A breaker that trips is doing its job; a breaker that keeps tripping is delivering a message. The message is one of three things — overload, short circuit, or ground fault — and you can tell which without opening anything. Two of them have DIY answers. One means make a call.
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Scan It FreeTrips when the microwave + toaster run together = overload. Trips instantly the moment you reset, with nothing running = short circuit. Trips only when one specific device plugs in = that device. GFCI/AFCI breaker with a test button tripping = ground/arc fault.
Trip the breaker on purpose and note every outlet, light, and appliance that dies. People are always surprised — the garage freezer, hallway, and half the kitchen on one 15A circuit explains everything.
Amps = watts ÷ 120. A 1,500W space heater is 12.5A — basically an entire 15A circuit alone. Two heat-producing appliances on one circuit is the classic trip. Fix: redistribute to outlets on other circuits, or a new dedicated circuit (that one's a pro job, but now you know it's a legit need, not an upsell).
Everything on the circuit unplugged, lights off. Reset. Holds? Plug items back one at a time until it trips — that item (or its cord) is your short. Trips with everything unplugged = short in the wiring/an outlet or fixture: pro time, and you just saved them an hour of hunting (billed to you) by mapping it.
Arc-fault breakers can nuisance-trip on some motors/vacuums, but never assume. If it trips on one device repeatedly, that device has an arcing cord or motor. If it trips randomly at night, take it seriously — scan your panel and symptoms with SpotFix AI for a triage before deciding.
A 20A breaker on 14-gauge wiring turns the wire into the fuse — inside your walls. The breaker matches the wire, not your appetite for toast. If you need more capacity, the answer is more circuits.
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