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Hereof, what are the signs of a bad circuit breaker?
Circuit Breaker Warning Signs
- Burning Smell in the Electrical Panel. One way to tell if you need a circuit breaker replacement is to sniff around and see if you smell a burning odor coming from the panel.
- Breaker Will Not Remain Reset.
- Physical Damage.
- Breakers Tripping Frequently.
- Old Age.
Also asked, can I replace a 20 amp breaker with a 50 amp breaker?
Different question and the answer is "It depends". But in general the answer is "No, do not go and put a 30 amp breaker in place of a 20 amp breaker because the wiring is most likely 'sized' for the 20 amp load and -may- overheat if a 30 amp load is used with wiring sized for a 20 amp load."
You will need to replace a circuit breaker if it is hot to touch, has a burning smell or you can see visual damage such as black or burned material or frayed wires. Quality circuit breakers should last a long time. The circuit breaker device doesn't necessarily cause every electrical problem or short circuit.