Why Does My Circuit Breaker Trip Only When Two Specific Appliances Run Together?
Usually the two appliances share one circuit, and together they draw more current than its breaker is rated for. A 1,100-watt microwave and a 1,400-watt toaster add up to about 20.8 amps, which is more than a 15-amp or a 20-amp breaker is rated to carry. That’s the common case, and it’s fixable without tools. But the same symptom can also mean a failing appliance or a circuit with a problem. The checklist below sorts out which one you have, starting with checks that take a minute. First, confirm it really is an overload It trips only after the pair has run for a bit Breakers such as Square D’s load-center models have two ways to trip. Square D’s breakers trip from heat built up by a sustained, low-level overload, or quickly when a magnetic coil senses the high current of a short circuit. An overload trip is the slow kind. The breaker heats up while both appliances run, then shuts off. If yours trips some time after the second appliance starts, that fits an ...
