Circuit Breaker Repair & Replacement

A standard single-pole breaker swap runs $150-$250 installed, including diagnosis. Double-pole (240V) breakers run $200-$350. AFCI and GFCI breakers cost more as parts, so those swaps run $250-$400. If the diagnosis shows the problem is the circuit (overload, short, shared neutral) rather than the breaker, we quote the actual fix before doing any work. Panel-wide problems are quoted as a panel upgrade instead — see our panel upgrade cost guide.

The four common causes: (1) circuit overload — too many high-draw devices on one circuit, the most common cause; (2) short circuit — a hot wire contacting neutral, often at a worn device or junction; (3) ground fault — current leaking to ground, often moisture-related; (4) a worn-out breaker that trips below its rating. The pattern tells us a lot: trips under specific appliance use points to overload, instant trips on reset point to a short, and random trips with no load point to a failing breaker or AFCI nuisance tripping.

First, make sure you are resetting it fully: push the handle firmly to OFF until it clicks, then back to ON. If it trips again immediately, there is an active short or ground fault on the circuit — stop resetting it and call. If the handle is loose and flops without ever clicking, the breaker mechanism itself has failed and needs replacement. If the breaker is hot to the touch or smells burnt, leave it off and call us — that one is urgent.

Legally, CT homeowners can do electrical work in their own single-family home, but breaker work happens inches from the always-live service lugs — the meter side of the panel stays energized even with the main off, and it can deliver a fatal arc flash. Breakers must also match the panel make and series exactly (a Square D breaker in a GE panel is a code violation and fire risk). For what a professional swap costs, this is not the place to save money.

The big ones: trips repeatedly with little or no load, will not reset or will not stay reset, feels hot to the touch, smells burnt or fishy at the panel, shows scorch marks or melted plastic, buzzes or sizzles, or the handle feels loose and floppy. We cover all of these in detail in our bad circuit breaker symptoms guide. Any heat, smell, or sound symptom is urgent — those mean active arcing or overheating, not just wear.

Yes. If you still have a fuse box, we replace the whole fuse panel with a modern breaker panel rather than chasing individual fuse problems — fuse panels are routinely flagged by CT insurance carriers at renewal anyway. See our fuse box upgrade service and the fuse box replacement cost guide for what that looks like.