Breaker in Elec. panel with small orange glow

[robert raess]

I noticed in the breaker panel one of the 20 amp breakers[that is still working]has a small orange lite.It is not the orange bar that you see when a breaker is tripped.I do not have to force the circuit on nor does it want to trip. Does this ring a bell with anyone? and do you suspect that this needs to be replaced[the 20 amp breaker]? Thanks Rob

[Greg Peterson]

Is this a regular breaker or is it a GFCI or AFCI breaker? Is there a little button on the switch labeled Test? Are you indicating that this breaker houses a LED or incandescent lamp?

[Ed Aumiller]

Is it warm to the touch ??? If so, replace it...
Hold your hands to block any outside light or make the area dark.... do you still see the glow ?? if not, it may be external light reflecting off something on the breaker...
if you still see the glow, turn it off until you can replace it...

If in doubt over whether to replace, be safe and replace it....

[David G Baker]

I have had the warm orange glow in my breaker panel in the past. I shut off all of the lights so I could see the glow better. The glow was a short that did not trip the breaker and had I not caught it there could have been a fire. By all means kill your power and check the breaker to make sure the wire is tightly fastened in the lug. If there is a sign of any arc replace the breaker.

[robert raess]

It is not warm to the touch,it looks no diff. a reg. 20 amp breaker..so i am at a loss to say that it is a gfci never having seen one in an elec. panel.The closest description, if you look real close it looks like a tiny filament,that looks stable with no arcing.Thats all i got..Rob

[Ed Aumiller]

Sounds exactly what David described.... even though it is not warm.. and it is not a GFCI breaker, REPLACE it ASAP...
for $10 cost at Lowes/HomeDepot/etc it is not worth taking a chance on a fire... Turn it off until you can get it replaced...

[David G Baker]

Robert,
Could your breaker be a whole house surge protector? The one that I have in my main panel has a small light in it showing me that it is working properly. When it is not working the light goes out and the main breaker is off protecting your house circuits from power surges and lightning strikes. Pictures are worth a thousand words.