Why does my generator keep tripping the breaker?
The reason your generator keeps tripping the breaker is because of more electricity flowing through the circuit than it’s designed to handle, a power leak caused by dust or worn-out wires used in the electric circuit. There are two circuit breakers, Standard Circuit Breaker and the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) breakers. Any fault with their receptacles could also lead to the generator tripping.
Circuit Overload
This happens when you want the circuit to provide more electricity than its capacity. This leads to overheating the circuit and puts all the electrical appliances connected to the circuit at risk. To address this issue, you can distribute the current in your electrical devices as directed by your electric repairman.
Short Circuit
A short circuit happens when a hot wire encounters a neutral wire. This leads to more current flowing through the circuit and overheating the circuit. This is extremely dangerous as it may lead to events such as fire. To address this issue, you need to look for any faulty or loose connection in the circuit wiring.
Defect in Circuit Breakers
Your generator might keep tripping when the circuit breaker is faulty. The circuit breaker might be old and cannot simply produce electricity. In such a case, you should consider getting a new one. The circuit breakers require maintenance to function properly. If the circuit breaker does not reset, or you get the burnt smell and tripping happens frequently then you know that the circuit breaker is at fault.
How to fix the generator that keeps tripping the breaker?
To fix your generator that keeps tripping the break you will need to unplug all the electric devices connected to it, check the GFCI receptacles and limit the power usage. Checking the cord and wiring system are other solutions to fix a generator that keeps tripping the breaker.
Identify the fault
Find out which breaker is tripping. Not all generators have the GFCI receptacles. Your generator may have both the circuit breaker and GFCI receptacles and they both trip at the same time. The two important causes can be power leakage and overload.
Unplug the electrical devices
You need to manually switch off the electrical devices and unplug them all. This is a preventive measure as when the power gets back on, there is a high risk to the electrical appliances connected to the circuit.
Check the GFCI receptacles
Once you switch the generator off and unplug all the devices, you can check for any fault in the GFCI receptacles. To do this you need to restart the generator and ‘reset’ the GFCI receptacle. This can be done by simply hitting the ‘Reset’ button. If the button does not remain depressed afterward, then it is an indication that your generator’s GFCI has stopped working and that it needs to be replaced.
Limit the power usage
Make sure to disconnect all non-essential appliances and don’t overload your generator. Your generator is designed to handle a certain amount of current and you should not try to breach its capacity.
Check the cords if used
If you use an extension cord to connect to your devices, make sure you check them if it is affected by dust or moisture. It might lead to Daisy Chaining of power strips which may lead to overload. The Daisy Chaining increases the contact resistance in the main circuit and causes it to heat and hence causing it to trip.
Check the wiring system
Wiring is the most essential part, hence make sure the wires are not damaged. It is also advised to check the wires every few days as it does not require much effort and leads to good maintenance.
Why does my generator keep tripping the GFCI outlet?
The reason your generator keeps tripping the GFCI outlet is because there may be a leakage of current in your generator. Faulty wiring is the main cause of the power leakage, so you need to check that the wiring is on point and does not have any loose ends when it is connected to the devices. Power leakage can be caused by moisture or dust in the wires.
When the GFCI detects the difference in the electrical input and the electrical output, the circuit breaker trips to prevent any fire or even electrocution. You can check the GFCI receptacle by restarting the generator and resetting the GFCI receptacle after disconnecting all your devices. This is done by hitting the ‘reset’ button in your GFCI. If the button does not remain depressed afterward, then it is an indication that your generator’s GFCI has stopped working. The electrical leakages or the ground fault will keep tripping the GFCI outlet if you do not address the issue of faulty wiring, moisture, or dust.
Why is my generator blowing a fuse?
The reason your generator is blowing a fuse is because of a short circuit, current overload, ground fault, or damaged wiring. If you do not find any of these reasons for the fuse to blow, then it is most likely due to your fuse being too small or the wrong type of fuse. Depending on the electrical circuit, you should always consider choosing the fuse.
Different fuses are designed to handle different power sources making them even more effective as per the requirement. The main function of the fuse is to prevent damage to electrical appliances in case of any fault in the electrical circuit, hence, it will blow off in case there is any damage in the electrical circuit.
Why is my generator tripping RCD?
The reason your generator is tripping (Residual Current Device) RCD is because of the unbalance current shared by the neutral and the ground, which is no longer zero. This happens when the inverter is synchronized and connects the load to the generator. RCD is a safety device installed to protect from electric shocks or fire when it is in the functional state, so it trips when the electric circuit is at fault.
The three main reasons causing your generator to trip the RCD are as follows:
Ground Fault: This occurs when the electrical current instead of going to its intended path connects with the ground surface. Anything that disturbs the intended path of the current becomes the pathway for the current on its way to the ground leading to the ground fault.
Circuit Fault: If the RCD keeps on tripping even after resetting, there might be a high chance that the electric circuit itself is at fault. This confirms that the RCD is working properly and hence tripping to prevent any kind of damage to the electrical appliances or even fire.
Fault in the Electrical Wiring: Electrical wiring is the most important aspect of any electrical circuit. Improper electrical wiring can lead to short circuits, overheating and dangerous scenarios such as fire. When a short circuit is detected, the circuit breaker turns off the power, and the RCD trips off.
Why does my Predator Generator keep tripping the breaker?
The reason for your Predator Generator to keep tripping the breaker is because the GFCI is not working, or the circuit breaker is triggered and is ending all the connections. If the GFCI is not working, it may be due to the power leakage in the electric circuit or a fault in the GFCI itself. You can fix this by checking the GFCI receptacle, checking all the cords connected to the appliances, or checking the circuit breaking to look for the overload. To check if the GFCI is working or not you need to unplug all the electrical appliances manually and restart the generator and reset the GFCI receptacle by hitting the reset button on it. If the button does not remain depressed afterward, then it is an indication that your generator’s GFCI has stopped working.
Another reason for the Predator generator to keep tripping is because of circuit overload or fault in the wires. The overload occurs when too many appliances are connected to the generator and its circuit can’t handle that much power.
Why does my Onan generator keep tripping the breaker?
The reason your Onan generator keeps tripping the breaker is because of a damaged wireline, failing regulator, or a bad governor controller which may be either mechanical or electronic. The damaged wireline is the common cause for the Onan generators to trip. You should also check the amount of voltage that your electrical circuit can handle. You must always make sure to not overload the circuit with so many non-essential electrical appliances. It can also be due to vacuum leaks in and around the carburetor. The carburetor is an important part of the Onan generator, and you can manage to foul the carburetor by also not turning on the generator enough. Look for these errors in your Onan generator and the manual presence of the Onan generator can help fix the issue as it is highly dependent on which model you are using.
