Entire panel of breakers tripping off.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sierrasparky

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
FionaZuppa said:
gooling around i found a case where water condensation was accumulating inside boxes due to poor insulating methods in a humid area where AC is used heavily. this was causing circuits to trip off.
Click to expand...

breakers in good working condition do not trip to the off position. Some DIY may think they are in the off but they should not.
If I am wrong then please some manufacture chime in.


We are just talking fantasy here.
 
D

domnic

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
TRIP

TRIP

The only way to make a breaker trip with no wire is HEAT,the breakers do not know how many amps it has on it only knows HEAT.
 
K8MHZ

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
mgookin said:
I'd like to give some attention to the breaker with no wire.

If you set up a test in a lab and wanted to make a breaker go from on to OFF with no wire connected, how would you go about it? Or could you go about it?


If you set up a test in a lab and wanted to make a breaker go from on to TRIP with no wire connected, how would you go about it? Or could you go about it?
Click to expand...

I agree.

When that is figured out I would like to know the answer. I suspect a batch of bad breakers. I doubt anything environmental would be the cause.

Not related, but an indication of how strange an electrical device can be and drive a troubleshooter crazy, I have a snap switch that turns on fine, but when it's turned off, the switch stays closed for about 15 seconds then opens. Even with no load, it would do it on my desk and verified with an ohm meter.

The easiest way to verify would be to do a complete breaker swap with a unit that is having no issues. A swap to new could still have the same problem. If the problem follows the breakers, there is your answer. If not, that is one thing you can rule out.
 
H

handy10

Senior Member
Location
western suburbs, chicago
Here are some items the OP has reported as facts:

1. Four identical panels were installed in an apartment unit.
2. All of the breakers trip simultaneously (or nearly so) in one panel.
3. The OP has observed this happening.
4. After tripping the breakers are in the off position.
5. Tripping only occurs when children are present.
6. Some breakers trip that are not even connected to a load.

Here are some of the things other members have reported:

1. No one has ever seen or heard of such an event.
2. The Siemens breakers do not trip to the off position.
3. There is no way an unconnected breaker can trip.

Question: Is this an April fool?
 
FionaZuppa

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
i think this is a wait-&-see. OP will resolve it and then we'll know. until then, next thread.
 
R

roncunniff35@gmail.com

New member
Location
Miami, FL
Out of balance

Out of balance

FionaZuppa said:
is the issue isolated to just this one panel, nobody else on the block connected to same utility transformer and phase having similar issue?

is it possible one AF tripped and somebody went out and mucked with too many breakers??

do any circuits use shared neutral?
Click to expand...
It does sound like periodic surges from the power Co., or possibly, all sub panels have heavy loads on one leg creating an imbalance.
 
mbrooke

mbrooke

Batteries Included
Location
United States
Occupation
Technician
mgookin said:
I'd like to give some attention to the breaker with no wire.

If you set up a test in a lab and wanted to make a breaker go from on to OFF with no wire connected, how would you go about it? Or could you go about it?


If you set up a test in a lab and wanted to make a breaker go from on to TRIP with no wire connected, how would you go about it? Or could you go about it?
Click to expand...


That you can do with a very strong magnetic field. It will cause the magnetic pole piece to move inside the breaker that normally activates on strong short circuit currents. FPE did it on their breakers to get them to trip in an effort to pass UL tests. However, I don't know how you would go about the first on a regular breaker like a Siemens. About the only way would be to apply pressure to the handle.



In my honest opinion I think someone is throwing them into the off position. I would be able to get the trip position perhaps, but the off position has to be someone playing with them.
 
mgookin

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
mbrooke said:
That you can do with a very strong magnetic field. It will cause the magnetic pole piece to move inside the breaker that normally activates on strong short circuit currents. FPE did it on their breakers to get them to trip in an effort to pass UL tests. However, I don't know how you would go about the first on a regular breaker like a Siemens. About the only way would be to apply pressure to the handle.



In my honest opinion I think someone is throwing them into the off position. I would be able to get the trip position perhaps, but the off position has to be someone playing with them.
Click to expand...


Is there such thing as a datalogging magnetometer?
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I think there is a serious problem with the relative motion of conductors and fluxes which is interfering with the modial interaction of magneto-reluctance and capacitive diractance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top