Published July 6, 2026 · 4 min read · MCL Electric
A breaker that trips once did its job. A breaker that trips repeatedly is telling you something specific. There are four possibilities, in rough order of likelihood:
1. Circuit overload (most common)
Too much load on one circuit — the classic Chicago case is a window AC, a space heater, or a microwave sharing a circuit with half the room. The tell: it trips when a specific combination of things runs. The fix ranges from moving a load to another outlet to adding a dedicated circuit — a small, quick job for an electrician.
2. Short circuit
Hot touching neutral — the breaker trips instantly, often with a pop, and re-trips the moment you reset it. Common causes: damaged cords, chewed wiring, a failed device. Stop resetting it. Repeated resets into a short can overheat wiring behind your walls. Unplug everything on the circuit; if it still won't hold, leave it off and call.
3. Ground fault
Current leaking to ground — this is what GFCI breakers and outlets exist to catch, and why code requires them in kitchens, baths, and outdoors. If a GFCI trips repeatedly in wet weather, an outdoor outlet or fixture is often letting moisture in. Fixable, and worth fixing fast.
4. The breaker itself is failing
Breakers wear out — especially in older panels. If a breaker trips at loads it handled for years, feels hot, or won't reset firmly, the breaker (or the panel bus behind it) may be the problem. In Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels the opposite failure is common and far more dangerous: breakers that don't trip when they should. If you have one of those brands, read our panel upgrade guide.
When it's an emergency
Burning smell, scorch marks, buzzing from the panel, or a breaker that's hot to the touch — those are call-right-now problems, any hour: (872) 378-0533.
Otherwise, jot down what was running when it tripped and call during the day — most breaker diagnostics are a same-day visit with an upfront price. We serve Chicago and the North Shore.