Does your furnace constantly trip the circuit breaker? A circuit breaker is an essential electrical safety component in homes and buildings. If there’s an excessive amount of current flowing to a given circuit, it will automatically block or interrupt the current for that circuit. Rather than simply resetting the circuit breaker, though, you need to find out why your furnace is tripping it.

Short Circuit

A short circuit may cause your furnace to trip the circuit breaker. This electrical phenomenon occurs when electricity takes an unintended path. Instead of following the path of a wire, for instance, electricity may breach out of the wire and onto a conductive surface.

Alternatively, if a hot wire comes into contact with a ground wire, it may cause a different type of short circuit that trips the circuit breaker. Furnaces have hot wires and ground wires. When these two wires touch each other, it can cause a short known as a ground fault.

Overloaded Circuit

You should check the circuit on which your furnace is installed to ensure that it’s not overloaded. An overloaded circuit is one of the most common reasons furnaces trip circuit breakers. Furnaces should typically have their own circuit. If other appliances or electrical systems are connected to the same circuit, it may become overloaded with an excessive amount of current.

The circuit breaker will inevitably trip when overloaded to protect your furnace, as well as the other connected appliances, from damage. To solve this problem, you must move your furnace to a dedicated circuit.

Restricted Airflow

Restricted airflow can cause electrical problems with your furnace, including a tripped circuit breaker. If there’s an insufficient amount of air flowing through the ductwork, your furnace’s blower will have to work harder. The blower is responsible for moving air through the ductwork. With restricted airflow, it will consume more power in an effort to circulate air through the ductwork.

Depending on how much additional strain is placed on the blower, it may cause the circuit breaker to trip. The blower may draw an excessive amount of current, which causes the circuit breaker to trip. If you believe restricted airflow is to blame, check the air filter. Replacing a dirty air filter with a clean and new air filter will allow air to flow more easily. Blocked or obstructed vents can contribute to restricted airflow as well. Make sure all of the vents inside of your home are open and not blocked or otherwise obstructed.