How to Prevent HDB Circuit Breaker Trips

Circuit breaker tripping is a common occurrence in most residential establishments in Singapore. Whenever your circuit breaker trips, the electricity supply to the building will be instantly interrupted until the main switch is turned back on. However, one of the things that makes circuit breaker trips even more annoying is that they usually occur when you least expect. Sometimes, a circuit breaker trip is a minor inconvenience that can be easily resolved through turning a switch. But, if the circuit breaker on your building keeps tripping, it could be a sign of a major issue that should be properly diagnosed and fixed immediately.

Causes of Circuit Breaker Tripping

Before you proceed into finding out how to avoid frequent circuit breaker trips, it is essential that you also know why it happens. Knowing why your circuit breaker trip is important because it can help you with troubleshooting the component in case it starts to experience problems. Nevertheless, the following are the key reasons why circuit breaker trips happen.

Circuit overloads

This usually occurs whenever the circuit is forced to provide a higher amount of electricity than the recommended capacity. Overloading the circuits will impact overheating on the components of the circuit breakers, putting all the appliances connected to it at risk. You can turn off some devices to free up your circuit breaker. The issue can also be resolved by re-distributing the electrical devices to different circuits.

Ground fault power surges

Ground fault power surges happen whenever the hot wires touch the ground wires or exposed conductor like the metal casing linked to the ground wires. As a result, the circuit will be subjected to a higher electric current than it can sustain. The circuit breaker will then trip to ensure that the surge does not pass through to the power outlets and appliances. One of the signs of ground fault surges is discoloration around the power outlets.

Short circuits

This is another reason for frequent circuit breaker tripping that can be even more dangerous than circuit overloads and ground fault power surges. Short circuits occur whenever there is an accidental contact between the hot wires and neutral wires in the power outlets. Short circuits allow the flow of a larger amount of electric current through the circuit, resulting into excessive heat that exceeds the circuit’s limit. That is why the circuit breaker will trip whenever such incidences occur to avoid risks like electrical fires.

Guidelines for Preventing Circuit Breaker Trips

Although circuit breaker tripping happens for your protection, experiencing it frequently could trigger serious electrical issues over time. As such, it is important that you know how to prevent the frequent occurrences of it in your home. The following are useful tips on how to prevent circuit breaker trips that you should try.

Unplug idle electrical appliances

Even if electrical appliances are turned off, electric current can still flow through the wires, causing circuit overloads and power surges. Therefore, it is advisable to carefully unplug the electrical devices that are not being used from the power outlet.

Observe the capacity of your electrical circuits

There are stipulated limits for every electrical circuit when it comes to the amount of electric current that they can handle. To avoid frequent circuit breaker trips, make sure that the number of appliances connected to the circuit corresponds to the designated capacity. In case you want add or remove some appliances, the circuit can also be upgraded to suit those needs.

Have just a few power points around the home

While having many power points across the home contributes greater convenience in accessing electricity, it could also impact circuit overloads that will no doubt keep your circuit breaker tripping frequently. To prevent such incidences, it is advisable that you only create a few power points at strategic locations in the home.

Maintain electrical wiring in proper condition 

Wiring problems can also impact recurring circuit breaker trips in your HDB. Therefore, you should also make sure that the wires connected to the circuit breaker are not frayed, scorched or damaged in any other way.

Are you constantly experiencing circuit breaker trips in your HDB? Simply get in touch with Electrical Service Singapore for the ultimate circuit breaker solutions. We specialize in professional circuit breaker troubleshooting, repair, replacement and installation services for residential, commercial and industrial establishments in Singapore.