Resetting a tripped breaker

Learn where your breaker panel is before you need it, and call an electrician if a breaker trips again right after you reset it.

You will be able to find your home's breaker panel, spot a tripped breaker and reset it safely.

Why it matters

When part of a home suddenly loses power, the cause is often one tripped breaker, and the fix takes under a minute. A breaker that keeps tripping is a warning sign, not a nuisance. Electrical failures and equipment are involved in tens of thousands of US home fires a year.

How to do it

1. Find the panel. It is usually a grey metal box in the basement, garage, laundry room or a utility closet. In apartments it is often inside the unit, near the entry or in a hallway closet.
2. Find the main breaker. It is the larger switch, usually at the top, that turns off power to the whole home. Each of the other breakers controls one circuit.
3. Before you touch the panel, check that your hands and the floor are dry. If you smell burning, see scorch marks, hear buzzing or the panel feels hot, do not touch it. Call an electrician, or 911 if there is smoke or fire.
4. Switch off or unplug the things on the circuit that lost power, such as a space heater, hair dryer or microwave.
5. Open the panel door only (not the inner metal cover held on with screws). Look for the one breaker whose handle sits in the middle, points to OFF, or shows a red or orange flag. A tripped handle can sit close to ON, so look carefully.
6. Push that handle firmly all the way to OFF until it clicks. Then push it firmly back to ON.
7. Check that the power is back. Plug devices back in one at a time.
8. If the breaker trips again right away, leave it off and call a licensed electrician. If it trips only when several things run at once, the circuit is probably overloaded: move one of them to an outlet on another circuit. If it trips whenever one appliance runs, stop using that appliance and have it checked.
9. If an outlet in a bathroom, kitchen, garage or outdoors is dead but no breaker has tripped, find the outlet with TEST and RESET buttons (a GFCI outlet). It may be a different outlet nearby. Press RESET. If it will not reset or keeps tripping, call an electrician.
10. If your home has a fuse box, turn off everything on that circuit first and use a flashlight. Replace a blown fuse only with one of the same amp rating. Never use a larger fuse, a coin or any other metal object.
11. Label each breaker with what it controls, so the next reset takes seconds.

Common mistakes

• Resetting the same breaker again and again. Repeated tripping means a fault or overload that needs fixing.
• Pushing the handle straight from the middle to ON. Most breakers must go fully to OFF first.
• Taking off the inner panel cover. Live parts sit behind it.
• Putting in a bigger fuse so it stops blowing. The wiring can overheat and start a fire.

Sources

1. NFPA: Home Fires Caused by Electrical Failure or Malfunction
2. Electrical Safety Foundation International: Indoor Electrical Safety Check (PDF)
3. US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Guide to Home Wiring Hazards (PDF)
4. BC Hydro: At-home electrical safety tips

Sources and numbers last checked October 22, 2026. How we check

Print this lesson

Related lessons

• 8.10 · HomeUnblocking a toilet with a plunger
• 8.12 · HomeBuilding a 72-hour emergency kit
• 8.9 · HomeHow to get rid of fruit flies
• 8.13 · HomeShutting off the water
• 8.8 · HomeCleaners you must never mix
• 8.14 · HomeReading a utility bill

All lessons

← 8.10 previous lesson: Unblocking a toilet with a plunger · 8.12 → next lesson: Building a 72-hour emergency kit

1Body16 lessons

1. 1.1Washing your hands properly
2. 1.2Getting water out of your ear
3. 1.3Brushing your teeth for two minutes
4. 1.4Riding a bike
5. 1.5Getting up off the floor without your hands
6. 1.6Slow breathing to calm down
7. 1.7How to put in a tampon
8. 1.8How often should you wash your hair
9. 1.9Reading a nutrition label
10. 1.10Sleeping with your phone outside the bedroom
11. 1.11Doing 10 full push-ups
12. 1.12How to stretch your hip flexors
13. 1.13How to swaddle a newborn, and when to stop
14. 1.14Reading a prescription label
15. 1.15Booking a doctor's appointment and describing symptoms
16. 1.16Knowing your blood pressure

2Mind15 lessons

1. 2.1Staying with boredom
2. 2.2Naming what you feel
3. 2.3Grounding yourself after a fright
4. 2.4Letting someone see you upset
5. 2.5What to wear to a funeral, where to sit, and what to say
6. 2.6What to write in a sympathy card
7. 2.7Focusing for 25 minutes
8. 2.8How to stop overthinking
9. 2.9The 988 crisis line
10. 2.10Changing your mind when the evidence changes
11. 2.11The 7 stages of grief, and why grief comes in waves instead
12. 2.12Telling a friend you're not okay
13. 2.13Knowing when stress needs professional help
14. 2.14Building a habit by tying it to an old one
15. 2.15Spending an evening alone without screens

3People17 lessons

1. 3.1Introducing yourself and asking a question back
2. 3.2Asking a question in front of a group
3. 3.3Apologising properly
4. 3.4Disagreeing without insults
5. 3.5Writing a clear email, subject line to sign-off
6. 3.6Comforting someone who is crying
7. 3.7What to say to someone who lost a loved one
8. 3.8Saying no without an excuse
9. 3.9Phoning a business
10. 3.10How to burp a newborn
11. 3.11Asking for consent
12. 3.12Resigning from a job in writing
13. 3.13Answering interview questions with the STAR method
14. 3.14Walking into a room of strangers
15. 3.15How to write an obituary
16. 3.16Speaking up in a meeting
17. 3.17Pausing an argument

