Circuit breaker issues

[SDE]

When it shuts off and needs to be reset, does that cause it to be weaker as time goes by? I have one circuit that seems to take less load to get it to trip. It is in the kitchen and if it isn't the circuit breaker getting weaker, then it must be that the microwave is getting a little bit more power hungry. I figured that a breaker is cheaper to replace and so I am going to start there. It seems that if I am using the air fryer or Fry Daddy at the same time as the microwave the breaker trips. Or maybe any two of these three appliances take more than a 15 amp breaker can handle.
TY
SDE

 

[Drew]

My deep fryer will trip a 15A by itself. When I was a kid, you couldn't run the toaster oven, microwave and TV at the same time (and I think those were all on a 20A)

 

[n9lhm]

Yes, the trip point of a circuit breaker commonly decreases the more they are tripped. In the broadcast world where we have to stay on the air reliably, we often put fuses across circuit breakers in transmitters that are tripping intermittently to determine if the breaker is bad, or if there is a real overload. Go ahead and change it, they're not expensive (or at least they didn't used to be )

Brian

 

[buickanddeere]

Have no idea why you would try to use the microwave and the fryer on the same circuit at the same time . Of course the 15amp breaker is going to have the guts blown out of it by applying a continuous load of 25amps.
Some microwaves need a 20 amp breaker as they will trip a 15 all by themselves .
Your home needs extra receptacles in the kitchen so every load is on it's own individual breaker .
Seven breakers supplying the kitchen here.

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

What else is on that circuit? A 15 amp circuit will take about 1800 watts of steady power.....max. Start ups take more. Either learn to only use one thing at a time, or ad circuits to your kitchen. All appliances should have a watt rating on them some place. Add up all that you want to run at a time and see if your circuit can handle it.

Replacing your 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker will probably lead to disaster.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Look at the tag on each appliance, it should have the wattage draw.

Make a list, convert each to amps (watts / 120). Add the amps of each appliance in use.

A breaker should only be loaded to 80% of it's rating, so a 15 amp (typical household) should only be loaded to 12 amps continuously. A recently tripped breaker will be over heated and will trip again if not allowed to cool down.

If it's tripping under 12 amps, there is a problem. Could be the breaker, could be a loose or corroded wire connection at the breaker, could be a weak connection where the breaker stabs onto the buss bar in the panel. Also a chance the appliance is drawing more amps than it's supposed to, but not real likely.

If you open the panel cover, turn off the breaker, look for evidence of discolored insulation on the wire. If it's been hot, best cut the wire back to get away from the heated area, go ahead and replace the breaker. Look where the breaker attaches to the buss bar. CAUTION! That is hot all the time unless you throw the main, if equipped. If there is evidence of a bad connection there, move the breaker to an unused location, or clean the connection to bare metal.

If there are no available empty slots, you can combine lesser used breakers to piggy-back breakers and move the kitchen to a new spot. Avoid piggy-backs for high amp draw locations. Piggy-backs only work on single circuit applications, not for 220v.

 

[John T]

Back when I practiced Power Distribution Engineering I saw breakers deteriorate from age orrrrrrrrr ones that had tripped way too many times. FYI most are THERMAL MAGNETIC meaning they trip out due to a sudden extreme high current surge (Magnetic) orrrrrrrrrrr a long lingering current near to (even less then) their rating (Thermal)...........

FYI per the NEC when I designed the Maximum Continuous Current (MCC) permitted was 80% of the branch circuits rating so that was 12 amps on a 15 amp circuit or 16 on a 20 amp. If the breaker draws over 80% for a long enough time it may trip out on the Thermal or if its near the max rating trip out suddenly.

FYI any single high power heating device like a fry daddy or microwave or air fryer (subject to watts) may well be ALL a 15 amp breaker allows and trying to run any two of them at the same time will trip even a perfectly good circuit breaker

FYI even if a 15 amp branch circuit will power up a heating device I recommend a 20 amp circuit (BOTH wiring and breaker 20 amp rated) if they are used often or at currents above or near the 80% rule limit.

DO NOT use a 20 amp breaker with wire rated at only 15 amps !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John T Long retired n rusty EE so no warranty but believe this to still be accurate

 

[Dusty MI]

I've been retired for 20 years so things could of changed, but it used to be, according to National Electrical Code/NEC, all kitchen counter tops had to have 2, 20 amp circuits, and the receptacles on those 2 circuits had to be 20 amp, and the receptacles had to be 20 amp rated.

