Electric Furnace in a Mobile Home is Tripping the Breaker

Other Devices

• The electric furnace might require all the amperage that its breaker offers. If this is the case, all other devices need to be unplugged from the power outlet or power source in the area controlled by that particular breaker. Too many devices operating on the breaker will cause it to overload and trip. For this reason, it might be a good idea to have one breaker dedicated to one outlet that supports the electric furnace.

Electrical Load

• If the electric furnace demands more electricity from the mobile home power source than the breaker can handle, the breaker will trip. You can reset the breaker, and the furnace might work for a short time before the it trips again. If you suspect that the breaker isn’t able to handle the electrical load, contact a technician to look at it and possibly replace it with a more heavy-duty breaker.

Connections

• Mis-wiring of the electric furnace and the circuit breaker in a mobile home will cause the unit to malfunction. The malfunction could include the unit failing to turn on and even failing to turn off. All connection areas should be reviewed for proper wiring if the breaker continuously trips. If you suspect mis-wiring, contact a technician to correctly rewire the unit.

Hot Wires

• Two hot wires touching is not only counterproductive to the furnace power supply, but it’s also dangerous. As soon as two hot wires touch, the power demand increases and automatically trips the breaker. Even a hot wire touching a neutral wire can cause this effect. Hot and neutral wires should never be touching, as they could possibly spark a fire. If you see two bare wires without insulation touching in any place from the circuit breaker to the furnace, including around the connection points, switch the breaker off immediately and call a technician for help.

Breaker

• Should the breaker fail to stay in the “On” position and the wiring is checked and correct, the problem might lie with the breaker itself. The breaker might be defective or broken with a bad switch. To have the breaker changed out, you should contact a technician and tell her what you’ve discovered.