4Money17 lessons

1. 4.1Counting back change
2. 4.2Comparing unit prices
3. 4.3Endorsing and depositing a check
4. 4.4How do you write a check
5. 4.5Setting up direct deposit with a void check
6. 4.6Why minimum payments cost so much
7. 4.7The rule of 72
8. 4.8What does APR mean on a credit card
9. 4.9Making a monthly budget
10. 4.10Reading a contract to find how to cancel
11. 4.11What is a high yield savings account
12. 4.12What is a contingent beneficiary, and how to name one
13. 4.13Filing your own tax return
14. 4.14How retirement accounts save you tax
15. 4.15Index funds and why fees matter
16. 4.16Ask for a raise with a number
17. 4.17Know how long your savings would last

5Safety17 lessons

1. 5.1Call 911 and give your location
2. 5.2Plan two ways out in a fire
3. 5.3Sheltering from a tornado: watch vs. warning
4. 5.4The five water survival skills
5. 5.5Test a smoke alarm and change its battery
6. 5.6Cool a burn with running water
7. 5.7AED pad placement: how to use an AED
8. 5.8Safety5.8Carbon monoxide detector beeping: what it means and what to do
9. 5.9Put out a pan fire with a lid
10. 5.10How is a fire extinguisher used? The PASS method
11. 5.11Stop heavy bleeding
12. 5.12The recovery position
13. 5.13Spot a stroke and call 911
14. 5.14Hands-only CPR
15. 5.15Help a choking adult
16. 5.16Respond to an opioid overdose with naloxone
17. 5.17When can an infant car seat face forward

6Information16 lessons

1. 6.1Work out a tip in your head
2. 6.2Why gift card payment means scam
3. 6.3Wrong number text scam, and how to spot other scam texts
4. 6.4How to turn off location on iPhone and Android
5. 6.5Working out percent change
6. 6.6Spot a phishing message
7. 6.7How to block spam calls on iPhone and Android
8. 6.8Turn on two-factor login for email
9. 6.9How to check if your phone is hacked
10. 6.10Trace a claim before you share it
11. 6.11Check an AI chatbot's answer
12. 6.12Spot a bar chart that exaggerates
13. 6.13Hang up on a 'bank' caller
14. 6.14What never to paste into an AI chatbot
15. 6.15Self-reported vs measured numbers
16. 6.16Relative risk vs absolute risk

7Kitchen17 lessons

1. 7.1How to set a table
2. 7.2Cracking an egg cleanly
3. 7.3Following a recipe and measuring accurately
4. 7.4Using an oven safely
5. 7.5How to tell if an egg is bad
6. 7.6Boiling an egg to the yolk you want
7. 7.7How to cook rice on the stove
8. 7.8How long is cooked chicken good for in the fridge
9. 7.9Chopping an onion with the claw grip
10. 7.10Storing raw meat safely in the fridge
11. 7.11Reading food date labels
12. 7.12How to thaw chicken fast
13. 7.13How to season cast iron
14. 7.14Cooking chicken to a safe temperature
15. 7.15Five dinners you can cook from memory
16. 7.16Planning a week of dinners with one shopping trip
17. 7.17Cooking dinner for six, all ready at once

8Home17 lessons

1. 8.1Making a bed with tucked corners
2. 8.2Removing sticker residue
3. 8.3Cleaning a toilet properly
4. 8.4How to clean a shower
5. 8.5How to get blood out of clothes
6. 8.6Laundry symbols: how to read a care label
7. 8.7Doing a load of laundry
8. 8.8Cleaners you must never mix
9. 8.9How to get rid of fruit flies
10. 8.10Unblocking a toilet with a plunger
11. 8.11Resetting a tripped breaker · You are here
12. 8.12Building a 72-hour emergency kit
13. 8.13Shutting off the water
14. 8.14Reading a utility bill
15. 8.15How to clean a dryer vent
16. 8.16Recording a rental's condition on move-in day
17. 8.17Splitting chores with a housemate

9Hands18 lessons

1. 9.1Tying shoelaces that stay tied
2. 9.2How to wrap a present
3. 9.3Addressing an envelope
4. 9.4Tying a square knot (reef knot)
5. 9.5How to tie a clove hitch
6. 9.6Reading a tape measure
7. 9.7Hammering a nail in straight
8. 9.8How to fix a separated zipper
9. 9.9Sewing on a button that stays on
10. 9.10Tying a bowline
11. 9.11How to remove a stripped screw
12. 9.12Hanging a heavy picture securely
13. 9.13Tying a four-in-hand necktie knot
14. 9.14How to put air in tires
15. 9.15How to change windshield wipers
16. 9.16Checking the oil and other fluids under the hood
17. 9.17Assembling flat-pack furniture
18. 9.18Changing a flat tire

Find a lesson

Spot an error? Tell us

General education, not medical, legal or financial advice.

From undertaught.com/manual/reset-a-breaker. Free, sourced lessons for every skill at undertaught.com/manual.