How to Troubleshoot an Electrical Breaker Box

The electrical breaker box in your home protects your home's electrical system from accidental overload. When a switch in the breaker box flips to the "Off" position, this can indicate a problem with a particular appliance or a problem with too many items plugged in. By troubleshooting the breaker box, you can narrow down the problem.

1. Locate the breaker box and determine which breaker switch is turned off. You may need a flashlight in order to see the box depending on the location of your breaker box and which switches need resetting.


2. Go to the room or area in your home indicated by the breaker box and unplug everything that requires electricity.


3. Return to the breaker box and turn the breaker switch back to the "On" position.


4. Plug in one of the items you unplugged in step two. Wait 1 to 2 minutes to see if the breaker switch trips back to the "Off" position. If the switch remains on, plug in another item.


5. Continue plugging in items until the breaker switch trips back to the "Off" position. Once a particular appliance trips the breaker switch, unplug everything again and only plug in that one appliance after resetting the switch. If the switch remains on, you need to pare down the number of electrical items in that room in order to avoid overloading the breaker switch. If the switch still trips to the "Off" position with only that item plugged in, you may have a problem with that particular appliance and you should schedule a repair.