Is it possible for something to damage a circuit?

[Twista]

Yesterday we had some things fixed in the house. They used power tools on a circuit that usually blows when there is to much stuff on. Ever since than the power has been going off and we have to flip the breaker in order to restore power.


So the question is: Is it possible for something to damage a circuit?

WTF

edit: there 2 bedrooms/ hallway and part of the basement on this 15amp circuit.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

A sledgehammer could probably damage a circuit. Also, a nuke.

 

[theflyingpig]

Something can do anything it wants. Anything.

 

[Jeff7]

Circuit breakers can go bad over time. I seem to recall hearing that residential breakers are only good for around 50 trips, but that could be way off.

 

[Twista]

Layout:

My room= Computer, CRT monitor, Cable Modem, Wireless Router, alarm clock, TV, vcr.
Other Room= Air Mattress, Tv, Cable Box
Basement= Server
Living Room= 32 inch TV, cable box, alarm clock

Thats pretty much it. On a 15amp circuit. :/ (not everything is on all the time)

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Twista
They used power tools on a circuit that usually blows when there is to much stuff on.

What kind of power tools on what exactly? What were you having fixed in the first place?

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: Twista
They used power tools on a circuit that usually blows when there is to much stuff on.

What kind of power tools on what exactly? What were you having fixed in the first place?

Something to cut a piece of wood. The lights did dim, but the power didn't go out. It actually went out 2 hours after they stopped using the power tools.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Twista
Layout:

My room= Computer, CRT monitor, Cable Modem, Wireless Router, alarm clock, TV, vcr.
Other Room= Air Mattress, Tv, Cable Box
Basement= Server
Living Room= 32 inch TV, cable box, alarm clock

Thats pretty much it. On a 15amp circuit. :/

That load can trip the breaker?

Computers should each use less than 200W.
Computer: 200W
CRT Monitor: 100W
Cable modem and such: <100W total
TVs: 100W each, approx. CRTs will draw a lot more on startup though while they pulse the degaussing coil.

So the cable modem, cable box, alarm clocks, VCR - those are fairly low power devices.

But the TVs and computers start to get into the 100W+ range, and I don't know what the air mattress uses, though I doubt that all of those appliances are in use at the same time. What about lighting, is that also on the circuit?


If you want to spend something, there are clamp-around ammeters available; you could find some of the exposed wiring near the breaker box, assuming there is any, and see how much current that circuit is really drawing.

Originally posted by: Twista
Something to cut a piece of wood. The lights did dim, but the power didn't go out. It actually went out 2 hours after they stopped using the power tools.

Were multiple power tools being used at the same time? My circular saw is itself rated 13A.

 

[biggestmuff]

Yes. Something can damage a circuit.

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Twista
Layout:

My room= Computer, CRT monitor, Cable Modem, Wireless Router, alarm clock, TV, vcr.
Other Room= Air Mattress, Tv, Cable Box
Basement= Server
Living Room= 32 inch TV, cable box, alarm clock

Thats pretty much it. On a 15amp circuit. :/

That load can trip the breaker?

Computers should each use less than 200W.
Computer: 200W
CRT Monitor: 100W
Cable modem and such: <100W total
TVs: 100W each, approx. CRTs will draw a lot more on startup though while they pulse the degaussing coil.

So the cable modem, cable box, alarm clocks, VCR - those are fairly low power devices.

But the TVs and computers start to get into the 100W+ range, and I don't know what the air mattress uses, though I doubt that all of those appliances are in use at the same time. What about lighting, is that also on the circuit?


If you want to spend something, there are clamp-around ammeters available; you could find some of the exposed wiring near the breaker box, assuming there is any, and see how much current that circuit is really drawing.

Originally posted by: Twista
Something to cut a piece of wood. The lights did dim, but the power didn't go out. It actually went out 2 hours after they stopped using the power tools.

Were multiple power tools being used at the same time? My circular saw is itself rated 13A.

Nope, just that one tool. Yes, when the power goes.. the lights goes out in all 3 locations listed . Matter of fact. The whole left side of the house goes out (lights and power) up stairs. Crappy setup. Even a single air conditioner or heater blows the circuit.

 

[NoShangriLa]

It could be that the breaker is failing. And, have the electrician install a 100% rated breaker in stead of Home Depot 80% special, because it is possible that you are regularly pulling 13~14 amps with that many devices.

[add] Indicated in your last post the lights are on the same brach as the above entertainmen devices.....it is no wonder why you are keep on tripping the breaker.

Move the server to another brach, and run a new branch from the breaker panel to the entertainment center/TV if possible.

It could also be that your house is on 100 amp service therefore there isn't enough power to supply all of your toys.

 

[Twista]

Electrician coming tomorrow. The guy who originally did the house. Funny thing is. Soon as we turned on the 32 inch tv.. the power went out. So, either the breaker is bad like said above. ...... welps the power just went out again.

We been going months with stuff hooked up the exact way and haven't had this problem.

