What You Should Know About Faulty Circuit Breakers

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Circuit breakers are an important part of any home’s electrical system, safely distributing electricity around your home to power up all your devices, appliances, and fixtures.

But do you know the signs to look out for that could indicate a fault? In this blog post, we’re sharing some of the most common indicators that your breakers may be faulty, which can put the health and safety of your home and family at risk.

If you’re unsure about the state of your switchboard or need urgent assistance with a fault, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our emergency electricians in the Northern Beaches.

What are circuit breakers?

Before we get into the risks of a faulty breaker, let’s first get a better understanding of circuit breakers and the role they play in your home’s switchboard.

The term circuit breaker is often used interchangeably with the term fuse – if you have an older home you might remember ceramic fuses!

Breakers can be found on your switchboard – the ‘heart’ of your home’s electrical system.

The main role of a switchboard is to distribute electrical from the main supply (on the street) to devices, appliances, and fixtures throughout your home.

A typical Australian home will have around 5 to 7 circuit breakers in its switchboard. Larger appliances, like ovens, hot water systems, and air conditioning systems, will often have their own breaker.

Consider these circuits as smaller “packets” of electricity, each responsible for distributing a safe amount of power to various appliances and devices around the house, on demand.

Additionally, your switchboard contains a safety switch. Your safety switch is a critical safety device designed to monitor the flow of electricity through each of your switchboard’s circuit breakers.

A safety switch – also known as an RCD or Residual Current Device – can detect a fault and cease the flow of electricity in less than 0.03 seconds. It is a vital part of your home’s electrical safety system.

What are the signs of a bad circuit breaker?

Here are nine of the most common signs that your circuit breaker is in need of repairs or replacement.

If you notice any of the following signs, we invite you to get in touch with our electricians to book an electrical safety inspection. We’ll investigate the problem at hand and provide a safe and reliable solution.

1. Tripping or constantly switching off

Is your circuit breaker constantly tripping? Sounds like the breaker isn’t able to not able to handle the electrical load it’s meant to be protecting. Or, there is a problem with the breaker itself.

2. Warm to the touch

Circuit breakers can become warm or hot to the touch if they’re overloading, which could indicate a fault.

Overheating can lead to a tripping breaker, which interrupts your electrical supply.  Additionally, an overheating breaker can be a fire hazard if it’s not addressed promptly, and can also cause damage to your appliances.

3. Visible damage

One of the more obvious signs of a faulty circuit breaker is visible damage, like cracks or corrosion.

If you notice visible signs of damage, the circuit breaker is likely damaged and requires prompt replacement.

4. Electrical arcing

If a circuit breaker is producing sparks, it’s a sign that it’s not functioning properly and could pose a fire hazard.

Sparks can cause damage to the breaker and to the electrical wiring it’s supposed to protect.

5. Buzzing or humming sounds

A circuit breaker that makes buzzing or humming sounds could be a sign of an internal problem, such as a loose connection.

This can result in the breaker tripping or failing to properly protect the circuit.

6. Difficulty resetting

If you’re finding it hard to replace or can’t replace it at all, it sounds like your breaker is faulty and needs to be replaced.

This can be caused by a number of factors, including physical damage, internal issues, overloaded circuits, and short circuits.

7. Melted or discoloured exterior

If you’ve noticed a melted or discoloured, yellowish exterior, this is a clear sign that a breaker is overheating.

This usually indicates a short circuit. It can lead to failures that interrupt electrical supply and can also pose a fire hazard.

8. Trips immediately after resetting

If your breaker trips immediately after being reset, it’s a sign that there’s a problem with the circuit that the breaker is protecting.

This can be caused by a range of issues including overloads or short circuits. Your electrician can investigate and address this problem promptly.

9. Strange odours

A circuit breaker that emits strange odours, especially burning or smoke smells, must be replaced immediately.

Strange smells are often an indicator of overheating, which can pose a serious fire hazard to your home or property.

Our electrical fault finding service will rectify any issues and restore safety to your property once more.

What are the dangers of faulty circuit breakers?

As you probably noticed when reading through the above, most of the issues we’ve identified can be attributed to a range of electrical hazards in the home.

Devastatingly, almost 40% of all house fires in NSW are caused by electrical faults.

This is a massive statistic and can cause significant damage to your property and put you and your loved ones at risk.

Additionally, faulty circuits, particularly when overloaded, can send a surge of electrical power to the devices they are connected to, which in turn can cause damage.

Faulty circuit breakers may also have loose, frayed, or otherwise damaged wiring, which is another electrical risk in your home.

Unsure of the condition of your circuit breakers?

Plateau Electrical’s Level 2 electricians in the North Shore have extensive experience and knowledge of wiring installation, faults, switchboards, and circuit breakers.

Need an electrician urgently?

In addition to inspecting, replacing, and repairing switchboards and circuit breakers, Plateau Electrical also delivers a trusted 24/7 service for those unexpected switchboard emergencies.

Our responsive team is here when you need them most, whether you’re searching for a 24-hour electrician in Mosman, Lane Cove, or anywhere else across Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches.

Give Nick and the team a call on (02) 9982 8668 or lodge a job online.

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