Four causes
- Overload — too many devices on one circuit. Trips after a few minutes under load.
- Short circuit — hot touches neutral or another hot. Trips instantly.
- Ground fault — hot touches ground or earth path. Trips a GFCI instantly.
- Arc fault — intermittent arcing. Trips an AFCI breaker intermittently.
Diagnosis
- Reset once. If it holds, watch for pattern.
- Trips immediately on reset, nothing plugged in → wiring short. Don't reset again. Call.
- Holds until you plug in a specific device → that device or its outlet.
- Trips randomly with nothing apparent → AFCI nuisance or loose termination somewhere on the circuit.
When to call
- Trips repeatedly within seconds of reset
- Burning smell, warm breaker, visible damage
- Trips paired with sparks, buzzing, or flicker
What we do on a service call
Open every device on the circuit, look for loose backstabs, verify breaker brand match to panel, swap a suspect breaker for a known-good one, and load-test.
Contact a licensed electrician in Maryland, Washington DC, or Northern Virginia at (202) 926-7065 or request a free estimate for a planned electrical project. Estimates for planned installations and upgrades are free. For troubleshooting requests, our team will explain any applicable charges before confirming an appointment.
