Electrical breaker question
#10
The top breaker is for the circuits in our bedroom.

The bottom breaker is for the circuits in the adjacent bathroom.

[Image: 1_IMG_0633.jpg]

This problem just started today; all normal this morning.

Both breakers stay on, but none of the circuits in the bathroom work; the bedroom circuits are fine. If the top breaker is on and I reset the bottom breaker, the top breaker pops off.

The test button only works on the top breaker; the bottom test button is "stuck". But based on the wording, I assume this is ok.

Could this be a bad breaker?
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#11
(08-03-2016, 08:31 PM)Bach Wrote:  the bottom test button is "stuck". 

Could this be a bad breaker?

Do you really need an answer?


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Twinn
Will post for food.
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#12
The wording on the breakers, which I just realized you can't read, implies the bottom breaker will pop if the top one pops. So I was assuming the bottom test button was intentionally disabled.
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#13
It could be there is a ground fault in the bathroom.
Economics is much harder when you use real money.
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#14

(08-04-2016, 08:42 AM)GHR Wrote: It could be there is a ground fault in the bathroom.

 
The bathroom breaker stays closed but there is no power to the lights.

For completeness....the top breaker text is "Arc Fault Breaker" with an arrow pointing to the bottom breaker, and the bottom breaker text is "Common Trip Only On Arc Fault" with an arrow pointing to the top breaker.
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#15
so the gfi is in the top breaker? The things they will do to save a buck.

I assume everything is unplugged in the bathroom.  There are lots of sloppy electricians out there, it may be as simple as a ground wire touching something it shouldn't inside an outlet box.
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#16
The plugs in this bathroom work; neither is a gfci. The plugs are powered by a gfci which is located in the adjacent guest bathroom.
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#17
Let's do some troubleshooting. Check the feeder of the MCB with an electrical tester. If there is no power then the problem starting before the breaker. If there is power, turn on the MCB and check the output terminal. No power means the breaker is faulty. Replace it. There is power, then the problem is after the breaker. It could be a frayed wire. If you can't get the MCB on, remove the output wire (maybe there is a short circuit causing the breaker to trip) and check the output terminal. Earthing problems usually trips the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker not the Miniature Circuit Breaker. Hope That helps.

Jumping to conclusion is the worse diagnose!!
If you can't fix a mistake, change the design!! Few will notice, even less will mind!!
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#18
Thanks!

It was a bad breaker
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