- Q.In a residential remodel, we
replaced the electrical service panel. Within five
days, two of the 15-amp breakers tripped and could not
be reset. The breakers were determined to be
"defective" and had to be replaced. What could be
causing this problem?
A.Master electrician Sean
Kenney responds: It is certainly possible that
the breakers were defective. I have noticed that
quality control for electrical equipment has gone
down considerably in the past 20 years or so. I
would be especially suspicious if the breakers were
purchased at a home center or hardware store.
If the panel was replaced to try to solve a
problem with tripping circuit breakers or fuses, a
contributing factor may be problems with the house
wiring. If the house had an overloaded circuit, and
the homeowner deliberately installed oversized
fuses to keep them from burning out, then correctly
sized breakers in a new panel will be easier to
trip than the old oversized fuses.