Crackling from Circuit Breaker?

[BrandonV]

Toggled a breaker that never gets toggled on/off today (outdoor load center) and it crackled lightly for a few seconds.

If I toggle it on/off/load multiple times now it makes no noise. Should I replace or just not worry about it?

 

[mike93lx]

I would at least pop it out and make sure the bus isn't burnt

 

[Dagny]

probably has some ***** beetles in it.

 

[mike93lx]

probably has some ***** beetles in it.

Had to Google that one.

 

[mrbill55]

Toggled a breaker that never gets toggled on/off today (outdoor load center) and it crackled lightly for a few seconds.

If I toggle it on/off/load multiple times now it makes no noise. Should I replace or just not worry about it?

Why take chances, replace it and be done with it.

Bill S.

 

[BrandonV]

I would at least pop it out and make sure the bus isn't burnt

Pulled it out bus was in perfect shape.

New breaker was only like $8 at the big box store.

I guess nobody torques these things to specification on the side. I discovered the #2 Robertson part of the screw fails at the exactly correct torque value (go figure even tried it for science on the old breaker).

Not bad inside for a 30 year old circuit breaker that has been sitting outside in Arizona. This was the garage breaker so I'm guessing over the years it has experienced the most trips. Guessing these contacts were the suspect.

https://imgur.com/a/OURGR7Y

 

[mike93lx]

Pulled it out bus was in perfect shape.

New breaker was only like $8 at the big box store.

I guess nobody torques these things to specification on the side. I discovered the #2 Robertson part of the screw fails at the exactly correct torque value (go figure even tried it for science on the old breaker).

Not bad inside for a 30 year old circuit breaker that has been sitting outside in Arizona. This was the garage breaker so I'm guessing over the years it has experienced the most trips. Guessing these contacts were the suspect.

https://imgur.com/a/OURGR7Y

Spray a little contact cleaner and wrap 'r up with electrical tape. Good for another 30 years

Don't forget the slap and smile of achievement when it's back together

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Heard some crackling from mine too.

 

[BrandonV]

Heard some crackling from mine too.

Yeah I'm glad I took the time to just replace it.

Honestly based on what I see and the number of times that breaker has tripped I certainly wouldn't use them as switches and yeah they certainly have a finite life if you're in the habit of tripping things.

I do a lot of electronics and maybe I'll use my isolation transformer more often now.

 

[Metal-Marc]

Why take chances, replace it and be done with it.

Meh, worst case scenario, you burn the whole house down?

I certainly wouldn't use them as switches

One should never use a breaker as an ON/OFF switch, especially on a regular basis. It weakens the springs inside. Can it be done? Yeah sure, but I try to avoid doing this as much as possible.

 

[BrandonV]

Meh, worst case scenario, you burn the whole house down?

One should never use a breaker as an ON/OFF switch, especially on a regular basis. It weakens the springs inside. Can it be done? Yeah sure, but I try to avoid doing this as much as possible.

Oh for sure. I never used this breaker as a switch... I know its been tripped a bunch over the years but for sure when I see shops using them as switches now my opinion has moved from a eh not great... to bad idea.

 

[nadogail]

Circuit Breakers should not make noises except when they Snap when they trip.

Time to get a replacement and examine the rest of the installation.

 

[Norcal]

Oh for sure. I never used this breaker as a switch... I know its been tripped a bunch over the years but for sure when I see shops using them as switches now my opinion has moved from a eh not great... to bad idea.

Tripped from short circuits & overloads, or just being operated on/off? Some call manual operation of a breaker "tripping" the breaker which is not correct.

 

[dscheidt]

Oh for sure. I never used this breaker as a switch... I know its been tripped a bunch over the years but for sure when I see shops using them as switches now my opinion has moved from a eh not great... to bad idea.

circuit breakers (277V less, single pole, 15 or 20A) can be rated for switch use, lots of 15 and 20A breakers are rated for switch duty. I'm pretty sure all standard single pole QO breakers < 20A are, because they get used as switches, regardless of whether they should be or not in commerical installations (it's a lot easier to kill all the breakers in a lighting panel, except for the ones labelled "leave on" than to go find light switches in a big store or restaruant.) I wouldn't be surprised if that's true of most brands these days, whether it's a commerical line or not, same way as almost everything is HACR rated.

 

[BrandonV]

Tripped from short circuits & overloads, or just being operated on/off? Some call manual operation of a breaker "tripping" the breaker which is not correct.

Short circuits mostly.