All modern homes have a circuit breaker fuse system, located near the electricity meter or at the entrance. In case of an electrical fault, the switch trips, and the circuit is broken. Three of the most common reasons why this may happen are:
- Too many electrical appliances are in use together, which overloads the circuit
- One of the electrical appliances in the house is faulty
- There is a faulty power connection in one of the appliances
Troubleshooting steps for identifying causes of tripped electrics
If reducing the number of appliances plugged in at the same time on the circuit, does not restore the electricity, try the following steps to identify the problem:
- Check for faulty appliance: Unplug all the electrical devices (washing machine, television, iron press, immersion heater, oven, electric cooker/ kettle, garden lighting). To test if the switch has tripped due to a fault in one of the electrical appliances, re-plug each appliance one by one. If the electrics trip on plugging in a particular appliance, you have identified the fault. Call an appliance technician or electrician to rectify the appliance.
- Check for faults in the wiring and electricity supply: The trip switch will have a reset or ‘push to test’ button. Push this button. If the switch trips again, there is likely a fault with the electrical wiring in the house. This needs to be handled by an experienced electrician. On the other hand, if the switch does not trip when you press the reset button, this means that there is no electricity supply, and you need to contact the power company helpline.
- Check for fault in fuse box or trip switch: If the fuse box and the trip switch in your house are located separately, turn-off the fuse box and turn on the switch. The switch should stay on. If the switch trips yet again, there could be a problem with either the fuse box or switch. Call an electrician to check the problem.
Why does an appliance keep tripping?
If your appliance keeps tripping, then there may be a fault within the appliance’s circuit that needs to be repaired. This is important because faulty appliances can use up more energy than necessary, cause power outages, and even pose a serious fire hazard to your home.
It is also possible that one of the circuits in your house has developed a fault. It is difficult for the average homeowner to identify this problem. An electrician will isolate each circuit and run tests to detect the faulty circuit.
Does my insurance cover faulty appliances?
Your home insurance or appliance insurance may be cover you for the repairs to your appliance if it keeps tripping and is found to have a fault.
Contact your home insurance provider directly or check your policy details to find out if this is something that’s covered.
Important: Working with electricity can be dangerous. Please do no attempt to carry out these repairs on your own. In addition, exercise basic electrical safety precautions at all times.