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It’s a bit unusual as it’s a 3rd bedroom of a suite, but it’s accessible through 2 doors.
One door is a regular bedroom door from the suite. Other is a door in through a common hallway, so is accessible without entering the suite.
I had to go in there at 1am a couple of weeks ago when guest flipped the breaker, another time middle of the night not long ago.
Anyone have any thoughts on how you’d deal with it? At the moment I have it locked off completely so I can access when ever I want.
Another way would be to build a wall down the middle of said room and have a smaller bedroom, and also still be able to access the now separate room to get to the panel whenever I wanted.
Room would then be around half size at around 10 feet x 9 feet with a good sized window. (currently about twice that size, but with 2 doors)
How long have you been hosting? Why are you having to access the panel so often? I ask because it seems like building a wall to make a separate room just for the breaker access seems like overkill.
Why did the guest do this? Maybe just locking the breaker panel box would solve your problem.
Yes that does seem like a big deal to me. I’m always needing access to the panel and it would be very awkward to have it in the guest’s room. I think it would have to be a very casual and cheap place for that to be acceptable.
Is there any chance that you could take that room yourself?
I think I would consider the wall. You could make it a useful storage room for yourself or for renters.
The panel is a new and 200 amp, so it’s adequate.
It’s things like someone will plug in a hairdryer and put the microwave on at the same time even though there’s a sign asking them not to.
Another was when a big storm came in the night and all the power went off, so I had to go check that things were at on the panel.
In that case then, yes, make yourself a utility room in that space. My Airbnb room is only 10x11 feet in the main part so that’s a tight fit for a queen bed. Maybe put bunk beds there to accommodate families with kids.
I think the idea is that the breaker flips when the circuit is overloaded so that the wire doesn’t overheat. So if you plug enough in, you’ll flip the breaker.
I have this issue and I have spent $1000s trying to solve it. The breaker flips when multiple items are plugged in, but only sometimes. It’s not necessarily “cheapskatey”. It’s a mystery that three electricians haven’t solved but have enjoyed charging me to explore.
I may have missed it. Are you saying if you open up the third bedroom, the guest will have access to the breaker box and you don’t want that?
My condo breaker box is in the laundry. I can’t lock it off. Breaker flips, guest must reset, I’m 4 hours away.
If the guest calls & says something isn’t working, my response is, “ sounds like a tripped a breaker. Would you mind checking the breaker box before I call a handyman? “. They always check, flip it and problem resolved with no delay waiting for someone else.
Your response could be, “I think a breaker tripped. Would you mind checking the breaker box? That way you don’t have to wait on me and I won’t be interrupting your trip.”
If a breaker trips affecting your living area but not your rental, be truthful. Call guest, explain you need access to the breaker panel for a few minutes. Ask if ok with them for you to nip in and take care of it.
You said it happens rarely so don’t invest a lot of time or money in a solution.
If it becomes difficult, lock the bedroom off again & work on a solution.
I had to add more than one circuit in my suite – with a microwave, toaster oven, electric kettle, TV, hairdryer, dorm fridge.
My electrician put the fridge and the microwave on their own circuits. No problems since.
Worth it to me after a couple times getting that dreaded message from the guests, “The power is out.” Thank goodness I was not running errands and could go turn on the breaker in my basement immediately.
I’m considering getting a generator.
This basically says your space isn’t properly wired for the way you’re using it. Since the breaker box is right there, you’d probably be better off adding one or two additional dedicated circuits than putting up the wall. If the kitchenette area (microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator) is close to the breaker box, it’s probably very cheap and easy.
It may be. However, if you have 2 things on one breaker and they are too much for the breaker, then the breaker will trip.
When you find you have to put up a sign telling gusts to, in effect, work around your poorly planned and executed electrical wiring, that should be a red flag to fix your issue. A breaker tripping is protecting your wiring from an overload - which could mean a fire, if one day the breaker becomes defective. This ‘cheap’ way to do things is never the best way when you are putting lives at risk by only providing inadequate wiring. I’m surprised your ‘new’ service passed inspection. Fix the issue.
I have to say I don’t understand those of you insisting that his wiring isn’t up to code, that he needs more breakers, etc.
The wiring can be just fine, and there be plenty of circuits, but if a guest decides to plug all their stuff into one, ignoring instructions to the contrary, that isn’t the host’s fault.
I often switch off a breaker if I am having to replace a fan capacitor, or even to change out a lightbulb, as I don’t risk electrocution. So I would want unfettered access to my electrical panel.
@Dave_vancouver If I were you, I’d make the bedroom smaller so you have access to the panel. My guest bedroom is an odd shape, and the square footage is quite small. But my guests love that room andI stay in it myself sometimes.
There are ways to make a small room not feel cramped, just cozy. Books on small spaces and storage solutions, colors to paint things, using mirrors, etc, will be useful.
Hard to know the best fix, without understanding the space and how easy it would be to run a new circuit. Usual code (in USA anyway) is a dedicated 15/20 amp breaker for the GFI in the bathroom where someone would use a hair dryer.
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Look to figure out if it is easier to run a new line for either the outlet for the microwave or the one used for hair dryer and make the solution permanent. Hopefully, it’s not too hard to snake a line to where you need it and you should have a ton of space in a 200 panel.
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Oh and bear in mind that the new circuit may well have to be on an ARC Fault breaker. In the US, any new or modified circuit needs to be. These breakers are less expensive online (ebay / amazon) than Home Depot, etc.
