Many people turn off the circuit breaker when they leave the house. They could be gone for a few days or even a few months. Either way, you should know what issues leaving the circuit breaker off can lead to.
In general, you can leave the circuit breaker off for one year or more. You won’t inflict any damage to the circuit breaker by turning it off. But each time you turn on and off the circuit breaker, the breaker will be subject to wear and tear.
| Factor | Average Lifespan |
|---|---|
| Normal usage and conditions | 30-40 years |
| Frequent turning on/off | 15-20 years |
Please note that this is an estimate, and the actual lifespan of a circuit breaker can vary based on many factors. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and regularly inspect and maintain your circuit breakers to ensure they function properly.
I will go into more detail below.
Things You Should Know About Leaving a Circuit Breaker Off for a Long Time
You might be planning to take a two-week vacation, or you might be out of town for a few days. Whatever the option, you might turn off the circuit breaker when you leave home. Most people do this to save electricity, which is a good idea. But is it safe to leave the circuit breaker off? If so, how long can you keep it off?
You can leave the circuit breaker off for a year or more. There won’t be any damage to the circuit breaker. And you can turn it back on after you return home.
But if you do this repeatedly, you might face some problems.
Why Do People Turn Off the Circuit Breaker When They Leave Home?
As a habit, most people turn off the circuit breaker every time they leave home, and they do this to save electricity. Even though this is an excellent idea to save some electricity, it can cause light damage to the breaker.
As you can imagine, regularly turning on and off the circuit breaker switch can cause damage to the breaker over time.
This kind of sudden circuit breaker powering on and off can cause damage to your electrical appliances. When you turn on the breaker, the appliances will be exposed to a significant electrical surge. This electrical surge can damage your appliances.
Hence, without even you knowing it, the lifespan of the circuit breaker and appliances will be reduced greatly. Instead of turning off the circuit breaker, you can follow a few different alternatives to save some electricity.
How to Save Electricity with Out Turning Off the Circuit Breaker?
There are a few ways to save electricity without turning off the circuit breaker every time you leave home.
Unplug All Your Appliances
You can always unplug all of your appliances before leaving home. This action is akin to turning off the circuit breaker. And it will definitely save some electricity. Always remember unplugging the appliances is the best thing to do when you aren’t using those appliances.
Adjust the Thermostat
Adjusting the thermostat is another excellent method to save electricity. You can do this when you leave the house.
For instance, you can set the thermostat between 50 and 60 Fahrenheit for cold weather conditions. This temperature will make sure you don’t damage or freeze the pipes.
Also, keep the AC unit’s temperature at 85 Fahrenheit for warmer days. In low temperatures, the AC unit will take less electricity.
Use Energy Efficient Appliances
If you are worried about your electricity consumption, using energy-efficient appliances is an excellent method to save some electricity. For instance, you can use appliances that have Energy Star accreditation. These appliances use up to 50% less energy than normal ones. Therefore you can replace your ordinary dryer, washer, or refrigerator with energy-efficient appliances.
Unplug Big Appliances
Before you leave home, always remember to unplug big appliances first. The big appliances eat up a lot of electricity even when they aren’t operational. For instance, a refrigerator is a big appliance that consumes lots of electricity. Hence, unplugging it will surely save electricity.
How Long Can You Use a Circuit Breaker?
You can often use a circuit breaker for 30 to 40 years without any issues. However, the lifespan of a circuit breaker might get reduced due to quality and electrical events.
Quality
As you can see, if the quality of the circuit breaker’s base materials is low, the lifespan will get reduced remarkably. This is a factor that we can’t control, and these low-quality circuit breakers are cheaper than usual.
Electrical Events
Different kinds of electrical events can affect the lifespan of a circuit breaker. Lightning strikes, electrical overloads, and sudden electrical surges can damage circuit breakers.
A sudden electrical surge can occur whenever you turn on a circuit breaker. This electrical surge can damage the circuit breaker and your appliances.
Luckily, most circuit breakers are built to resist this type of electrical surge. However, I cannot say the same thing about all the circuit breakers in the market.
How to Identify a Bad Circuit Breaker?
You can use many signs to identify a bad circuit breaker. In this section, I’ll talk about them briefly.
Breaker Trips Without Any Reason
If the circuit breaker trips without any reason, it could be a sign of a bad circuit breaker. Most often, a circuit breaker might trip once a month. If the breaker trips more than once per month, it clearly indicates a bad circuit breaker.
That means your old circuit breaker cannot handle the electricity flowing through it. Because of that, the circuit breaker trips regularly. And you’ll have to replace the circuit breaker soon as possible.
Visual Signs
When the circuit breaker is bad, you can see clear visual signs such as rust, melted wire insulations, loose connections, and broken housing. If you see these signs on the circuit breaker or the panel, make sure to replace the breaker immediately.
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