"My microwave keeps tripping the breaker!"
- Thread starter 480sparky
- Start date
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kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Is black conductor of the circuit on the other pole of the breaker or on the grounded conductor bus?:?Hmmmmm, I wonder why..........
This morning's service call:
What black conductor? What 'other pole'? It's a microwave circuit.
Yes. One solid strand.
drcampbell
Senior Member
- Location
- The Motor City, Michigan USA
- Occupation
- Registered Professional Engineer
Maybe the fact that the circuit breaker buss lug is incandescent is causing a thermal trip?
Oh, well, everything eventually leaks, cracks, corrodes, loosens or seizes.
Oh, well, everything eventually leaks, cracks, corrodes, loosens or seizes.
grich
Senior Member
- Location
- MP89.5, Mason City Subdivision
- Occupation
- Broadcast Engineer
That's a pretty looking Pushmatic breaker. Any chance you can sell them a panel swap? Christmas is just around the corner... 
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Not often we get to take pictures like that.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Orange-white... anyone have a metal temperature chart handy, or wanna guess how hot that is?
There was an inspection tag on the panel dated 2014. HO said it was for the kitchen remodel. My guess is it was a new breaker installed then.
I had the HO put a cup of water in the micro and turn it on.. Amp meter read 14.7-15.0 amps. That's when I noticed the glowing connection. I shut it off, removed it and inspected both the breaker and buss bar for heat damage (very minimal), and reinstalled it as the the glowing connection was caused be the original installer didn't seem to have even put a screwdriver to the buss screw. Tighten it down, and life is good.
I wish all service calls were this easy. Took more time to remove & reinstall the cover than to diagnose.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
And with those big gloves, safety face shield, etc, etc it is cumbersome.
mopowr steve
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Ohio
- Occupation
- Electrical contractor
I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times I've come across either loose or cross-threaded breaker to buss screws like that.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
OK, at first I didn't see any problem, and was wondering what we were to be looking for it looked like maybe camera flash reflection on that area.
Infrared image would have been obvious though
- Status