Why Does My Power Keep Tripping? Causes and When to Call an Electrician

When a breaker or safety switch trips, it’s doing what it’s designed to do: cutting the power before something gets hurt. An occasional trip isn’t a problem. Repeated tripping is a sign that something needs attention.

What kind of trip is it?

Different switches trip for different reasons.

• A circuit breaker trips when a circuit is overloaded or has a short circuit. It protects the wiring from overheating.
• A safety switch (RCD) trips when it detects current leaking to earth, for example through a faulty appliance, damp wiring or a person. It protects people from electric shock.

Knowing which one tripped tells you a lot. See what’s in your switchboard if you’re not sure which is which.

Common causes

Overload. Too much running on one circuit at once, such as a kettle, toaster and microwave together, or several heaters on the same power point. The breaker trips after a short time.

A faulty appliance. An appliance with a fault inside can leak current or short out. If it trips as soon as you plug in or switch on one particular thing, that’s your culprit.

Water. In Cairns this is the big one. Rain getting into outdoor power points, garage lights, external fittings, or damp wiring can trip a safety switch, and it often happens after wet weather. Trips that come and go with the weather are a strong hint.

A fault in the wiring. Damaged, old or chewed cable, including rodent damage, can leak or short out.

An ageing board. Old breakers can trip more easily, and an old or overloaded board might be struggling to keep up with modern demand. See the signs your switchboard needs upgrading.

A surge or storm event. A sudden trip during a storm can be a sign of a spike, and it can be worth having things checked afterwards. See what a surge does to your appliances.

A simple way to narrow it down

1. Note what tripped: which switch, and what you were doing.
2. Unplug or switch off what’s on that circuit.
3. Reset the switch. If it holds, plug things back in one at a time.
4. When it trips again, the last item you plugged in is the likely suspect.
5. If it trips with nothing plugged in, or you can’t find a cause, the problem is in the wiring or the board and you need an electrician.

What not to do

• Don’t keep resetting it. If it trips repeatedly, something is wrong.
• Don’t hold the switch on, tape it, or replace it with a bigger one. That removes the protection.
• Don’t open the board or try to fix it yourself. It’s licensed work.
• Don’t ignore a warm board, buzzing, crackling, scorch marks or a burning smell. Turn off at the main switch and call straight away.

When to call an electrician

• It trips repeatedly and you can’t find the cause
• It trips with nothing plugged in
• A safety switch won’t reset
• It trips every time it rains
• The board is warm, noisy, marked or smells odd
• You’ve got old fuses or no safety switches at all

A licensed electrician can test the circuits, find what’s causing it and tell you whether it’s a repair or a switchboard upgrade. If you’d like someone to take a look, get in touch.