Check out some similar questions!

axman2 · Jul 18, 2008, 07:30 AM

I am at wits end... pleas help.

I have a circuit in the house that is driving me nuts. Started about a year ago, lights on this one circuit started flashing. I replaced the circuit breaker and the flashing stopped. Since then they started flashing again, and I could hear "crackling" in the circuit breaker. I replaced it again and everything has been fine for a few weeks.

Now it happened to another circuit, lights flashing and breaker making "noise" I replaced it and everything seems fine...

What is going on? Do I have a bad panel, bad bus-bar, or is the house haunted??

Any input suggestions?

stanfortyman · Jul 18, 2008, 09:30 AM

Bad buss bar in the panel it sounds like to me.

axman2 · Jul 18, 2008, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by stanfortyman

Bad buss bar in the panel it sounds like to me.

I was hoping I would not have to replace the panel but why would the circuit be fine as soon as I replace the breaker? Could a bad bus-bar cause a circuit breaker to fail??

Could this be just a string of bad circuit breakers? They were bought at a Big Box Home Center... is it true that they sometime get inferior stuff, while electrical suppliers, etc. get the primo stuff from the suppliers?

stanfortyman · Jul 18, 2008, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by axman2

Could a bad bus-bar cause a circuit breaker to fail???

Absolutely.
Your scenario is common. Replace the bad breaker only for it to fail again soon after.

The buss is probably pitted and/or burned. This creates high resistance at the buss connection that causes a ton of heat. This in turn takes out the breaker.

axman2 · Jul 20, 2008, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by stanfortyman

Absolutely.
Your scenario is common. Replace the bad breaker only for it to fail again soon after.

The buss is probably pitted and/or burned. This creates high resistance at the buss connection that causes a ton of heat. This in turn takes out the breaker.

Thanks guys,

Does that leave me with the only option to have the panel replaced... or can the a bus bar be replaced or maybe sanded/cleaned to make a better contact?

stanfortyman · Jul 20, 2008, 06:08 PM

Most likely the panel will need to be replaced. Panel guts are not readily available as replacements.

axman2 · Jul 21, 2008, 05:32 AM

Thanks

Stratmando · Jul 21, 2008, 07:35 AM

If not to bad, I have cleaned to good metal, then a good No-Ox.
If you have empty spaces maybe use that location, however use a new breaker, as a corroded/burnt breaker will burn buss again.
Be sure Buss is deenergized before working on it.

axman2 · Jul 21, 2008, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Stratmando

If not to bad, I have cleaned to good metal, then a good No-Ox.
If you have empty spaces maybe use that location, however use a new breaker, as a corroded/burnt breaker will burn buss again.
Be sure Buss is deenergized before working on it.

Thanks. Probably worth a try before doing a complete replacement.