USCG Exam PracticeElectrical troubleshooting and maintenance
A circuit breaker trips repeatedly on a feeder circuit. What is the correct immediate action for the electrician?
- A. Replace the breaker with one of a higher current rating to prevent further nuisance trips
- ✓ Investigate and identify the cause of the trip before resetting the breakerCorrect
- C. Reset the breaker immediately to restore power to the affected circuit
- D. Bypass the breaker temporarily using a jumper until the next scheduled maintenance period
Why B is correct
NEETS Mod. 3 §2-2 states that after a trip, the cause must be investigated before resetting, and that a breaker that trips repeatedly signals a genuine fault or overload and must not simply be reset back into the fault. Resetting without investigation or upsizing the breaker are both dangerous practices.
Cited:NEETS Mod. 3 §2-2