Why Your Power Keeps Tripping (Common Causes)

A circuit that trips occasionally is doing its job. A circuit that trips repeatedly is telling you something’s wrong. Here’s how to think about it and when to get help.

The difference between a breaker and a safety switch tripping

• A circuit breaker trips to protect the wiring — usually from too much load on one circuit.
• A safety switch (RCD) trips because it has detected current leaking to earth — often a faulty appliance, but sometimes a wiring fault.

Common causes

• Overloaded circuit. Too many high-draw appliances on one circuit — heaters, kettles, the dryer — can push it over its limit.
• A faulty appliance. A failing appliance can leak current and trip the safety switch. Unplug appliances one at a time to find the culprit.
• Moisture. Water getting into an outdoor point, a light fitting, or an appliance can cause tripping — common after rain.
• A wiring fault. Damaged, aged or rodent-chewed wiring can cause persistent trips and needs professional diagnosis.
• A faulty switch itself. Occasionally the breaker or RCD has worn out and trips without a real fault.

What to try yourself

• Reset the switch once. If it trips again immediately, leave it off and investigate.
• Unplug everything on that circuit, reset, then plug items back one at a time to find the appliance causing it.
• If it trips with nothing plugged in, the issue is in the wiring or the switch — that’s a job for a licensed electrician.

When to call

Constant tripping you can’t trace to an appliance, any burning smell, or a switch that won’t reset at all should be looked at promptly. Repeated tripping is sometimes the only warning you get of a developing fault, so it’s not something to keep resetting and ignoring.