This one needs a licensed pro
Likely cause: a hidden fault or a worn breaker
A plain breaker that keeps tripping with no pattern, after one reset, needs a licensed electrician to find the cause.
Why this happens
Bob Vila lists a short circuit, a ground fault and a worn breaker among the causes of repeat trips, and says that if resetting once does not fix it, it is a good idea to hire an electrician. Finding a hidden short, ground fault or worn breaker means opening boxes or the panel, and CPSC says repairs like these are jobs for qualified electrical professionals.
What to do right now
- Stop resetting it repeatedly. If it trips again, leave it off.
- Keep a short log: the time of each trip and what was running.
- Unplug anything you do not need on that circuit until it is checked.
- Call a licensed electrician.
What to tell the licensed electrician
- How often it trips, the times, and what was running each time.
- Which breaker it is and what area it feeds.
- The panel brand from the label inside the door, and the age of the house.
- Any flicker, buzzing, warm outlets or smell on that circuit.
Build the full list: what to tell the licensed electrician.
Start this troubleshooter over
References (every fact above comes from one of these pages)
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