piggy back 15 amp breaker

[enireh]

I have a 15 amp piggy back breaker that trips now and then but not right away so we changed it out with a new one and sometimes it'll stay on an hour, all day, two hours, etc. and then trip it has 2.49 amps drawing on it (load)

 

[Little Bill]

I have a 15 amp piggy back breaker that trips now and then but not right away so we changed it out with a new one and sometimes it'll stay on an hour, all day, two hours, etc. and then trip it has 2.49 amps drawing on it (load)

Could the load be pulling more at times?

What is the load?

Could the other breaker in the assembly be getting hot and causing it to trip on thermal?

Look at the bus stabs and make sure they are not damaged.
Also make sure the breaker is for the panel it's installed in.

 

[enireh]

piggy back 15 amp breaker

Could the load be pulling more at times?

What is the load?

Could the other breaker in the assembly be getting hot and causing it to trip on thermal?

Look at the bus stabs and make sure they are not damaged.
Also make sure the breaker is for the panel it's installed in.

2.49 amps that is all that is being used, power to a bedroom, bathroom, hallway light, and a receiver for satellite tv. bedroom and bath are not used but are hot

 

[kwired]

Might want to check to make sure there is no intermittent ground fault happening - megger might be your friend with this task.

Those sort of things usually clear themselves up or make themselves worse, you just don't always know how long it might take though.

 

[bei]

Might want to check to make sure there is no intermittent ground fault happening - megger might be your friend with this task.

It could also be an intermittent Hot-Neutral fault. Try smacking every outlet or junction on the circuit while helper watches an incandescent light bulb wired in series with the circuit at the breaker. Bulb should glow dim while the 2.49 watt load draws, but get brighter if your vibrations cause the fault to engage. Bulb could be substituted with a quick responding ampmeter.

If you are concerned that the problem is a tandem breaker, swap the circuit with one that is on a standard breaker and see if the standard breaker trips.

 

[kwired]

It could also be an intermittent Hot-Neutral fault. Try smacking every outlet or junction on the circuit while helper watches an incandescent light bulb wired in series with the circuit at the breaker. Bulb should glow dim while the 2.49 watt load draws, but get brighter if your vibrations cause the fault to engage. Bulb could be substituted with a quick responding ampmeter.

If you are concerned that the problem is a tandem breaker, swap the circuit with one that is on a standard breaker and see if the standard breaker trips.

The bulb trick was easier to do back when there were many edison base fuses out there, just screw the lamp in the fuse holder instead of a fuse.