Should I Upgrade from a 15-Amp to a 20-Amp Breaker When One Device Keeps Tripping It?

Upgrading from a 15-amp to a 20-amp breaker can help when a device genuinely draws more power than a 15-amp circuit can handle. But if the tripping is sporadic, stops on its own, or comes back after the upgrade, the breaker may not be the real problem. A licensed electrician should diagnose the root cause before any upgrade is done.

A homeowner in the Vancouver, BC area recently reached out to us after their pool cover motor kept tripping a breaker on and off for about a month. A technician from another company suggested going from a 15-amp to a 20-amp breaker. The cover worked again for a bit, and then stopped entirely. Sound familiar? It’s a situation we see more often than you’d think.

At Vancity Electric, we get calls like this regularly. A single device is causing breaker trips, someone recommends bumping up the amperage, and the homeowner is left wondering whether that actually fixes anything. Here’s what you need to know.

What Does a Tripping Breaker Actually Tell You?

A tripping breaker is a protection signal, not a malfunction. Your breaker is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: cutting power when something on that circuit draws more current than it’s rated for. The question is why the device is drawing that extra current in the first place.

Common reasons a single device trips a breaker include:

• The device motor is struggling due to mechanical wear or resistance
• There’s a wiring issue between the panel and the device
• The circuit is shared with other loads that push it over the limit
• The breaker itself is aging and tripping at a lower threshold than rated
• The device genuinely needs more amperage than the circuit provides

Sporadic tripping, where it trips sometimes but not others, is a particularly important clue. That pattern usually points to a mechanical or connection issue rather than a straightforward capacity problem.

When Does Upgrading to a 20-Amp Breaker Actually Make Sense?

A breaker upgrade makes sense when the device is rated for a 20-amp circuit and the wiring already supports it. This is the key detail most people miss. You cannot simply swap a 15-amp breaker for a 20-amp one unless the wire gauge on that circuit is rated for the higher amperage. Putting a 20-amp breaker on 14-gauge wiring designed for 15 amps creates a fire hazard.

A proper upgrade involves confirming the device’s power requirements, checking that the existing wire is 12-gauge or better, and then swapping the breaker. Our electrical service call process always includes checking the full circuit before recommending any change at the panel.

What If the Device Stops Working Entirely After the Breaker Is Upgraded?

If a device stops working altogether after a breaker upgrade, the problem was never the breaker. The original tripping may have been a symptom of something else developing, like a motor drawing increasing current as it wore down, a loose connection arcing intermittently, or a control board fault in the device itself.

In that case, you need two separate assessments: one from the device manufacturer or installer to confirm the equipment is functioning correctly, and one from a licensed electrician to confirm the circuit is delivering clean, consistent power. Learn more about our team and how we approach diagnostics before recommending any work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to upgrade a breaker myself?

No. Working inside an electrical panel is dangerous and, in British Columbia, must be done by a licensed electrician. An incorrect breaker swap can create a serious fire risk if the wire gauge is not matched properly to the new breaker rating.

Can a bad breaker cause intermittent tripping even if nothing is wrong with my device?

Yes. Breakers do wear out over time. An aging breaker can become overly sensitive and trip at loads well below its rated capacity. Replacing the breaker itself, without changing the amperage, sometimes resolves the issue entirely.

What information should I have ready when I call an electrician about this?

Note when the tripping started, whether it’s consistent or sporadic, and whether anything changed around the time it began. If another tradesperson has already looked at the device, share what they found. The more context you give, the faster we can pinpoint the issue.

If you’re dealing with a breaker that keeps tripping for a single device and you’re not sure whether an upgrade is the right fix, contact us and we’ll send a licensed electrician to take a proper look. We serve homeowners across Vancouver, BC and the surrounding area, and we’d rather diagnose it correctly the first time than have you go through the same cycle twice.