I recently installed an outdoor camera and reconnected some wiring for another outdoor light. Since then, my gaming PC trips the breaker about five minutes into gaming, but this problem doesn't occur when I turn off power to the new camera and light. I've never had issues with the PC tripping the breaker before. Is it possible for this new outdoor setup to affect a separate circuit, especially since this specific outdoor circuit doesn't trip when my bedroom circuit does?
3 Answers
Is it possible the new camera's power supply is causing the problem? Sometimes low-quality power supplies can contribute to these nuisance trips. You might want to check the wattage of your new equipment too. If they draw too much current, they may overload the circuit in conjunction with your PC’s load without you realizing it.
Definitely worth checking! If you can, plug your PC into a different outlet for a test to see if that stabilizes things.
Make sure your new camera isn’t sharing any grounds with your bedroom circuit. Sometimes, if both circuits are using the same neutral, it can cause tripping issues like this. You might want to take a look at the wiring in your panel to see if you have interconnected circuits. That can more easily cause breaker trips.
Good point! Also, if you're unsure about the wiring, consider getting a thermal camera to check for any hotspots around your breakers.
Yeah, and don't forget to check if the outdoor light or camera could have grounding issues. That can also lead to nuisance tripping.
It sounds like the new outdoor camera or light is somehow overloading the circuit. It's pretty common for circuits to be tied together unintentionally, especially in new constructions. If both breakers you mentioned are AFCI breakers, they can be sensitive to overloads. It might be that your new setup is pushing the limits of the circuit, especially when your gaming PC needs extra power.
Yeah, and also keep an eye on the total watt draw. If it gets too high, even temporarily, that could cause your breaker to trip.
That's exactly right! Just make sure that the outdoor circuits are indeed separate. If they're not, the new load could be causing issues when your PC ramps up.
That's a solid suggestion! But considering the cameras only draw about 24 Watts each, I doubt they are the main issue unless the circuit was already nearing its limit.