Dusty

 

[Tony in SD]

I dont know if it is code or not but I thought that microwaves were supposed to be on its own circuit breaker. A ot of microwaves will use up a 15 amp breaker.

 

[Dusty MI]

I've been retired for 20 years so things could of changed, but it used to be, according to National Electrical Code/NEC, all kitchen counter tops had to have 2, 20 amp circuits, and the receptacles on those 2 circuits had to be 20 amp, and the receptacles had to be 20 amp rated.

Dusty

 

[Bob Bancroft]

The only place we have 15 amp breakers is dedicated lighting circuits. I'm not sure on the wire size. All other 120V circuits are 20 amp and #12 wire. There are multiple circuits feeding the kitchen.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

My country everything has to be 12g. 20a
Some places may let you use 14g. 15a
15a breakers come with load center packages.
Worthless for me.
How many do you want?

 

[guido]

SDE,

The microwave is an appliance, it should be on its own circuit. Isolate it, end of problem.

Guido.

 

[Stephen Newell]

They get weak with age and trip at a lower amperage than when they were new. They are usually cheap and easy to replace though.

 

[SDE]

The kitchen outlets are on two circuits. In the future I will run the Fry Daddy and the Air Fryer on the other circuit,away from the microwave. I will check in the fuse box to see if these two circuits are 12 or 14 gauge wires. If 14, I will keep the 15 amp breakers. If the outlets and the box have 12 gauge, I might upgrade to 20 amp. breakers.
TY for the info
SDE

 

[lugnuts2030]

Why not look at the tags on the appliances and see how many amps they draw?

 

[John T]

Thanks for the update. If you run ONLY ONE AT A TIME (fry daddy or air fryer) on a separate branch circuit that DOES NOT have the microwave, you may ??? get by. Of course, use no larger than a 15 Amp Breaker if the wire is 14 Gauge. Modern kitchen branch circuits are 20 amp rated with 12 Gauge Wire, 20 Amp rated receptacles, and 20 amp breakers. I always specified 20 amp receptacles on 20 amp branch circuits. You may or may not be grandfathered in regarding your current set up but if you need to upgrade to 20 amp branch circuits in the kitchen and an individual microwave circuit you would be wise. If any breakers are showing signs of premature or low current tripping (they can deteriorate over time and/or excess trips), they should be replaced, cheap and easy peasey.

You got this

Happy New Year

John T

 

[Bret4207]

If I read some of the recommendations correctly here and followed the advice given, I'd have to gut and rewire my entire house. Probably the RIGHT way to do things, but totally impractical.

 

[TomA in CA]

I come from the days of plug and cartridge fuses. What I wonder if a circuit breaker ever gets to where it won't trip under load. Do they have a backup fuse just in case? I had a 200 amp main that would not shut off, not good.

 

[Russ from MN]

If the screw holding the wire into the breaker is loose at all that will create heat, and that will cause the breaker to trip prematurely.

 

[dr sportster]

Swap out the wire to the next breaker and see if it trips before spending.

 

[Janicholson]

I can say I have never seen a breaker fail to trip. They can be broken and not reset, they (As you point out) can not shut off (but still protect) especially if used as a switch for the circuit, BAD policy. Most often they have a bad connection at the wire and heat then trip. Nect they fail by tripping at less than rated load. Jim

 

[guido]

SDE,

If you put the microwave on its own circuit, it might be ALL you need to do.

Just last month, my grandson was having the same issue. Electrician wired the microwave on its own circuit, it ended his problem,

Guido.

 

[CKain(MI)]

YES to that, I believe a breaker gets weaker with many pops in it's life. Just replace it.

 

[huntingreen2day2]

Microwave should be on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. If you are tripping the breaker with 2 things running look at their nameplates and see how many each one draws. Add it up. 15 amps is only 1800 watts.

 

[buickanddeere]

Need more receptacles in the kitchen, on their own individual breakers.

 

[buickanddeere]

(quoted from post at 16:03:34 12/29/21)
Have no idea why you would try to use the microwave and the fryer on the same circuit at the same time . Of course the 15amp breaker is going to have the guts blown out of it by applying a continuous load of 25amps.
Some microwaves need a 20 amp breaker as they will trip a 15 all by themselves .
Your home needs extra receptacles in the kitchen so every load is on it's own individual breaker .
Seven breakers supplying the kitchen here.

Actually , 9 breakers that supply the kitchen, missed a couple . Microwave and kitchen light on a 20A. Fridge and dishwasher on a 20A . Under the counter water heater on a 15A . Three split receptacles which use six 15A breakers .