Popping a breaker

[Steve Funk]

I have a breaker that controls the TV/entertainment circuit that keeps popping.  This has happened during the night when nothing is being used.  TV, soundbar, satellite, and other items are all off.  Get up in the morning and it has tripped.  Where should one start to isolate the problem.  Electrical is not my strong suit.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Steve,
I think  the ice maker and the dinette receptacle are also on that breaker. You can replace the breaker to see if the original is faulty or wait until it it starts blowing more regularly so you  can isolate the offending circuit.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

Steve is correct in that the icemaker and dinette outlets are first in the circuit that runs from the 30amp inverter box all the way up to the A/V devices.  There may be an included outlet to the right of the driver's ankle.  Is it the breaker or the GFCI that's tripping? Our '06 has GFCIs built into the inverter (30 amp Main) box breakers, otherwise you might find one on the icemaker outlet behind the fridge.  Discussions here have noted a difference in GFCI outlet quality, and some are too sensitive, providing nuisance trips.

Also, if you have an original equipment Belden powerstrip in the A/V overhead tucked back in the front cap rats nest, that device has been known to short, and overheat/melt, and cause fire risk and extensive smoke damage.  It's been advised to replace it with a metal cased powerstrip.

Unplug all but one device nightly and see if over time you can zero in on the faulty device or outlet.  Include bypassing the powerstrip altogether during the effort.

Joel

[Steve Funk]

Thanks, Joel and Steve for your help.

When I installed the residential fridge and plugged into the ice maker receptacle it was causing the 15 amp breaker that runs all the front cap circuits to trip so I wired the fridge to the spare 20 amp breaker by itself on the inverter panel. The original ice maker plug that is part of the offending breaker is now not used at all.  The breaker is popping not the GFIC.  There is a power strip up front that I added and have everything plugged into for the entertainment system. 

That offending circuit and the Bath outlets are the only 15 amp breakers on the panel.  Perhaps it is weakening over time or to many items on a 15 amp breaker.  Cell phone, computer chargers, GPS and weather display along with the TV, Satellite, Dish Receiver, Buffalo IR controller, Blue Ray, Ethernet port box, and sound bar.  None of those take much juice but maybe they all add up to overload.  Is there a way to calculate that usage with a Kill-a-Watt meter?

I will start my unplugging items from the circuit and see if I can isolate it that way.  However this is a new problem and everything has been working appropriately for the past couple years with the refer install.

Thanks again for your help.

Steve

[Joel Ashley]

Yeah, that's a lot of electronics on one circuit.  I'd find the amp rating for each (or watts divided by 110v.) and add them up to make sure you're under 15.  Normally you can find amps or watts on a device's label or in its manual's specs pages.   But it seems unlikely they're all on after bedtime, or that total standby current would be high enough.

You might some night after everything's been off for awhile, feel that powerstrip, each of the circuit's outlets, and devices to see if any one is unusually warm when it shouldn't be, indicating an internal fault.

Your sure there's no hidden moisture intrusion anywhere that might cause some device or outlet to short out on occasion, perhaps on cooler, higher humidity overnights?  Beyond that I reckon I'd change out the breaker and hope it was just worn.

Joel

[Steve Funk]

Thanks Joel, I think I am going to find a replacement breaker and go that route.  No moister here in the desert right now and the little bugger tripped again last night.  I doubt they have that breaker at Home Depot so I will have to resource it on the net.  Tonight I am going to unplug the power strip and see what happens. 

Really appreciate your input.  Nice to have so many knowledgeable people to help problem solve these rigs.

Thanks
Steve

[Samuel Sperbeck]

Hi Steve,
Those breakers in the picture are Square D and are available at Home Depot.
Good luck, Sam