wouldn't an electrician need to install it or is changing the breaker simpler than I think?

a UPS added to your comp may work.

 

[Darkleoco]

This house was built in around 2004~2005 or so, I think I will try just getting a new breaker and see if that fixes the problem and if not well.... I'm just going to hope it does.

 

[95Viper]

a UPS added to your comp may work.

How is adding an additional load to a circuit or device, that could be, in trouble going to help?

EDIT:

This house was built in around 2004~2005 or so, I think I will try just getting a new breaker and see if that fixes the problem and if not well.... I'm just going to hope it does.

Get the right one and type; and, if, you don't fully understand what you are doing, don't do it... get help.

Turn off the main, one hand rule, and have someone to observe(from a distance)... DOUBLE/Triple check your every step... you won't , usually, get a second chance with electricity.
Even, if you are sure it is dead... test it!

Sorry, I take electrical work or near proximity work very seriously.

 

[Wile E]

I would go new breaker first. It's easy to replace, and fairly cheap. Take the old one with you when you go to get the new one, and just show it to someone at Lowes/Home Depot/Ace/whatever. They'll point you in the right direction.

EDIT: Super easy: http://www.ehow.com/video_4992094_replace-circuit-breaker.html

 

[Arctucas]

Let me see if I understand the situation:

You must turn off everything except your monitor, including turning off the PSU switch on the PSU itself? And after turning on the PSU switch, you need to wait to turn the PC on?

 

[MilkyWay]

This might be a daft question but is a circuit breaker just a fuse box? I have just a big fuse box next to the electricity meter and gas meter.

As i was going to say replace the fuse in the circuit breaker that is really easy. WTF your systems are so needlessly complicated all i do is just turn off all the fuses and take out the one i want to replace and put the new one in no snapping wires back ect.

Mine is similar in design to this, just take it out and put the new fuse in.

 

[Darkleoco]

Let me see if I understand the situation:

You must turn off everything except your monitor, including turning off the PSU switch on the PSU itself? And after turning on the PSU switch, you need to wait to turn the PC on?

Pretty much thats the situation with it but once the PC is on I'm good to turn on anything else.

 

[Arctucas]

Pretty much thats the situation with it but once the PC is on I'm good to turn on anything else.

I would like you to try something; do you have any power tools, such as a drill or circular saw, or maybe even a blow dryer?