Circuit breaker trips and had to wait half day or several days.

[mxnerd]

I have a Murray two 15 amps single pole circuit breaker ilke this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Murray-1...e-Type-MH-T-Circuit-Breaker-MP1515U/202315526 that trips 4 time already this year. When it trips, there is no electricity on that whole electric wire route, of course. The weird thing is that when it trips, the breaker's rocker switch did not change it's position to off, it looks completely normal!

No matter how much time I switch on and off the switch, the electricity won't come back. Sometimes I have to wait half day, some times I have to wait 3 days, and the electricity will come back automatically!

I went to Lowes and Homedepot and one guy from electricity dept. told me it's not the problem of the breaker, it probably is one of the receptacles on that line is causing the problem.

Is that true? Should I check the receptacles?

 

[Greenman]

That's a pretty strange set of conditions. The breaker tripping without the arm moving would make me replace that first. It's a cheap and easy fix.

 

[C1]

When this happens, pull the breaker out of its socket & do a continuity test on it. In the open circuit breaker slot, check that the breaker supply terminal feed is hot.

You may have a case of loose terminal connector screw inside the circuit breaker box.

Hopefully it doesnt involve use of aluminum wire.

 

[Greenman]

When this happens, pull the breaker out of its socket & do a continuity test on it. In the open circuit breaker slot, check that the breaker supply terminal feed is hot.

You may have a case of loose terminal connector screw inside the circuit breaker box.

Hopefully it doesnt involve use of aluminum wire.

That's good advice. Check the neutrals as well.

 

[mxnerd]

OK. Need to locate my multi-meter first.

 

[mxnerd]

I swapped the 2 wire connections. The wiring route that had no electricity still does not have electricity. The one that's good remains good.

So like what the guy who worked at Lowes have said, it's not breaker's problem. I need to check receptacles.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Home circuit breakers that I am familiar with do NOT go all the way to the Off position when they trip. Tripped breakers will look like they are in the On position, but they will feel a bit loose if you wiggle them a bit, and you reset them by moving them to the Off position and then back to the On position.

Perhaps you have an intermittent short in one of the receptacle boxes. While it could be that an actual receptacle (or switch) is bad, it could also be caused by a loose connection or missing wire nut.

 

[mxnerd]

Perhaps you have an intermittent short in one of the receptacle boxes. While it could be that an actual receptacle (or switch) is bad, it could also be caused by a loose connection or missing wire nut.

That's what I thought. Have to find some time to check from the one that's closest to the breaker.

 

[pcgeek11]

Or you could have a loose neutral wire.

Check the voltage hot to neutral at each receptacle and also check the hot to ground at each receptacle. If you get voltage reading between hot and ground and no reading hot to neutral that tells you there is an open neutral wire at the receptacle or upstream of that receptacle.

 

[Pick2]

Is it a Ground Fault Interrupting ( GFI ) breaker ? They will trip with a little moisture.
Is there another breaker like it in the panel ? Swap it out and see if it is the breaker or the Circuit it's connected to.
It really does sound like a bad breaker , it should not act like that. Not the first time a salesman was wrong

 

[mxnerd]

It's not a GFI breaker and there is no GFI receptacles on that line.

It's the only one that's Murray brand in that panel. All of other breakers are GE.

I hope Lowes / Home Depot carry other brands other than Murray, but neither one carry two single pole 15A breaker that can fit the panel other than Murray.

I swapped the connections, so the issue is not at the breaker.

 

[mxnerd]

I did go ahead and purchase a Murray new circuit breaker and swapped out the old one last night, but it did not help.

It must be somewhere in the line that is broken.

 

[mxnerd]

I imagined that It could be the auto sense light switch that's located on the 2nd floor. It has been malfunctioned for a while (keeps turning light on and off if I put it in auto mode).

Will check later and replace it with a simple switch.

 

[mxnerd]

Looks like probably same problem with my backyard electricity issue just a while ago, somewhere along the line shorted and burnt creating an effective break. This house is getting old.

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/circuit-has-110v-120v-but-seems-no-current.2502052

One socket drops to ~ 90v, another drops to ~50v.

 

[pcgeek11]

You need to locate that as it is a fire in the making.

 

[mxnerd]

You need to locate that as it is a fire in the making.

I know.

I probably found where the problem is.

It's the push-in Quick-wire contacts on the back of Leviton 15 amp duplex outlet that come in / lead to other outlets / switchs / lights that are getting loose, the wires slide out easily. This outlet is the first one that's inside the house from the breaker box. Needed to crawl in the attic to find how it's wired.

I'll replace it with an industrial one as described here.

https://www.handymanhowto.com/electrical-outlets-side-wire-versus-back-wire/

Will also replace the auto sense switch like I said earlier.

 

[pcgeek11]

I know.

I probably found where the problem is.

It's the push-in Quick-wire contacts on the back of Leviton 15 amp duplex outlet that come in / lead to other outlets / switchs / lights that are getting loose, the wires slide out easily. This outlet is the first one that's inside the house from the breaker box. Needed to crawl in the attic to find how it's wired.

I'll replace it with an industrial one as described here.

https://www.handymanhowto.com/electrical-outlets-side-wire-versus-back-wire/

Will also replace the auto sense switch like I said earlier.

I hate those slide in wire units, they suck and are dangerous in my opinion. I always use the side screws.

 

[NutBucket]

Everyone agrees back stabbing sucks. I like the "pro" outlets where the wire slides in the back but you tighten the screw to clamp it in.

 

[mxnerd]

Damn it! Replaced the switch and still no go.

There are 3 neutral & 3 hot wires. Tested and found the pair that's 120v. Connect to the pro grade switch and it dropped to 14v. WTH?

 

[pcgeek11]

Damn it! Replaced the switch and still no go.

There are 3 neutral & 3 hot wires. Tested and found the pair that's 120v. Connect to the pro grade switch and it dropped to 14v. WTH?

Can you make a drawing as to how this switch is connected?