Why does my circuit breaker keep tripping repeatedly?

Your circuit breaker is tripping because it's detecting more electrical current than it's rated to handle, which is its job — to protect your wiring from overheating and causing a fire. The most common cause is a overloaded circuit, meaning too many devices drawing power at once. Try unplugging some appliances and spreading them across different circuits. Other causes include a short circuit, where a hot wire touches a neutral wire inside an outlet, appliance, or the wiring itself, or a ground fault. A faulty breaker that's worn out can also trip under normal loads. If the breaker trips immediately after resetting with nothing plugged in, or if you smell burning, call a licensed electrician right away rather than troubleshooting further yourself.