A breaker that trips is doing its job: it’s shutting off power before the wire in your walls overheats. The real question is why it’s tripping. In Spokane, the answer is often seasonal. When temperatures drop, homes add space heaters, electric blankets, heat tape and block heaters, and older circuits that were fine all summer suddenly can’t keep up.
The three reasons breakers trip
| Cause | What happens | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| Overload | More current flows than the circuit is rated for | Trips after a few minutes with several things running |
| Short circuit | Hot wire touches neutral or ground | Trips instantly, sometimes with a pop or scorch mark |
| Ground fault | Current leaks to ground, often near water | GFCI trips, often in bathrooms, kitchens or outside |
Space heaters and winter overloads
Most space heaters draw up to 1,500 watts, about 12.5 amps. A typical bedroom circuit is 15 amps and often shared with other rooms. Add a TV, lamp, phone charger and electric blanket, and you’re over the limit. The breaker trips, usually right when the heater cycles on high. The fix is to move the heater to a circuit with less on it, or have an electrician add a dedicated circuit. Never plug a space heater into a power strip or extension cord.
Replacing a 15-amp breaker with a 20-amp one to stop trips lets the wire overheat. It’s a common cause of electrical fires.
What you can safely check
- Note which outlets and lights stop working when it trips, so you know what’s on the circuit.
- Unplug everything on the circuit, reset the breaker, then plug things back in one at a time.
- If it trips with nothing plugged in, leave it off. That points to a fault in the wiring.
- Check for GFCI outlets that may have tripped first.
- Feel outlets and switch plates. Warm means stop and call an electrician.
When to call an electrician
Call if a breaker trips instantly, trips with nothing plugged in, trips repeatedly even after you move loads, feels hot, or if you smell burning. Also call if you have an older panel with breakers that trip at low loads; worn breakers need replacing with the correct type. Our outlet and breaker repair guide covers the fixes, and if your panel is full or old, the panel upgrade guide explains next steps.
Other winter culprits
Space heaters aren’t the only seasonal cause. Heat tape on pipes and roof edges can develop ground faults as it ages, tripping GFCI protection. Block heaters on outdoor outlets trip GFCIs when moisture gets into cords or outlet covers. Holiday lights add load to circuits that were already near capacity, and older strands can short when wet. Electric blankets and mattress pads add load to bedroom circuits at night. If trips started around the same time a seasonal item was plugged in, test with that item unplugged first. Replace damaged cords and heat tape rather than taping them up, and keep outdoor outlets covered with in-use covers so snow and meltwater stay out.
When the panel itself is the problem
Sometimes the breaker isn’t the issue at all. Corroded bus bars, loose connections in the panel and older panel brands with known problems can cause breakers to trip, overheat or fail to trip. Signs include a warm panel cover, a burning smell near the panel, or breakers that feel loose. Don’t open the panel; call a licensed electrician who can inspect it safely and tell you whether a repair or replacement makes sense.
Longer-term fixes
If you’re fighting trips every winter, the long-term answer may be dedicated circuits for heaters or a bathroom, a heat pump on its own circuit, or a bigger service. In older homes, it may be time to look at rewiring. For an overview, visit our Spokane electrical help page.