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It’s important to note that a circuit breaker cannot be reset
by simply turning it back on from the tripped position. If you tried to do this, you probably noticed that it would not stay
in the ON position, thereby causing you to seek out this website!
Circuit breakers
have an internal spring mechanism that must be reset after a trip condition. To do this, simply move the handle from the tripped
to the OFF position, then move it all the way over to the ON position. If it was just a momentary overload that caused the
breaker to trip, then it will probably stay in the ON position after being reset. However, if it trips a second time, it’s
advisable to leave it off until the source of the problem is identified. Contacting a licensed electrician to investigate
the problem is your best course of action in this scenario.
If you have an electrical panel with a tripped circuit breaker that
doesn’t move to the middle position as mentioned earlier, then you may need to do a little bit more detective work.
Sometimes the handle sticks even though the internal mechanism tripped. Simply wiggle the handles of your circuit breakers
very lightly and the tripped one will show itself. You can then try to reset it with the instructions above.
Lastly, a good habit to get into would be to turn all of your circuit
breakers OFF and ON at least once a year to make sure they are working normally and can be manually operated. Make sure any
sensitive electronic devices such as computers are turned off before you do this. If you find a circuit breaker that will
not turn back on, it should be replaced, as this breaker would most likely not have tripped in the event of an actual circuit
overload.
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