Circuit breakers are designed to trip when a fault is detected on the circuit. It’s an important safety feature and the reason why modern homes use circuit breakers instead of fuses.
If your circuit breaker trips, you can reset it by pushing the switch up, back into the on position. In some cases, this is all it takes as a spider, dust, or some other issue may have caused it to trip.
But, if it trips again straight away or periodically, you have an issue and you’ll probably need help from a qualified electrician Sydney.
Don’t forget, regulations are very restrictive regarding what electrics you can do at home.
Faulty Appliance
If the circuit breaker trips and then trips instantly when you reset it, you are likely to have an issue on that circuit It can be a wiring issue that will need professional help. But, it can also be a result of one of your appliances becoming faulty or asking for reseting.
Unplug everything on the circuit and then turn the breaker back on. If it doesn’t trip straightaway you’re off to a good start. Tripping instantly tells you there is an issue with the circuit.
You can plug the appliances back into the circuit one at a time. There is a good chance that one appliance will cause the breaker to trip. If this happens, unplug everything again and reset the breaker. Then plug everything back in, one at a time and in a different order.
If the same appliance causes the breaker to trip there is something wrong with the appliance./ Leave it unplugged and the breaker should be fine. You’ll have to decide if it is worth repairing or replacing the appliance.
Overloaded Circuit
You may find you can plug everything in without any issue and the breaker trips later in the day. This is often a result of excessive load. W>hen you plug the items in they are not necessarily drawing any current. But, once they draw current later it may be that there are too many appliances and the load is too much for the breaker, causing it to trip.
Add up the amps used by all appliances on the circuit and compare it to the breaker. If it’s higher than the breaker this is why it’s tripping. You can’t simply replace the breaker with a larger one, you’ll need to have the electrician verify that the wiring circuit can handle the extra current. If not, you’ll need a new circuit fitted.
Old Breaker
It is possible that your circuit breaker is old and simply reaching the end of its lifespan. In general, a circuit breaker will last ten years, if yours are older than this they could be at the end of their life. Your electrician can verify this and replace it to eliminate the issue.
Of course, if you have old circuit breakers the electrician should also check your wiring to ensure it is in good condition.
You should also note that a circuit breaker doesn’t have to be old to fail, sometimes they have just gone bad, and removing screws or repairing won’t help.
