Electricians - circuit breaker question

We use ours as a guest house also. That way they can have their own place.

 

Bumping up an old thread which is somewhat unrelated, but was what turned up when I searched for "circuit breaker". Long story short, I overloaded a circuit (didn't realize the circuit my garage fridge is on was also the outside receptacle that I plugged a 2HP pump into). However, once I realized this and unplugged everything, the circuit won't reset (I flip to on, there's a hum for a split second, and then lands in the middle).

So, questions are:

1) Might this be a GFCI that needs to be flipped or reset somewhere in/on the branch? The receptacle was outside and it doesn't have a built in GFCI, but wondering if that could be an issue. If it might be a GFCI, where should I be looking to find it?
2) The breaker is 35 years old, so could this overload have just fried the SOB and it's as simple as replacing the breaker? (I say simple but have never done it, but you get the gist)

If unknown whether 1 or 2, is it worth it just to replace the breaker and see what happens?

 

If the breaker is "humming" before returning to the trip position, the breaker is doing what it's supposed to be doing. Protecting the wiring.

Buuuuuuuutttttttt...there's a fault that's causing the overcurrent. It's not impossible, but I have never had a GFCI receptacle cause an overcurrent condition.

If you've unplugged everything from the circuit and the breaker still won't hold, replacing the breaker can't hurt, but it likely won't help either. You're probably going to be looking at opening up devices and isolating the circuit to find the fault.

 

Oh, and if I do replace the breaker - what Lowes and/or Home Depot breaker could I use to replace this Challenger breaker? It's the one that says "heat" next to it (C120).

 

Cutler-Hammer BR120 or Siemens/ITE Q120

A GE THQ120 breaker will fit, but will likely fail before you even get a wire attached.

 

Said another way, is it basically cap off each receptacle on the branch and see if the circuit works until I find the faulty one? I feel like it has to be related to the sump pump I had plugged into my outside receptacle (which gets used once or twice a year). I guess I may as well cap that one off and see what happens (wonder if that receptable gave up the ghost from being outside for 35 years).

 

That receptacle that carried the current would be the first place I looked.

I'd also be prepared to spend a lot more time getting that receptacle replaced than one that hasn't been subjected to the elements for 35 years.

 

Receptacle actually came out fine, looked shitty (cracked in the middle) and the neutral was loose. Was certain that was it, but after capping the wires off the circuit's still resetting.

Is there any rhyme or reason to "opening up devices" or just start with whatever receptacles are closest to me? I think there's a lot of them on that branch

 

Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you spend all day chasing problems down.

Do you have a multimeter?

 

I do, have a contactless probe as well.

 

Tip tester ain't gonna do you a bit of good.

Run your probes into one of the receptacles that is dead, see if you're getting continuity between hot and neutral.

Pull the receptacle and take the wires off the receptacle, keeping them separated.

Move onto the next receptacle and repeat.

Eventually you'll get to the problem...or get too frustrated and call a pro.

 

Stuck the probes in all the receptacles I'm aware of on that circuit and nada.

I think I'm gonna try to replace the breaker - I just can't imagine what else it could be other than that pump tripped the breaker, so if it's not the receptacle that pump was plugged into (which I've used several times over the years) or the receptacle the fridge was plugged into, I can't imagine what else it would be.

 

Can't hurt. I've never had a breaker that gave the "buzz" and tripped be caused by anything but a fault, but I guess after 35 years, anything is possible.

 

You might want to check the circuit for a short with all items unplugged, and the breaker removed. If there is a short in the wiring, a new breaker won't help.

 

Not to insult intelligence, but you are pushing the breaker to the full 'OFF' position before trying to push it back to 'ON' correct?

 

Also, bufore buying a new breaker, take the hot wire and install it in another breaker in the panel with the same amp rating.

 

So, just to mess around with electricity decided to swap with another breaker and see what's what; the other breaker tripped and current problem one didn't, so clearly an issue with the line and was about to throw my hands up and give up. Then I noticed that this fed the Intermatic timer right next to it, so simply turned that timer off and magically, no more tripped once I turned back on the power.

HOWEVER, now we've got a new problem because the garage isn't on that breaker (and I'm not sure what break it is on) and all breakers are currently showing in the "on" position (in both panels). So based on my Googling, it's either a GFCI that tripped (which I don't know where it's located if that's it) or the breaker is bad.

If the latter, the plan is to go to Home Depot and grab a 15 and a 20 replacement breaker and a tone tester and figure out what circuit it is and replace from there (assuming the breaker just went bad).

 

So what does the timer control?

 

I think it was the original timer for the sprinkler system, but not 100% sure...........but anyhow, I solved the problem (found the GFCI). I'm sorry I'm such a moron, and @pickled egg beers on me if you're ever around the Philly area.