What to do when a circuit keeps tripping

A breaker or an RCD that trips has done its job. It has seen a fault, an overload, or a leak of current to earth, and it has disconnected the circuit. Resetting it once, after you have unplugged what was just switched on, is reasonable. Resetting it again and again is not.

What you can check

• Unplug the appliance you had just switched on, then try the breaker once
• Note whether one room has gone, or the whole house
• Look for a socket or a light that is warm, cracked, or smelling of burning
• Leave that circuit off if the breaker trips straight away

If it only trips when a kettle, a heater, or a particular light is on, say so. That tells us whether to start at the appliance or in the cable. If it trips with everything unplugged, the fault is in the wiring, a wet outside light, or the board itself.

When to stop and call

• The breaker will not stay on
• You can smell burning, or a fitting is hot
• You can see scorch marks at a socket or the consumer unit
• Water has got into a light, a socket, or an outside fitting

Call 07383 846751. Say the town, which rooms have gone, and whether it trips immediately. We agree the call-out and a time before anyone sets off. If the circuit is not safe to leave on, we isolate it and tell you what has to happen next.