Changing Circuit Breakers

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Who on here makes it a regular practice of changing the circuit breaker when also changing out a bad outlet?

For instance, a service call for a bad outlet. Would you change the breaker also?

Just interested to get everyone's thoughts...
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I am curious why you would think that changing the breaker should be a choice in this scenario. It has nothing to do with the issue you presented.
 

romex jockey

Senior Member
Location
Vermont
Occupation
electrician
Upselling

In my area ,the larger monopolies are bent on tutoring their troops to address whatever problem they may encounter with additional work

~RJ~
 

sameguy

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Master Elec./JW retired
Who on here makes it a regular practice of changing the circuit breaker when also changing out a bad outlet?

For instance, a service call for a bad outlet. Would you change the breaker also?

Just interested to get everyone's thoughts...

What?
We recommend a service change.
No, what correlation is there between the bad outlet and the breaker?
What quality of outlet do you use when replacing? Cheap junk or $5.00 one?
To me doing what your saying is a good way to destroy your business by word of mouth.
 

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
I think I have changed circuit breaker when changing bad receptacle at times,


If breaker has been reset many times, if breaker looks like it got hot, or if was long drive to service call and very quick to change receptacle and I want to justify cost
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
For instance, a service call for a bad outlet. Would you change the breaker also?

No, I wouldn’t think the breaker needed swapped out unless it needed to be.


Most of the time what's called a bad outlet is just a bad termination. Something like a back stab that's comes loose. In most cases the breaker doesn't even trip.

I don't think I have ever gotten a call back saying that now the breaker is tripping. I have never herd of it being required or even suggested.

Now if the problem did cause the breaker to trip and it was repeatedly reset then a new breaker wouldn't be a bad idea.
 

Tony S

Senior Member
I hate to say this but we have the same problem here in the UK. Electrician’s carrying out unnecessary work to bump up their final invoice. The householder hasn’t a clue about the problem but follows the electrician’s advice and pays up.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Why not drop a new engine in your truck when you have a tire replaced?

Or install a new water heater when you fix a seal on a faucet?

Or replace your modem when you put new ink cartridges in your printer?
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
Well technically, if you change receptacle you're supposed to add AFCI protection somehow. In reality, this doesn't happen every time, if ever. ;)
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
One would not need to add AFCI protection to a circuit that already had.AFCI protection.

No?

Think of what you wrote, technically...


Yes, that occurred to me just now. But, I'm thinking about what it's like in my world, where 99% of what I do is existing work. Not just any existing work, but really old existing work. To actually replace a device in a house with AFCI protection in place is exceedingly rare. In fact, I get excited when I get to work on a house built in the 90's. :lol:
 

jumper

Senior Member
Yes, that occurred to me just now. But, I'm thinking about what it's like in my world, where 99% of what I do is existing work. Not just any existing work, but really old existing work. To actually replace a device in a house with AFCI protection in place is exceedingly rare. In fact, I get excited when I get to work on a house built in the 90's. :lol:

Peter, I am code geek...

No?

I take stuff literally. PITA actually...:cool:
 
Most of the time what's called a bad outlet is just a bad termination. Something like a back stab that's comes loose. In most cases the breaker doesn't even trip.

I don't think I have ever gotten a call back saying that now the breaker is tripping. I have never herd of it being required or even suggested.

Now if the problem did cause the breaker to trip and it was repeatedly reset then a new breaker wouldn't be a bad idea.

That is a good point that I left out, assuming the breaker has been reset a bunch leading up to the service call.
 
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