Is my new PSU tripping the breaker?

[DadouXIII]

Hi Guys,

I recently built myself a new PC, it's still missing the GPU (going to be an RTX 2080), but the rest is there:
- Corsair 500SD RGB case
- Corsair Hydro i100 Platinum
- 32GB of Corsair RGB Ram 3200Hz
- i5 9600k
- MSI Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
- 500mb Samsung 970 NVME
- 2TB SSHD Seagate FireCuda
- Corsair RM750i PSU

When I assembled it at first, everything was fine. I then turned it off, unplugged everything, and did some cable management.

Then I plugged everything back on, then turned on the button on the back of the PSU (not the computer power button), and bam, the lights went off in the room. I checked the breaker, and it had tripped. I turned the PSU off, flipped the breaker back on, and then again turned on the PSU, but this time everything was fine. I turned on the PC, everything was fine, it ran for hours, everything fine.

Then I turned it back off, unplugged everything, and went to sleep.

Next morning: more cable management, PSU on, and bam, breaker tripped again. Flipped it back up, turned the PSU on, and just like yesterday, everything went smoothly. The PC ran again for hours, no problem.

So what exactly is happening here? Why did turning on the PSU made the breaker flip these two separate times, and why is trying again just after not cause it to flip?
I ordered a surge protector power strip, will it be enough to protect the PC?

Note 1: The breaker is old, in my room is gives out 10 amps, and the breaker is type B
Note 2: My older PC with also a Corsair PSU RM750 (5 years old, much older model) and something like this never happened...

Can you please help? I'm quite worried

[Asp1re_go_free]

hmmm. well, did you test the rig in another room with 15amp breakers? (kitchen?) 10x120V = 1200W so it shouldn't trip it at all. i would assume its a DOA if it fails the test i mentioned. .... idk, check the 120/240V switch? all i can figure

[Fasauceome]

If you can't figure it out, a UPS will keep it from happening again.

[DadouXIII]

I can test it in the kitchen, it has 2x 10 amps breakers. I'm just worried, is there a risk that those breaker trips will fry the PC?
Why would it trip the first time, but not the second time? This is so weird...

 

Edit: Is there any change the PSU is faulty?

Edit2: Is there any chance the cable management caused it?

Edit3: OK I've been told that 2x 10 amps breakers don't add up, so that won't work.

[kb5zue]

When turning on (flipping the switch on the back of the PSU), the PSU will draw the max that it can for just s split instant.  In this case, the Corsair 750i PSU will draw 750 watts of power.  So, if you have other additional sources of power draw going on in the room, it will just add to the overall pull of current on that particular circuit breaker.  Try turning off all other items in the room.

[Boomwebsearch]

1 minute ago, fasauceome said:

If you can't figure it out, a UPS will keep it from happening again.

A UPS will allow enough time to safely shutdown for most desktop UPS units, remember that battery power is limited and not going to keep you running forever and typically gives you 10 minutes of power to safely shutdown your system and save your data. I would recommend investing in a good surge protector or UPS unit as it will protect against surges and possible electrical damages caused by them. CEGs are often provided to ensure that if something gets fried from a surge the manufacturer will cover the damage expenses based on their policy although not all products have them. AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) is a good feature to look for when buying a UPS unit as it will correct minor voltage fluctuations without needing the battery. Make sure to get a good UPS or surge protector from a reputable brand such as CyberPower or TrippLite to ensure that it is not some brand which has not had much experience with making surge protection and that usually shows when they are the ones to not include any guarantees for the connected devices. Could be something to be checked out by an electrician if you are concerned about safety, although since I am not an electrician I am not sure about the circuit breaker problem which you are having.

[DadouXIII]

double post ,sorry

[DadouXIII]

4 minutes ago, kb5zue said:

When turning on (flipping the switch on the back of the PSU), the PSU will draw the max that it can for just s split instant.  In this case, the Corsair 750i PSU will draw 750 watts of power.  So, if you have other additional sources of power draw going on in the room, it will just add to the overall pull of current on that particular circuit breaker.  Try turning off all other items in the room. 

I tried exactly that this morning, that's when it tripped the breaker the second time. Everything was turned off, the breaker is 10 amps.

What is more, my old PC also has a Corsair 750W PSU, plugged in the same power outlet, it never tripped the breaker, ever.

 

Since we are on the topic: can those breaker trips damage the components? I'm very reluctant to test things, because it tripped twice already. Everything was fine so far, but how many more times can I get luck? What do you think?

