Mike Dolt Enterprises
Mike Dolt Enterprises
User: dejeud, Location: Olathe, Kansas
Asked on: Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 7:32 pm EDT
Answered on: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 6:08 am EDT
Question: Got a call from a former neighbor. She had the pool pump breaker tripping, turned out she had a bad pump.But that's not the story.She has a little hair do setup in her house and while I'm there she proceeds to tell me that she used to have trouble with the breakers tripping (1800W hair dryer, and 1600W dryer plugged in the general circuits receptacles).So, a "friend" of her changed the breakers from 15A, not to 20A, but to 30A.I just couldn't help myself and told her : "As much as you might get insulted by this, he's not your friend".
You did the right thing by speaking up.Replacing a 15A breaker with a 30A breaker is extremely dangerous and could have resulted in a serious electrical fire. Here are the reasons why: Overheating
A 15A breaker is designed to trip when the current draw exceeds 15 amps. When a 30A breaker is installed in place of a 15A breaker, the current draw can exceed 15 amps without tripping the breaker. This can lead to overheating of the wires and electrical components.
Fire hazard
Overheated wires can cause insulation to melt and ignite, starting an electrical fire. A 30A breaker will not trip quickly enough to prevent a fire in these situations.*
Electrical damage: Overcurrent can also damage electrical devices and appliances.Your neighbor's "friend" was not acting in her best interests by installing the 30A breaker. He may have thought it was a quick and easy way to solve her breaker tripping problem, but he put her and her property at risk.It's important to hire a licensed electrician for any electrical work, including replacing circuit breakers. They will ensure that the correct size breaker is installed and that the electrical system is safe. Flag for review