Few things are more frustrating than the power cutting out, resetting it, and having it trip again ten minutes later. The good news is that a tripping switchboard is usually your safety system working exactly as designed. Here's what's actually happening, what you can safely check yourself, and when it's time to call a licensed electrician.
First, what's actually tripping?
Most modern switchboards have two kinds of protective device. Circuit breakers protect against too much current — an overload or a short circuit. Safety switches (RCDs) protect people, cutting the power in a fraction of a second if electricity starts leaking to earth, such as through a faulty appliance or damaged wiring.
Knowing which one is tripping tells you a lot. A breaker for one circuit tripping points to that circuit being overloaded or faulty. A safety switch tripping points to a leakage fault somewhere on the circuits it protects. If your board is old enough to still use ceramic fuses rather than either of these, that's a strong sign it's due for an upgrade.
The most common causes
A faulty appliance is the number one culprit. Kettles, toasters, old fridges, washing machines and cheap chargers can all develop a fault that trips a safety switch. The classic test is to unplug everything on the affected circuit, reset, then plug items back in one at a time until it trips again — the last one you plugged in is the likely offender.
An overloaded circuit is the next most common, especially in older Western Sydney homes that were wired before we all owned this many appliances. Running a kettle, microwave, heater and air conditioner on the same circuit can simply ask more than it was built to give.
Moisture and damage are the third. Water in an outdoor powerpoint after rain, a damaged cable, or a light fitting that's let moisture in will all trip a safety switch. Pests chewing cabling in the roof is more common than people expect.
What you can safely check yourself
There are a few safe things to try. Unplug appliances on the dead circuit and attempt to reset the switch once. If it holds, reintroduce appliances one by one to find the faulty one. Have a look at whether the tripping lines up with rain (pointing to an outdoor or moisture fault) or with a particular appliance.
What you should not do is keep forcing the switch back on repeatedly, tape it on, or open up the switchboard. If a safety switch won't stay on with everything unplugged, or it trips the instant you reset it, stop — it's detecting a real fault and overriding it removes your protection.
When to call an electrician
Call a licensed electrician if the switch trips with everything unplugged, trips repeatedly, won't reset at all, or if there's any burning smell, buzzing, or warmth around the board. These point to a wiring fault rather than a simple appliance problem, and wiring faults are both a shock and a fire risk.
If your board still has ceramic fuses or no safety switches at all, it's worth booking an inspection regardless — you're missing protection that's now standard. A switchboard upgrade replaces the old gear with modern breakers and RCDs and usually solves chronic tripping for good.
If your switchboard keeps tripping or still runs on old fuses, Blackwire can find the fault and put it right across Western Sydney.
This article is general information only. Pricing figures are indicative and vary by job. All electrical work in NSW must be carried out by a licensed electrician.
