Why Does My Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?

4 min read • Hattiesburg Property Guide

Circuit breakers trip as a built-in safety measure to prevent dangerous overheating and electrical fires in your home wiring.

Overloaded Circuits: Running heavy appliances like space heaters, microwave ovens, or hairdryers on a single 15A or 20A circuit pulls more current than the copper wire can safely handle.

Short Circuits: Occur when a hot wire contacts a neutral wire inside an outlet or fixture, creating a sudden surge of current that instantly trips the breaker.

Ground Faults: Take place when a live conductor touches a grounded metal junction box or moisture, presenting an immediate electrical shock hazard.

If resetting the breaker results in an immediate re-trip or humming noise, leave the switch OFF and request professional troubleshooting.

Electrical diagnostics and repairs should only be performed by qualified, insured electricians following Mississippi building codes.