Circuit Breaker Tripping How To Test Wiring for Short Circuit


Assuming that the homes receptacle outlets worked correctly at one time and the circuit breaker test is good and then just starting tripping the circuit breaker when you do not see any obvious damage in or under the home. This is what I would do to correct the problem.


Tracing the Circuit to Isolate Circuit Breaker Tripping Problem

The power comes from the homes circuit breaker and goes to outlet "A" then outlet receptacle "B" and outlet receptacle "C" and so on. Outlet "A" would be the receptacle outlet that is closest to the breaker panel box in most cases. You need to make sure the power is off then take this outlet completely loose from the circuit. This should also isolate all the other outlets from the breaker. There should be a cable with a black  (hot), a white (neutral) and a ground wire leading in from the breaker and one or possibly two cables leading out to other outlets down line to "B" "C" and so on. Cap these wires off to make sure they don't short out to each other. Once this is done turn the breaker on to see if the circuit breaker tripping problem has gone away. If it does trip then the short is between this point and the circuit breaker in the wire. If it does not trip then the problem is either at the "A" point or beyond. In which case you need to check the "A" point for bare wires or any obvious sign of shorting, such as burned spots. Remake the connection and turn the circuit breaker back on. If that solves the problem fine, if not you need to do the same thing at each outlet down the line. I know this is time consuming and frustrating, but that is the only way to do it. I don't know your skill level or the tools and volt/ohm meters you have. This would be a way to troubleshoot the circuit breaker tripping problem with only a screw driver. The diagram below shows how a circuit originates from the homes breaker box and cascades throughout the home. There are usually up to 8 outlets on a conventional circuit. Sometimes the circuit breaker tripping problem can be the result of a problem at more than one location. That is why isolating the devices on the circuit one at a time is the best way to troubleshoot.


Mobile Home Electrical Circuit Layout Diagram Picture