Why does my electric space heater keep tripping my circuit breaker?

+1 vote
asked Nov 12, 2018 in Maintenance/Repairs by Degagomia (240 points)
Why does my electric space heater keep tripping my circuit breaker?

Whenever I run my electric space heater for around 20 minutes the electric spacer is tripping the circuit breaker after 20 minutes of running and then I have go reset the circuit breaker every time?

2 Answers

0 votes
answered Nov 12, 2018 by Shelde (49,390 points)
Electric space heaters use 1500 watts of electricity per hour and can max out the circuit alone especially if your electrical circuit is only 15 amps.

Make sure nothing else is on that same circuit that is drawing electricity and then try the space heater again.

If it doesn't trip the breaker then it means that the circuit was just overloaded and the breaker did it's job correctly saving you from overheating your electrical wiring.

When a lot of devices are connected to the same electrical circuit and are all running simultaneously, it can exceed the capacity of the electrical wiring causing the electrical circuit to trip.

If it's still tripping the circuit breaker then the electric space heater could have a short in it and should not be used.

Electric space heaters should really be on their own dedicated electrical circuit due to the high amperage draw and for safety as well.

Another thing is make sure the plug is fitting tight into the electrical socket because a loose plug can cause an overload as well causing the breaker to trip when the space heater is on.
0 votes
answered Nov 12, 2018 by Christeen (70,120 points)
If the electric space heater is new or in good condition and the plug is fitting firmly in the socket then you could just be overloading the circuit.

Try the electric space heater on a different circuit without anything else on it and see if it trips that breaker.

If it doesn't trip the breaker then the space heater is okay and it could be just an overload on the other circuit or a loose connection either at the plug or in the circuit breaker box.

A properly working circuit that is not overloaded and a properly working safe electric space heater shouldn't trip the breaker.

A breaker tripping means that something is wrong and needs to be fixed before a fire starts.

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