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A circuit breaker can go bad from being tripped too many times. Many people don't understand that the tripping of a circuit breaker indicates a problem that needs to be corrected. They usually just reset the circuit breaker, leading to a very common second (or third, or fourth) trip. Circuit breakers tripping are for the prevention of fire due to excessive heat in the circuit. They're not supposed to be tripped repeatedly. This can wear the breaker out. Believe it or not, I've also seen circuit breakers fail to re-energize after being turned off. I speculate this was actually caused by the breaker never having been cycled (it was a main breaker), and the time elapsed since it was installed. Electrical equipment doesn't last forever. It's the same as anything else.
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What is the margin of safety with selecting circuit breakers?
The NEC requires that if the intended rating of a circuit corresponds to a standard size breaker then that size breaker must be used. In most instances, "rating of a circuit" means the intended connected load plus 25%. If the intended rating of a circuit does not correspond to a standard size breaker, you can go up to the next standard size without any other adjustments. In most circumstances, besides what I've already stated, a 14 gauge copper wire cannot be connected to a breaker larger than 15 amps, 12 gauge copper to a 20 amp breaker, and 10 gauge copper to a 30 amp breaker.
Can a circuit breaker go bad just by turning it off and on?
A breaker is a mechanical device and certainly would wear some with manual on and off usage, but it should be minimal and should not cause a problem unless it were defective. There are many commercial applications where the breaker is used for daily on/off use for lighting and other functions. The breaker can fail by having a mechanical part malfunction or perhaps arcing between contacts that would corrode or fuse mechanical contacts.
What happens if there is a short circuit in a parallel circuit?
Incorrect answerThen only one of the lights go out.Correct answerActually ALL the lamps will go out if a short circuit occurs across any branch of a parallel circuit because, if the wiring has been done correctly, a circuit breaker will trip or a fuse will blow to cut off the supply of current to all the lights.The loss of a single lamp indicates a break, not a short circuit.
Is it safe to go from 12-3 wire to a 14-2 wire in the middle of a switch leg?
No. The wire size is dependent on the circuit protection. If the circuit uses a 20 amp breaker you need to run 12 AWG wire on all devices connected to that circuit.
What function does a circuit serve in your home?
it runs electricity to different rooms and regulates it. Has a max capacity and when reaches it it will trip or break. then you go to the Breaker and switch it back.