[Boomwebsearch]

1 minute ago, kb5zue said:

When turning on (flipping the switch on the back of the PSU), the PSU will draw the max that it can for just s split instant.  In this case, the Corsair 750i PSU will draw 750 watts of power.  So, if you have other additional sources of power draw going on in the room, it will just add to the overall pull of current on that particular circuit breaker.  Try turning off all other items in the room.

Maybe you may need an upgrade on the circuitry of the breaker on your setup by an electrician. If you are planning to need to use other devices such as a really high power-draw light with the PC and you find the overload to be the issue, you still are going to want more power head room for your electronics and the circuit breaker may need to be modified in some way or upgraded completely(not completely sure on that part as I am not an electrician and they may have something else within the setup which the would recommend changing, and in that case I would probably agree with it as not always trusting the professionals can be a hazard in some cases especially with electricity).

[DadouXIII]

Just now, Boomwebsearch said:

Maybe you may need an upgrade on the circuitry of the breaker on your setup by an electrician. If you are planning to need to use other devices such as a really high power-draw light with the PC and you find the overload to be the issue, you still are going to want more power head room for your electronics and the circuit breaker may need to be modified in some way or upgraded completely(not completely sure on that part as I am not an electrician and they may have something else within the setup which the would recommend changing, and in that case I would probably agree with it as not always trusting the professionals can be a hazard in some cases especially with electricity).

But how come my old PC, which also has a 750W PSU did not trip the breaker?

And why does it only happen the first time, and not the second time I try, right after?

[seon123]

It could be that the PSU trips the breaker due to the higher inrush current, compared to the RM750. 

Spoiler

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-rm750i-power-supply,4223-4.html

[kb5zue]

Something tells me that your place could be on the old side.  The ten amp breakers among other things are sort of a give-away as to the age of the house.  If this is true, then you're probably drawing current on the ten amp breaker from other parts of the house.  Might want to try a different part of the house somewhere you know the breaker serving that area is not pulling current from some other place in the house.

 

My house is 25 years old and it has 20 amp breakers for all the bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.

[kb5zue]

6 minutes ago, Boomwebsearch said:

Maybe you may need an upgrade on the circuitry of the breaker on your setup by an electrician. If you are planning to need to use other devices such as a really high power-draw light with the PC and you find the overload to be the issue, you still are going to want more power head room for your electronics and the circuit breaker may need to be modified in some way or upgraded completely(not completely sure on that part as I am not an electrician and they may have something else within the setup which the would recommend changing, and in that case I would probably agree with it as not always trusting the professionals can be a hazard in some cases especially with electricity).

God forbid, you DON'T modify a circuit breaker in any way.  That is a good way to overheat a breaker or the line connected to it and burn the place to the ground.  NEVER modify a circuit breaker.  You replace them.

[DadouXIII]

5 minutes ago, kb5zue said:

Something tells me that your place could be on the old side.  The ten amp breakers among other things are sort of a give-away as to the age of the house.  If this is true, then you're probably drawing current on the ten amp breaker from other parts of the house.  Might want to try a different part of the house somewhere you know the breaker serving that area is not pulling current from some other place in the house.

 

My house is 25 years old and it has 20 amp breakers for all the bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.

Yep, my house is old. 10 amps is not much.

 

6 minutes ago, seon123 said:

It could be that the PSU trips the breaker due to the higher inrush current, compared to the RM750. 

  Reveal hidden contents

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-rm750i-power-supply,4223-4.html

Oh wow, that is eye revealing. What do you recommend I do?
Also: why does it only happen the first time of the day (ie when the PSU switch has been off all the time I was asleep). After the trip, I try again, and this time its fine.

[Boomwebsearch]

11 minutes ago, DadouXIII said:

it tripped twice already. Everything was fine so far, but how many more times can I get luck? What do you think?

 

8 minutes ago, DadouXIII said:

But how come my old PC, which also has a 750W PSU did not trip the breaker?

And why does it only happen the first time, and not the second time I try, right after?

Maybe you possibly added something to the load of the breaker and the extra draw caused it to trip. Do you happen to have a wattage meter for testing applications to use with your system?  When your breaker tripped did it instantly trip as in respective to when turning on the system? I would think that given the same overload on your second attempt it would trip again, although not sure about that one and you may have a faulty breaker (something to be checked for and repaired by an electrician). In the case that the breaker trips after the point when the PSU is taking full wattage from the wall to initiate then your system hardware configuration changing to take more voltage could be the issue. Could you also post your system specs from before in your old system?

