A circuit breaker is a switch that opens when the current on a circuit is more than the wire can safely carry, or when special breakers detect a ground fault or an arc. Tripping is the breaker working. The question is whether it is protecting you from too much load, which you can fix by moving things around, or from a fault in the wiring, which an electrician has to find. Fall is when many Ontario homes see it start: space heaters come out, and outdoor outlets get wet.
Why does my breaker keep tripping?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Safe to check yourself? | Who to call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips after a while when a heater, kettle or microwave runs with other things | Overloaded circuit | Yes: move loads to other circuits | Electrician if you need a new circuit |
| Trips instantly when reset, even with everything unplugged | Short circuit in wiring, a box or a device | No: leave it off | Electrician |
| Trips only when one appliance is plugged in, on any circuit | Faulty appliance or cord | Yes: stop using it | Appliance repair |
| Breaker with a TEST button trips in bathroom, kitchen or outdoors, often in wet weather | Ground fault (GFCI breaker) from moisture or a faulty device | Yes: unplug everything and dry outdoor covers | Electrician if it persists |
| Breaker with a TEST button trips on vacuums, treadmills or bedroom circuits | Arc fault (AFCI) from a damaged cord, loose connection, or a nuisance trip from some motors | Yes: try the appliance elsewhere | Electrician |
| Breaker feels hot, buzzes, smells or looks scorched | Loose connection or failing breaker | No: do not touch the panel | Electrician, urgently |
| Main breaker trips | Whole-house overload or a serious fault | No | Electrician |
How much can a 15-amp circuit handle?
Most household outlet circuits in Ontario are 15 amps at 120 volts. For a load that runs for a long time, such as a heater, the practical limit is about 80 percent, or 12 amps. A typical 1,500-watt space heater draws about 12.5 amps on its own (1,500 watts divided by 120 volts), which is already at the limit before anything else is plugged in. Add a lamp and a laptop on the same circuit, or run two heaters in rooms that share a circuit, and the breaker trips. Hair dryers, kettles, toaster ovens and portable air conditioners draw similar amounts.
This is also why a breaker that feeds a basement bedroom or a home office trips only in winter. The fix is to move the heater to a circuit with nothing else on it, or to have an electrician add a dedicated circuit. Never swap in a bigger breaker. The breaker is sized to protect the wire, and a 20-amp breaker on 15-amp wire lets that wire overheat inside the wall.
What can I safely check myself?
- Find which breaker tripped. It usually sits between ON and OFF, or shows an orange or red flag.
- Turn off or unplug everything on that circuit. If you do not know what is on it, unplug everything in the rooms that lost power.
- Reset the breaker by pushing it firmly to OFF first, then back to ON. Do this once.
- If it holds, plug devices back in one at a time, starting with the smallest. If it trips when one appliance goes in, that appliance or its load is the cause.
- For a breaker with a TEST button (GFCI or AFCI), note what was running and the weather. Wet outdoor outlets, a flooded window well and old extension cords are common triggers in fall.
Can a breaker go bad from tripping too often?
Yes. Breakers are mechanical, and one that has tripped many times, runs hot, or has a loose connection to the panel bus can start tripping below its rating or fail to trip when it should. The only way to know is for an electrician to test it and check the connections, including the torque on the terminal screws and signs of heat. It is also worth asking about older equipment: some panels and breaker brands from past decades have known problems, and a panel inspection will flag them.
Other causes an electrician will look for include rodents chewing wire insulation inside walls, which is more common in fall when mice move in, water in an exterior outlet or light fixture, and loose connections at outlets wired with push-in (backstab) terminals.
Who is allowed to fix it in Ontario?
In Ontario, electrical work done for pay must be done by an Electrical Contractor Registration Agency (ECRA) and Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) Licensed Electrical Contractor. The contractor files a notification of work with ESA for work that needs it, and you can ask for a Certificate of Acceptance when it is inspected. You can check a contractor's 7-digit licence number with ESA's contractor locator tool. Homeowners are allowed to do some electrical work in their own homes with an ESA notification, but the panel is the part of the system where mistakes are most dangerous, so leave it to a licensed contractor.
What does an electrician cost on Doyo for a tripping breaker?
On Doyo, a Panel Inspection is $246.40, the full price with Doyo's fee included. An ESA-licensed electrician inspects the panel and every breaker, gives you written findings you keep, and points out anything unsafe with a price to put it right. If the answer is a new outlet on existing wiring, Outlet Install is $224.20. Electricians on Doyo work under an ECRA/ESA Licensed Electrical Contractor licence that Doyo checks and keeps current.
Questions people ask
Sources
- ESA: Hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor · esasafe.com
- ESA: What you need to know about notifications (permits) · esasafe.com
- ESA: Licensed Electrical Contractor locator · licensing.esasafe.com