balidas posted:Big_Boy_4005 posted:Thanks Mark. I'm not sure if breakers die of old age. I know they get weak if they're tripped a lot. The good part is mine are cheap, under $4 each. This one o¢nly does the track power, but that's a big load with six 20 Amp power supplies on the 20 Amp circuit. That's a pretty big bounce on start up. If it still pops the breaker after I replace it, I have another trick up my sleeve. I'll put a delay circuit on three of the supplies to stagger the start up, reducing that spike.
They do wear out over time. It's called "planned obsolescence". Plus they are made for lights, not for massive, gargantuan, Guinness Book Of World Record qualifying layouts.
Those 49¢ light switches really do wear out. I had to replace the one in the family room and the one in the bathroom, the ones that get the heaviest cycles. I know the layout hasn't had as many cycles as those, but the old one was only rated for 15 Amps. It might have been arcing. The new ones are 20 Amp commercial. They should last a while, at almost 10x the price.
