Circuits Breaking

barbie13607

circuits breaking
I know nothing about electrical so I'm hoping someone can help me here. a friend of mine in a wheelchair is renting a new apartment. The circuit breaker keeps flipping off. She has to call someone to come flip it on - usually me.
The landlord blames new codes that are so strict they flip off when a light bulb burns out. I know the breaker flips off when a bulb burns out because I was there once when it happened.
She can't have more than three things going in a room - TV, cable box, overhead light - if she tries to get on her computer - poof, gone.
Her brother said it is probably wired with copper. Would this make a difference?

thanks

mdshunk

The landlord is a moron, and copper has nothing to do with it.

When you rent, you have little recourse other than to move. What you describe doesn't seem like a hazard, but darned inconvenient.

JohnJ0906

Does it always trip when ONE certain thing is turned on, or just when more than a couple of things are on at once?

Is this a new apartment, as in just wired/rewired, or just new to your friend?

Unfortunately, I'm doubtful this landlord will fix it anyway, judging by what he's already said.

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John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC

barbie13607

Newly built apartments.

My friend has a two year lease so she has to have good cause to move. She's on disability and in a wheelchair. It was hard for her to find a handicap apartment - now this.
The circuits go off at various locations in the place when a bulb burns out, when there is a "surge" like the microwave. It isn't just one room or appliance that sets it off but only the electric to that room goes off - not all the electric.

thanks for any replies.

skyhook

Recently had a ceiling fan / light combo that would blow the glass off the bulbs. The tenant never mentioned it. They moved out and when I put new bulbs in, they smoked and blew the glass off. I checked the connections in the switch box. Sure enough the neutral was loose. I reconnected the neutral and haven't had a problem since.

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JohnJ0906

The landlord needs an electrician to look at this.
He might even still be under warranty.

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John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC

Sparky Joe

I have to say I've never seen a lightbulb explode. But I never have seen one fed with 240 volts

Celtic

They get real bright...but only for a second.

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Speedy Petey

AFCI's ..........

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gregj

Your friend should call the landlord to flip the breaker back on every single time it happens. Otherwise the landlord won't fully understand how inconvenient it is. Since this was rented as a handicap accessible apartment I would think that it is the landlords responsibility to turn the breaker back on if it's not accessible to the tenant.

Your friend should also document each time the breaker trips, what was running and how long it took before the landlord got the power back on. That will provide the documentation needed to justify breaking the lease if the issue isn't resolved.

I'm not a sparky but it does indeed sound like AFCI issues. This could be related to an actual potentially hazardous wiring issue or an overly sensitive AFCI. I've heard that the earlier AFCIs were very prone to false tripping. Perhaps the more recently manufactured ones are better? Maybe the sparkies on this site can chime in on whether she should try to convince the landlord to have the AFCI breaker replaced with a newer one.

skyhook

First time here too. Maybe that's why they are so bright. Actually I tested it first.

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Sparky Joe

Very good idea