Vacuum cleaner flips circuit breaker (heater, code, load, replace)

[zitsky]

Does anyone else have this? We have two outlets that will flip the circuit breaker if used with the Sears vacuum cleaner. The first guy said let's replace the breaker which didn't fix anything. The second guy says, you'll just have to live with it.

[harry chickpea]

There may be an additional load on that circuit, such as a space heater or electronics.

[FalconheadWest]

How old is the house? Does it have the ARC fault? Our vacuum kept tripping the breaker, and we found out our ARC faults were recalled.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by FalconheadWest

Does it have the ARC fault? ...we found out our ARC faults were recalled.

^^AFCI's were notorious for this issue for a long time.

OP: how long have you been in the house? New vacuum?

[zitsky]

House built in 2003.
Old vacuum cleaner maybe 2005?

What is arc fault?

[grampaTom]

OP, our Sears canister vac does this on 2 circuits on our 10 year old home. I just avoid the outlets involved.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by zitsky

What is arc fault?

Not certain (check!) but I don't think NC required AFCI in 2003;
if that's the case then you probably don't have one.
Check and check back

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc-fa...it_interrupter

[AlaskaErik]

We have the same problem. Go to your breaker panel and see if any of the breakers are labeled "AFCI". Ours are labeled and also have a test button on them. My solution is to replace them with regular breakers, code be damned. And no, my house is not going to burn down. This is just another solution in search of a problem.

[tickyul]

Is the vacuum grounded via a 3rd-prong, are you using the vacuum on a circuit that has a GFCI or AFCI? Possibly a fault-to-earth in the vacuum cleaner.

Try the vacuum on a regular circuit-breaker, that has no other load on it. If the breaker trips, it is most likely your vacuum has partial-short and is drawing excess current. If the breaker does not trip, the previous circuit you were using may have a bad breaker.

[FalconheadWest]

Arc Fault became Federal Law in early 2009, so it would not be in a 2003 built house unless all breakers were changed out. Arc Fault is just another annoying circuit interrupter like GFCI, but it's the entire house, not just wet areas.