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If the fault was on the 20 amp branch circuit, the branch circuit breaker should have tripped, not the main breaker. Call a qualified electrician to check out your wiring.

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Q: What causes the main breaker to trip from a fault current from a twenty amp branch circuit?
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Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

What causes a electric current in a electric circuit?

Voltage causes current to flow in an electric circuit.


What safety devices that stop the flow of electric currents?

There are two types. A fuse is a piece of wire that is thinner than the circuit it is placed in series with. Any excessive current causes the fuse to melt and this cuts off the power. The fusing current is somewhat unpredictable. A circuit-breaker is a resettable device that can be set to interrupt the supply at a fixed amount of current.


Can circuit breakers help to prevent building fires?

Breakers limit the current on the conductor to a safe level, too many appliances plugged in. You trip a breaker, hopefully you then transfer load to another circuit. Breakers use two different methods to accomplish this, one uses a bimetallic strip and the current passes directly through, too high a current causes the strip to deflect. It acts on a mechanism much like the sear in a guns trigger, the deflection pulls the trigger causing a spring to open the contacts and turn off the circuit. Another type is thermal magnetic, current passing through the breaker causes a magnetic field to act on a coil tripping the breaker. When breakers are wired and work properly they prevent fires!Bending metal opens a switch


When wires are connected to the terminals of a battery. what causes electric current in the circuit?

The resistance of the load is what causes an electric current to flow in a circuit.


You are having to reset your electric water heater breaker daily?

Likely one of the two electric elements is going out which creates very high resistance in the circuit and therefore draws very high current (amps) and causes the breaker to trip.

Related questions

High voltage will trip a circuit breaker?

A higher voltage means that a higher current will flow in the same load. It is the current that causes the breaker to trip.


Circuit breakers are used for what?

Circuit breakers prevent excessive current from flowing in the circuit by "tripping" when the current exceeds the circuit breaker rating. This causes the current to be cut off, and is used to protect the wiring as well as the appliances.


Is An open in the main line of a parallel circuit causes all individual branch currents to be zero?

Yes, an open in main line of a parallel circuit will effect the entire circuit current and make the whole circuit current zero


What causes circuit breaker to trip even when it's properly rated?

A circuit breaker is dual function. The only time it will trip is if it senses a fault current that is rated higher than the breaker rating (short circuit). The other trip condition is if the circuit is overloaded and is drawing a current higher than the breaker rating. On breakers that protect motor feeders the breaker has to be rated 250% higher than the motors full load amperage. If the breaker has lots of use and is used for a switch being manually turned off and on will weaken the trip value of the breaker. If you have access to, or know an electrician, a clamp on amp meter on the conductor that the breaker feeds will tell you what is happening. Clamp the line and turn on the load to see exactly what the current is. If, like you say, the breaker is properly rated and the current is within the breaker limits then change out the breaker for a new one.


What causes a current in an electric circuit?

Voltage causes current to flow in an electric circuit.


What causes a electric current in a electric circuit?

Voltage causes current to flow in an electric circuit.


What safety devices that stop the flow of electric currents?

There are two types. A fuse is a piece of wire that is thinner than the circuit it is placed in series with. Any excessive current causes the fuse to melt and this cuts off the power. The fusing current is somewhat unpredictable. A circuit-breaker is a resettable device that can be set to interrupt the supply at a fixed amount of current.


How does a circuit breaker help protect against short circuits and circuit overloads?

Quite simply, so you don't put too much current on the wires than they can handle. They also provide protection from 'ground faults', which is when the 'hot' and neutral wires touch. This causes a spike of current (because the resistance drops to near zero) and the breaker senses that too, or it should when it functions properly.


Can circuit breakers help to prevent building fires?

Breakers limit the current on the conductor to a safe level, too many appliances plugged in. You trip a breaker, hopefully you then transfer load to another circuit. Breakers use two different methods to accomplish this, one uses a bimetallic strip and the current passes directly through, too high a current causes the strip to deflect. It acts on a mechanism much like the sear in a guns trigger, the deflection pulls the trigger causing a spring to open the contacts and turn off the circuit. Another type is thermal magnetic, current passing through the breaker causes a magnetic field to act on a coil tripping the breaker. When breakers are wired and work properly they prevent fires!Bending metal opens a switch


When the wires are connected to the terminals of the battery what causes electric current in a circuit?

The resistance of the load is what causes an electric current to flow in a circuit.


When wires are connected to the terminals of a battery. what causes electric current in the circuit?

The resistance of the load is what causes an electric current to flow in a circuit.


What causes an elecrtic current to flow in a circuit?

The movement of electron towards the high potential causes electric current to flow in a circuit.