 

[krotchy]

When my roomate moved out suddenly the breaker in the bedrooms was tripping. Turns out the ground wire (which was bare cooper) was right up near one of the screw terminals for the line and it would intermittently short. Not sure how his unplugging stuff caused it, but while the power is out it doesnt hurt to unscrew all your outlets and check.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa
It could be that the breaker is failing. And, have the electrician install a 100% rated breaker in stead of Home Depot 80% special, because it is possible that you are regularly pulling 13~14 amps with that many devices.

I'm no electrician, but I don't think you should be exceeding more than 80% of a circuit's nominal load capacity anyway.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Circuit breakers can go bad over time. I seem to recall hearing that residential breakers are only good for around 50 trips, but that could be way off.

Get Federal Pacific - they last forever because they never trip!

 

[skyking]

most of the time it is a bad connection along the way. The power saw just heated it up enough to get it to fail all the time now.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Rubycon

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Circuit breakers can go bad over time. I seem to recall hearing that residential breakers are only good for around 50 trips, but that could be way off.

Get Federal Pacific - they last forever because they never trip!

Hang on, I think I've got a penny around here somewhere. I hear they work great, too.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa
It could be that the breaker is failing. And, have the electrician install a 100% rated breaker in stead of Home Depot 80% special, because it is possible that you are regularly pulling 13~14 amps with that many devices.

I'm no electrician, but I don't think you should be exceeding more than 80% of a circuit's nominal load capacity anyway.

Depends on the Wiring, but most home should be wired with 12 awg wiring that is capable of carrying higher amperage than 14 gauge (check panel & the wiring jacket). Electrical code derate of wiring is also subject to wiring as well as breaker, therefore a 100% fuse/breaker allow 80% load on the wiring (15amp at 15amp rated), instead of 80% breaker/fuse that criple your max power drawn (12amp at 15amp rated).

Another way to deal with it is drop a 20amp breaker inplace if the wire is 12 awg. Electrical code do not allow 20amp breaker on 14 awg wire.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Twista
Layout:

My room= Computer, CRT monitor, Cable Modem, Wireless Router, alarm clock, TV, vcr.
Other Room= Air Mattress, Tv, Cable Box
Basement= Server
Living Room= 32 inch TV, cable box, alarm clock

Thats pretty much it. On a 15amp circuit. :/

That load can trip the breaker?

Computers should each use less than 200W.
Computer: 200W
CRT Monitor: 100W
Cable modem and such: <100W total
TVs: 100W each, approx. CRTs will draw a lot more on startup though while they pulse the degaussing coil.

So the cable modem, cable box, alarm clocks, VCR - those are fairly low power devices.

But the TVs and computers start to get into the 100W+ range, and I don't know what the air mattress uses, though I doubt that all of those appliances are in use at the same time. What about lighting, is that also on the circuit?


If you want to spend something, there are clamp-around ammeters available; you could find some of the exposed wiring near the breaker box, assuming there is any, and see how much current that circuit is really drawing.

Originally posted by: Twista
Something to cut a piece of wood. The lights did dim, but the power didn't go out. It actually went out 2 hours after they stopped using the power tools.

Were multiple power tools being used at the same time? My circular saw is itself rated 13A.

Wow since when do CRTs only use 100w? I thought those used a crap load of power compared to LCDs. My 19" acer LCDs are rated at 180w (1.5amp, so 1.5*120 = 180w correct?).

As for the power cutting out problem almost sounds like something is loose somewhere.

 

[Twista]

The guy came and hes going to re-do pretty much the whole house. Each room will get it own line. Its only a 2 bed room house, but they have EVERY MAIN part on the same line which is not smart. This way a single heater or A/C wont blow the circuit.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Twista
Electrician coming tomorrow. The guy who originally did the house. Funny thing is. Soon as we turned on the 32 inch tv.. the power went out. So, either the breaker is bad like said above. ...... welps the power just went out again.

We been going months with stuff hooked up the exact way and haven't had this problem.

Originally posted by: Twista
The guy came and hes going to re-do pretty much the whole house. Each room will get it own line. Its only a 2 bed room house, but they have EVERY MAIN part on the same line which is not smart. This way a single heater or A/C wont blow the circuit.

smart electrician, getting paid twice to do the same job... even tho he did it wrong the first time youre going to pay him to fix it?

 

[Rubycon]

Large CRT's have a huge inrush current due to the gigantic degauss coil surrounding the tube. It can peak at several times the CB rating and if the circuit is heavily loaded and the CB is warm this sudden inrush can cause it to trip off.

 

[Locut0s]

Were they using 240 volt tools? Shouldn't even be able to plug those into a normal socket, the pin layout is all different. But if they managed to then I can imagine that f*kusing things up.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Hang on, I think I've got a penny around here somewhere. I hear they work great, too.

If you have no penny, a ha-penny will do! If you have no ha-penny then dark strikes you!

 

[alkemyst]

the science is scientifically lacking in the lack of science thread.