The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

Its an older house. Everytime we use the hair dryer 1600- 1880watt , the breaker trips. Is it safe to change the breaker to 20AMP?

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

Even if it is an older house something doesnt sound right. Old house usually had 12 awg wire to everything. Check the size of the wire. If it is 14 awg you are not allowed to use a 20 amp breaker. You probably wont burn your house down if you do but it is better to be safe.

This is why we are required to have a 20 amp circuit to the bathroom and not on any other circuit.

If the wire is 12 awg copper then by all means feel free to change it to 20 amp.

The problem with alot of older homes is that they have very few circuits feeding the whole house and many rooms sharing each one.

14 awg wire is rated for 20 amps but code does not allow anything bigger then 15 amp breaker on it except for certain motor applications.

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

Only if you want to burn your house up. A 15 amp circuit breaker is designed to handle about 1500 watts max. So is the wire, usually 14 gauge. A 20 amp circuit breaker requires 12 gauge wire. Your best bet is to buy a weaker hair dryer. Something in the 1250 to 1500 watt category.

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

No, if the circuit is rated for 15 amps, then that is the maximum it can carry. Allowing the circuit to draw higher amps can result in a wall fire, due to overheating the wiring.

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

No, you cannot change the breaker to solve the problem. If you do, the breaker won't trip, but the wires aren't meant to carry that much voltage, They will heat up and possibly start a fire. Chances are that the wires are in tune with the breaker, as stated by another response. 14gauge wire = 15 amp breaker. To go to 20 amp requires 12 gauge wire.

It's not worth it. Use a smaller wattage dryer or don't use the high heat setting.

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

Power (Watts) is arrived at by multiplying the voltage by the amperage. So, if you want to use an 1880 watt appliance, and your circuit is 120 volts, you will need 1880/120= 15.67 amps. This is just over the 15 amp breaker limit, so it could be the cause of tripping it. Since the dryer is at the circuit's limit, make sure you are not using another appliance on the same circuit at the same time. This may fix your problem.

If this isn't the solution, then either buy a lower wattage dryer, plug the dryer into another circuit with more amperage, or upgrade the present circuit to a higher amperage. What ever you do, DO NOT replace the existing 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker. If the wires in the circuit are rated for 15 amps and you run 20 amps thru them, you may cause a fire.

You should have a good understanding of electricity before attempting any repairs or upgrades to your circuits. Until then, call an electrician.

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

It is unlikely that you will have #12 wire in a circuit designed for 15 amps. Your dryer should work in that circuit if there is nothing plugged in to that line somewhere else. Try the dryer in another circuit. If it works you could wire a single circuit where you will be using the dryer.

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

Most definitely do not change the breaker.

It is doing its job.

A 20A. breaker would allow your wiring to get hotter than it is supposed to, and "that ain't good".

An 1800+ Watt appliance like your hair dryer

should be on its own 20A. circuit, (like the circuits

now required to be installed in all bathrooms).

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

OK..... look at all the "no's"....

and let me add to them? and i promise, i am not chiding you.....

the purpose of a circuit breaker is to shut down whenever the amperage exeeds a certain value..... and that is determined by heat......

i know that a circuit breaker "breaking" is an inconvenience, but it is for a reason...... it is because a dangerous level of "heat" has been attained.......

i have an old house as well as you..... there are advantages and disadvantages in buying one......

your choices are:

1. call an electrician and possibly re-wire to code.

2. find out what is on that circuit and start limiting useage.

3. increase the amperage on the circuit breaker

i hope you dont choose #3.......

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

yes you can just make sure the appliance you have connected to it requires a 20 amp breaker but it could also mean that you have a bad 15 amp breaker the is a device called a volt ohm meter that you can use to check it but if you decide to change it yourself MAKESURE YOU THROW THE MAIN FIRST BECAUSE THIS MUCH ELECTRICITY WILL KILL YOU

The breaker keeps getting tripped can we safely change 15AMP to 20AMP breaker?

yes but before you do make sure you turn off the juice to the house or you will get shocked,. The 15 amp should be fine to carry a hair dryer, the wire my be loose, check that first. I would install a GFI plug while your at it, if you dry your hair in the bathroom