What Can I Do If My Breaker Buzzes When My Central Heat Comes On?

Overloaded Breaker

• A buzzing sound indicates that your breaker is experiencing problems dealing with the current that is passing through it. Too many demands on the alternating current that moves through a particular breaker, and it can start buzzing before it flips, breaking the connection in order to protect itself and the appliances. A buzzing breaker is about to flip, or has a mechanical issue that is preventing it from shutting off the normal way.

Solutions

• Sometimes your central heating may not run through a breaker designed to handle that much of a power load. Call an electrician to see if you need to exchange your breaker for a larger or different version that is capable of dealing with your central heating system. Likewise, you may want to remove some of the other components on your breaker to lessen the load it has to deal with.

Connection Issues

• In other cases, a buzzing breaker may be a sign that the breaker is improperly connected. Wiring inside or nearby the breaker could be failing, causing continual current problems. This can also cause your central heating to suddenly stop working, or the breaker to flip unexpectedly. When this happens, a call for a electrician is also in order: you need to pinpoint the wiring issue and fix it before it becomes a fire hazard or ruins your components.

Condensor and Operation Issues

• Sometimes current overflow to a breaker can cause a buzzing sound before the breaker switches off normally, as it should. This overflow may be caused by a faulty condenser in your heat pump or a faulty ground wire in your primary furnace unit. Sometimes the breaker can be operating correctly, but it is flipping off because of an electrical issue that can be traced back to your heating system and resolved there by rewiring.