HELP! Electrical question (1 Viewer)

[Neil Joseph]

I have a 15A breaker that keep tripping at my house. I replaced the breaker with a new one but no fix. I disconnected and measured the circuit from the breaker and it measures 6 ohms across the circuit.

Is 6 ohms considered a short, enough to flip the breaker? If so, I need to disconnect everything one at a time until I find out what is shorting the circuit.

I need help soon and will check for responses once I get home again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BrianW]

Yeah, six ohms is definitely a short.

Keep in mind, however, that an inductive load (like a transformer) will measure as a short using DC, which is probably what your meter uses. This doesn't mean that they are faulty. Disconnect all transformers and motors from the circuit, and try measuring it again.

Good luck finding it.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Please note that motors are found in washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and the like.

 

[Bill Catherall]

I've heard that everytime you trip a breaker it weakens it. So now that 15A breaker may actually be a "10A breaker." So even after you find what's tripping it, you may have to replace the breaker anyway.
Anybody feel free to correct me if what I was told is wrong.

 

[Bill_Weinreich]

Hey Neil,
A neat little device called the kill-a-watt can help pinpoint troublesome loads( I think Rat shack carries them for about $50). Just plug it into suspected device and read exactly what it's drawing (Volts, Amps, Watts, etc.) Seen similar devices in use but costs are over $200.
Good luck,
Bill

 

[Neil Joseph]

Well, I found the problem. Squirrels got in the roof of the garage and chewed a wire feeding the garage internal light. They chewed of the insulation which shorted the wires together. I have had the house for 10 years and finally I put it up for sale this week. Today 2 sets of people came to look at it and I had no power to the front foyer, front door, garage, small bathroom etc.

What are the odds? &^%#G possessed house.

 

[Todd Hochard]

A neat little device called the kill-a-watt

The super techno-geek in me HAS to get one of those.
I didn't know such a device existed at the consumer level. Pro watt meters are $$$. I've always used an ammeter, and calculated.
Todd