Are your home’s appliances configured to operate correctly, or do you frequently trip a breaker when you try to run too many appliances at once? Tripping a circuit breaker often hints that your home could use one or more circuits.
Circuits are constructed from various parts, including wiring, breakers or fuses, and the associated appliances and light fixtures. The total load of the circuit is increased by the amount of electricity used by each circuit. When the circuit wiring’s rated load is exceeded, the circuit breaker trips and turns off the electricity to the entire circuit.
Two Types of Circuits For Appliances
- Dedicated circuits
These circuits include those that support a single high-power device, such as a dryer, refrigerator, or microwave. These can be used for minor bathroom and kitchen equipment as well.
- General Purpose Lighting Circuits
Most of the outlets in your home and multiple outlets like lighting are served by these. These circuits can be used if you require more power or wish to add an outlet.
What are Circuit Overload Warning Signs?
The load ratings of different circuits vary. That implies that people might experience overload at various times. The circuit tripping and cutting off all power is the most noticeable symptom of circuit overload.
Other indications include:
- Flickering lights
- Burning scents coming from outlets or switches
- Buzzing sounds
- Appliances not receiving enough power from outlets
Even after taking precautions to avoid circuit overloads, these issues should be reported to an electrician if they continue.