[kb5zue]

Recognizing the problem is the first step.  Figuring out what to do is the next.  Given the age of your place and that the breakers are 10 amps, the best thing you could do would be to add an additional line just for your electronics needs.  Best to contact a licensed electrician to do this but essentially what you are doing is to add an additional power line to the room with your system.

[Boomwebsearch]

6 minutes ago, kb5zue said:

15 minutes ago, Boomwebsearch said:

Maybe you may need an upgrade on the circuitry of the breaker on your setup by an electrician. If you are planning to need to use other devices such as a really high power-draw light with the PC and you find the overload to be the issue, you still are going to want more power head room for your electronics and the circuit breaker may need to be modified in some way or upgraded completely(not completely sure on that part as I am not an electrician and they may have something else within the setup which the would recommend changing, and in that case I would probably agree with it as not always trusting the professionals can be a hazard in some cases especially with electricity).

God forbid, you DON'T modify a circuit breaker in any way.  That is a good way to overheat a breaker or the line connected to it and burn the place to the ground.  NEVER modify a circuit breaker.  You replace them.

Sorry, as I have stated before I am not an electrician and do not know much about how the breaker would be able to be changed to be able to accommodate a larger load without getting tripped. Yes, I agree that you as the average user should not modify a circuit breaker or mess with the circuit breaker in an way to try to upgrade it yourself, it could cause a lot of damage as @kb5zue has stated. I don't really know about that it would be needed to always replace then and maybe a qualified electrician could properly fix and upgrade them, although I am not an electrician and do not really know about that so I would suggest going along with the professional's plans on fixing your issue in the recommended manner. 

[seon123]

7 minutes ago, DadouXIII said:

Yep, my house is old. 10 amps is not much.

 

Oh wow, that is eye revealing. What do you recommend I do?
Also: why does it only happen the first time of the day (ie when the PSU switch has been off all the time I was asleep). After the trip, I try again, and this time its fine.

You could go with a PSU that has a lower inrush current. You can look at other reviews to find numbers. A 550W PSU is plenty, so you could look at lower wattage alternatives. 

After the PSU has tripped the breakers, the capacitors are at least partially charged. The capacitors don't drain immediately, so the current is likely lower next time. 

 

Edit: you could also just not switch the PSU off. It draws like 0,1W when plugged in. You can also find these numbers in the same reviews. 

Edited December 31, 2018 by seon123
Something something

[DadouXIII]

11 minutes ago, Boomwebsearch said:

 

Maybe you possibly added something to the load of the breaker and the extra draw caused it to trip. Do you happen to have a wattage meter for testing applications to use with your system?  When your breaker tripped did it instantly trip as in respective to when turning on the system? I would think that given the same overload on your second attempt it would trip again, although not sure about that one and you may have a faulty breaker (something to be checked for and repaired by an electrician). In the case that the breaker trips after the point when the PSU is taking full wattage from the wall to initiate then your system hardware configuration changing to take more voltage could be the issue. Could you also post your system specs from before in your old system?

No I don't have a wattage meter, but I'm considering buying one.

My breaker tripped the millisecond I turned on the power button on the back of the PSU.

 

Old system is:

- GTX 970

- I5 4660k

- MSI B85-G43 GAMING (MS-7816)
- 232GB Samsung SSD 840 EVO 250GB (SATA (SSD))
- 1863GB Western Digital WDC WD20EZRX-00D8PB0 (SATA )
- 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz
- Coolermaster fan + heatsink

- Corsair RM750

[DadouXIII]

3 minutes ago, seon123 said:

You could go with a PSU that has a lower inrush current. You can look at other reviews to find numbers. A 550W PSU is plenty, so you could look at lower wattage alternatives. 

After the PSU has tripped the breakers, the capacitors are at least partially charged. The capacitors don't drain immediately, so the current is likely lower next time. 

 

Edit: you could also just not switch the PSU off. It draws like 0,1W when plugged in. You can also find these numbers in the same reviews. 

OK so it that why the second time it doesn't trip?

 

is it safe to turn the PSU on, and THEN plug in the cable? Is that what you mean?

Or do you mean turn it on, let it trip once, turn it on the second time and never turn it back off? That's what I'm planning to do really, I'm just making sure the PSU is not going to fry the PC.

