15 amp circuit breaker tripping causes main circuit breaker to trip

[harvest420]

I have a 15 amp circuit breaker thats been tripping when it probably shouldnt be and when it trips it causes the apartments main 70 amp breaker in the basement to go as well. This is a bad circuit breaker right? I was thinking maybe it was because the AC plugged into it is screwing up or shorting out and pulling a lot more than 11 amps for short periods of time and mayeb blowing the entire house as well as the 15 amp breaker? When the 15 amp goes it trips really hard and louder than usual.

They are pretty easy to switch out right? Any precautions I should take other than having the main 70 amp breaker off when I do it?

Thanks a bunch

 

[amnooneoo]

Wow, 70 amp service? YIKES!! You need an amp meter to check your actual current @ the circuit panel, for that 15amp circuit.........

Yeah, turn off the 70, then install the new 15. But i suspect you will still have problems.

So, theres an AC plugged in, and your grow is on the same circuit? What are you running?

Check ALL connections on that circuit, make sure there no faults on any of the connections. Circuits acting like that, can be problems.

A momentary current draw like that could possibly kick a 70amp main, keep in mind, residential service "SHOULD BE" 200AMPS, per National Electric Code. If you rent, they have to fix it.

Good luck.

 

[sonar]

Whatever you do, DO NOT replace it with a bigger one. If they have a 15 amp breaker in there they most likely only have that circuit wired with 14 gauge wire, which isn't rated for anything higher than 15 amps. It must be a pretty old building. In new construction, a 100 amp service is the lowest recommended size for a residential structure. In good conscience, that's really the only advice I can give without seeing it.

A 15 amp circuit is pretty much useless except for lighting circuits. I would never use a 15 amp for receptacles it should really be a 20 amp. But again, in order to use a 20 amp breaker, you need 12 gauge wire for the circuit. If you think about it, 15 amps x 120 volts is 1800 watts, which isn't very much. And according to the National Electric Code, you are really only suppose to use 80% of the circuit rating, which in the case of a 15 amp circuit is only 1440 watts.

Things like refridgerators and air conditioners contain motors, which momentarily have a huge current draw when the motors kick on.

 

[reggaerican]

yea good luck with that.. ac / 15amp circiut all bad during start up

 

[amnooneoo]

Whatever you do, DO NOT replace it with a bigger one. If they have a 15 amp breaker in there they most likely only have that circuit wired with 14 gauge wire, which isn't rated for anything higher than 15 amps. It must be a pretty old building. In new construction, a 100 amp service is the lowest recommended size for a residential structure. In good conscience, that's really the only advice I can give without seeing it.

A 15 amp circuit is pretty much useless except for lighting circuits. I would never use a 15 amp for receptacles it should really be a 20 amp. But again, in order to use a 20 amp breaker, you need 12 gauge wire for the circuit. If you think about it, 15 amps x 120 volts is 1800 watts, which isn't very much. And according to the National Electric Code, you are really only suppose to use 80% of the circuit rating, which in the case of a 15 amp circuit is only 1440 watts.

Things like refridgerators and air conditioners contain motors, which momentarily have a huge current draw when the motors kick on.

Good call on not replacing with a bigger breaker. You don't know how many times i have seen that shit!!!! And, done by electricians AND homeowners alike!!

 

[sonar]

Good call on not replacing with a bigger breaker. You don't know how many times i have seen that shit!!!! And, done by electricians AND homeowners alike!!

That's crazy are you serious? Any electrician that does that should not be wiring houses. Many fires have been started and lives lost due to that. Especially back in the days when fuse boxes were more common and people would replace a blown fuse with a larger size. I've never actually witnessed this, but I heard back in the day if a fuse blew and they didn't have a replacement on hand they would use a penny!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Is it possible you may be pulling more than 70 amps? That could cause the 15 and 70 amp to trip simultaneously. 15-65 amps should only trip the 15 amp. It would take probably 65+ to trip the 70 amp.
I doubt breakers are built to trip at EXACTLY their rating. I'd give a little one way or the other.

 

[harvest420]

This is weird. I bought a brand new breaker, put it in assuming it woudl fix it and it turns out the whole circuit is still broken. I checked to make sure I was installing it correctly by putting it also in a circuit I know works and it worked fine. What the hell could have happaned to that circuit? Maybe in the wall the wire is shorted/damaged somehow? Im definitely not going to use that circuit anymore at all, its totally disconnected at the moment

I guess its possible im drawing more than 70 amps but I was under the impression its 2 pole 70 amp and service so i really potentially have access to 140 if I distribute it right? How do I know if I have more than 1 120v line coming in to my place?

 

[fabfun]

im not going to touch this one. electricity is no joke. Hide your grow and call a electrician or tell landloard if u have one.Dont take any chances with your life unless u have the skills

 

[whietiger88101]

i have seen this thing before turn off the breaker main to the house wait one min the go to the plug oulet were your having problems with unscrew the plate then the two screws north an south try to pull out the eletrical box were you plug in your wires . now try to look at the wires going into the box ? eazy fix