On this Week’s Podcast: Circuit Breaker Fixes
What do you do if your home’s circuit breaker keeps tripping? This is a big trial-and-error job unless you take our advice.
Picture this: You’re trying to watch the big game on TV when, suddenly, the lights and TV go off. Many homeowners won’t find that scenario too hard to imagine because it’s a frequent, if not daily, experience.
When a circuit breaker trips while you’re ironing clothes, using power tools or cooking dinner, it’s an inconvenience. And when it keeps happening, it can quickly become a headache and significantly affect your quality of life.
So, what exactly causes this, and what can you do about it?
First, let’s review the basics: Your electrical service panel is the metal box that’s mounted on a wall or outside your house. It contains one of two things: circuit breakers or fuses that control the wiring in your home.
Now, this panel may also include a main breaker or main fuse that’s the brain behind the operation and turns off all circuits controlled by the panel. If you don’t have something like that, then the main for the house may be located at the electrical meter or elsewhere in your home.
Circuit breakers and fuses come in handy for one ‘main’ reason, and that’s to limit the amount of electricity (which is expressed in amperes or “amps”) that’s allowed to flow through the wires of an electrical circuit. This prevents fires and electrical shocks.
Now that you know the basics, you can turn your attention toward that constantly tripping circuit breaker.
First, you need to understand that circuit breakers can go bad. So you may not be overloading your electrical system — you may just need to replace the breaker.
In this podcast, we share advice with a homeowner whose circuit breaker trips a lot, and he’s got a circuit that controls a light, three electrical outlets and two exterior outlets.
If you are uncomfortable dealing with any electrical work, you should consider calling in a professional. Most electrician work is fairly inexpensive, but if you need advice resetting tripped breakers or replacing burned-out fuses, we can help!
Also in this week’s podcast:
• A homeowner is putting together a workshop in his basement. We give him a few ideas on creating a dust collection system perfect for his future wood-working projects.
• Chelsea, Danny and Joe share recommendations for paint sprayers.
• We’re back from the massive International Builders’ Show and Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. Listen to learn about some great new products we saw in Las Vegas.
• Joe has a 3-in-1 Simple Solution for removing a stubborn screw.
DIY Project of the Week
How to Transform a Brick Fireplace With Limewash: Applying a limewash is a quick, easy way to update a fireplace. Here’s how to do it!
Question of the Week
Debbie from South Carolina writes, “I put a contract on a home over the weekend that was built in 1987 that needs a lot of updating. There are true hardwood floors in the foyer, living and dining rooms.
“Overall, they are in good condition so refinishing them isn’t at the top of my list. What can I apply to enhance their look? These won’t be high-traffic areas. Also, there is a pocket door that is sticking. What can I do to make it slide with less effort?”