 

How big is the risk that those breaker trips are going to fry my PC components?

[DadouXIII]

OK one more question:

Will the PSU draw as much power when turned on if all the rest of the components are plugged in that if they are NOT plugged in?

What I mean is: can i test the PSU while it's unplugged from everything else? I don't want to fry my other components

[kb5zue]

1 minute ago, Boomwebsearch said:

Sorry, as I have stated before I am not an electrician and do not know much about how the breaker would be able to be changed to be able to accommodate a larger load without getting tripped. Yes, I agree that you as the average user should not modify a circuit breaker or mess with the circuit breaker in an way to try to upgrade it yourself, it could cause a lot of damage as @kb5zue has stated. I don't really know about that it would be needed to always replace then and maybe a qualified electrician could properly fix and upgrade them, although I am not an electrician and do not really know about that so I would suggest going along with the professional's plans on fixing your issue in the recommended manner. 

I'm curious.  Given the age of the house and that it is using 10 amps as the max load on the individual circuits within the house, does the breaker box outside actually use breakers or does it use the old screw in type of fuse?

 

Yes, you could upgrade the size of the breaker/fuse on the circuits in your house.  For example, remove the 10 amp breaker/fuse from the breaker box and replace it with something like a 15 or 20 amp breaker/fuse but you really don't want to do that.  You run serious risks with replacing a breaker/fuse with something of a higher rating.  The reason is that the wires in the wall are only rated to carry 10 amps max.  So, if you replace the 10 amp with a 15 amp, yea, that would solve your problem with not having enough current but you are turning the wires in the walls into nothing more than a fuse waiting to burn.  Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

The best thing you could do would be to contact a certified, licensed electrician and have him add an additional line to meet your needs.  15 amps would be enough, but that means additional wiring along with the higher rated breaker/fuse.

 

As a last note, if your house does use the old, round glass fuses that screw in, the best thing you could do would be to bulldoze the house and start over.  Those things are definitely a big fire hazard.

[DadouXIII]

2 minutes ago, kb5zue said:

I'm curious.  Given the age of the house and that it is using 10 amps as the max load on the individual circuits within the house, does the breaker box outside actually use breakers or does it use the old screw in type of fuse?

 

Yes, you could upgrade the size of the breaker/fuse on the circuits in your house.  For example, remove the 10 amp breaker/fuse from the breaker box and replace it with something like a 15 or 20 amp breaker/fuse but you really don't want to do that.  You run serious risks with replacing a breaker/fuse with something of a higher rating.  The reason is that the wires in the wall are only rated to carry 10 amps max.  So, if you replace the 10 amp with a 15 amp, yea, that would solve your problem with not having enough current but you are turning the wires in the walls into nothing more than a fuse waiting to burn.  Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

The best thing you could do would be to contact a certified, licensed electrician and have him add an additional line to meet your needs.  15 amps would be enough, but that means additional wiring along with the higher rated breaker/fuse.

 

As a last note, if your house does use the old, round glass fuses that screw in, the best thing you could do would be to bulldoze the house and start over.  Those things are definitely a big fire hazard.

They are switches I flip up and down, no fuses.

Unfortunately, I am in no position whatsoever to have the breaker modified in any way

 

 

Edit: I'll be back tomorrow morning to reply more, it's super late here, thank you guys so much for the support.

[seon123]

3 minutes ago, DadouXIII said:

OK so it that why the second time it doesn't trip?

 

is it safe to turn the PSU on, and THEN plug in the cable? Is that what you mean?

Or do you mean turn it on, let it trip once, turn it on the second time and never turn it back off? That's what I'm planning to do really, I'm just making sure the PSU is not going to fry the PC.

 

How big is the risk that those breaker trips are going to fry my PC components?

If I were to guess, yes. 

 

I meant the second thing. 

 

The PSU should protect the rest of the components. 

[kb5zue]

1 minute ago, DadouXIII said:

They are switches I flip up and down, no fuses.

Unfortunately, I am in no position whatsoever to have the breaker modified in any way

In that case, the best thing you could do would be to contact a certified, licensed electrician and have him add an additional power line to your room.

 

Electricity kills, it burns down houses and buildings and most of all, it destroys lives.  It makes no difference who you are, the color of your skin or where you were born.  It is the most indignant killer out there so when messing with this thing, you got to be correct 100 percent of the time and make no mistakes.  Sorry, just can't emphasize this enough.