Bathrooms in your home contain separate and shared circuit breakers to prevent excessive current from reaching the wall outlets. In addition, it also protects other electric appliances like ceiling lights and exhaust fans from malfunctioning.
Why Does My Bathroom Breaker Keep Tripping? The bathroom breaker keeps tripping because of incorrect breaker size, overheating of appliances, radio transmitter devices, rodent attack on wires, shared circuits, short circuits of wires, and dampness of electric appliances. Moreover, the issue also comes because of the overloaded circuit, exposure to metal parts, and damaged electric devices.
It annoys people when their electric appliances shut off suddenly while using the bathroom. They have to go back to turn on the circuit breaker switch. You can also face the problem because of loose and faulty breaker switches that turn off independently.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Incorrect size of breaker | Take help from an electrician |
| Overheating of appliances | Keep the hairdryers clean |
| Radio transmitter devices | Keep the radio transmitting devices away |
| Rodent attack on wires | Call rodent control professionals |
| Shared circuit | Avoid using two electric devices simultaneously |
| Short circuits in bathroom wires | Replace short-circuited wire with a new one |
| Overloaded circuits | Use low-voltage items |
| Metal exposure and dampness | Install wall outlets away from showers |
| Damaged electric appliances | Diagnose issues by checking other appliances |
Incorrect size of bathroom breaker
Circuit breaker tripping is common when these are not the correct size and cannot bear the high voltage current. These come to off position repeatedly when undersized and cannot handle much current.
High voltage currents cause frequent shutting off, and your electrical appliances also turn off with them. In addition, you can also face the problem with circuit breakers when these become old and their switches become loose.
Loose and faulty switches come to the off position on their own and irritate the people because of the frequent shutdown of lights and exhaust fans in their bathrooms.
It is better to call the residential electrician for a resetting procedure and inspection if you are unaware of the electric connections and safety procedures.
Overheating of appliances
Circuit breaker trips off after detecting the overheating in your appliances to protect them from breaking and burning.
Hairdryers, curling irons, and other items are vulnerable to overheating because of their high temperature. You can face the tripping issue while using these appliances because of their excessively hot temperature.
In addition, overheated appliances sometimes also draw extra currents, which can cause problems. Overheating in hair dryers occurs when dust and hair get stuck in their motor.
These require more current to run their motor and produce hot air. Overeating and high current drawing from the hairdryer cause the switch to shut off frequently.
It is better to turn off your curling irons for a few minutes and allow them to cool. Keep your hairdryers clean and frequently remove the dust, debris, and hair particles so they cannot affect the electric system.
Radio transmitter devices
Radio transmitting devices cause interference in bathroom circuit breaker function. These devices release low voltage current and radio signals, interrupting the regular current flow through wires.
It causes an imbalance in the flow of regular current, and the breaker switches of your bathroom keep tripping. You can face the problem if radio transmitting devices are present in a nearby location.
Wireless telephones, Bluetooth connections, cell phones, and other electric devices interrupt normal current flow.
It is better to check the nearby devices and install them at some distance so they cannot mimic the imbalanced current detected by the internal circuitry.
Rodents attack on wires
Rodents in the bathroom can come from the toilets by traveling through the sewer lines. These excellent swimmers can easily survive in water for many days without becoming unhealthy.
These can enter your bathrooms and affect the electric connections. These chew the exposed wires and eat them, which can lead to resistance in the flow of electric current.
In addition, some insects can also enter inside and chew the electric wires. Ants are the most common species that can easily break the cables with their large mandibles.
The broken wires cause incorrect flow of current and tripping of circuit breakers. Inspect the electric wirings if you are facing the issue.
Call rodent control professionals to get rid of rats from your homes. In addition, it is better to keep the toilet lid closed so rats cannot come outside from the sewer pipes.
Shared circuit
People do not install separate circuit breakers for their bathrooms and other rooms. You have a single main breaker in your home to control irregular current flow.
Moreover, I have two breakers of 200 Amp in my home to decrease the risk of inconvenience. You can face the tripping issue and constant shutting off of electric connections in your bathroom because of the shared circuit.
The issue comes when using heavy electric appliances in your kitchen and other room. The tripping problem occurs when you use two heavy devices simultaneously.
Avoid using the same electric devices simultaneously because these draw excessive current from the wires and cause a sudden shutdown of the electric system.
Short circuits in bathroom wires
Short circuits in wires are common, and old wiring connections are more vulnerable to this problem. Short circuits cause an interruption in the flow of current and frequent tripping of circuit breakers.
You can face the problem because of power surges from the high appliances and share circuits. Moreover, the insulation layer of old wires can get damaged and leads to exposed copper wires.
The issue comes because of a faulty and loose connection of electric wiring. Short circuits in the bathroom are standard because of the contact of metal parts and dampness. Locate the short-circuited wire and replace them with new ones to prevent tripping issues.
Overloaded circuits
The overloaded circuits and power surges also lead to breaker tripping and frequent power supply shutdown. The problem comes when more than the usual current flows from the wires and causes the switch to turn off.
Many people do not know the size of the breakers and add heavy appliances in their bathrooms which can lead to the problem.
You can face this when you plug in high-voltage curling irons and hair dryers. These draw excessive power, and the circuit trips off after detecting unusual changes.
Moreover, you can also face a problem when you install heavy electric heaters in your bathrooms. The issue occurs when you plug in two heavy pieces of equipment simultaneously that draw excessive current from wires.
You can prevent power surges and overloaded circuits by using low-voltage appliances. Avoid adding high current drawing equipment that can cause burning of wall outlets and electric problems.
Metal exposure and dampness
You can face the tripping of circuit breakers when exposed wire and electric connection comes in contact with metal parts. The internal circuitry detects unusual changes and shuts down the power supply to protect people from electric shocks.
You can face a problem when you touch some metal parts while adding a switch to your electric appliances in the wall socket.
The issue also comes when you are repairing, and your wrench or other metal tools accidentally come in contact with electric connections.
Dampness can also cause ground circuit faults and frequent tripping of bathroom breakers. Dampness is common in switches and electric connections because of high humidity.
The issue comes when water splashes during showering and enters inside the wall outlets. Switches come to the off position when you plug in electric devices in damp outlets.
Moreover, people add underground plumbing connections to maintain the appealing appearance of your home. Underground water lines are more vulnerable to leakages and deterioration of plastic and metal materials.
The water from the damaged lines seeps into the electric outlets, making them wet and increasing the chances of electric shocks. Inspect your home’s underground plumbing connections and water pipes when you face a problem.
Install the wall outlets away from showers, bathtubs, and highly damp areas or your bathroom to protect them from water exposure.
Damaged electric appliances
Damaged and faulty appliances used in your bathroom cause the bathroom circuit breakers to trip repeatedly. The issue occurs because of irregular current flow from these fault devices and protects people from electric shocks.
I face a sudden shutdown of the electric supply whenever I plug in my hairdryer in the wall socket. I inspect the hairdryer properly; the issue comes from their broken switches.
The electric connection shuts down frequently to protect electric shocks and firing. You can diagnose the problem by replacing the appliances.
Inspect your items entirely if you cannot face the problem after changing the electric appliance.
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