It’s one of the most common calls we get. The power cuts out, you reset the safety switch, and a few minutes or a few days later it trips again. It’s frustrating, but a tripping safety switch is a sign that it’s working. Something in your home is leaking electricity, and the switch is cutting the power before it can hurt someone.
Here’s what usually causes it, how to narrow it down yourself, and when it’s time to get an electrician in.
What a safety switch actually does
A safety switch, also called an RCD (residual current device), constantly compares the electricity flowing out along a circuit with the electricity flowing back. If some of it is leaking away, for example through a damaged cable, water, or a person, the switch cuts the power in a fraction of a second.
That speed is what makes safety switches life-savers. It’s also why they trip when something is even slightly wrong.
Safety switch or circuit breaker?
Your switchboard has both, and they do different jobs:
- Circuit breakers protect the wiring. They trip when a circuit is overloaded or there’s a short circuit, for example too many heaters running on one circuit.
- Safety switches protect people. They trip when electricity leaks to earth.
Safety switches usually have a Test button. If the switch that keeps dropping out has one, it’s a safety switch, and you’re looking for a leak rather than an overload.
The most common causes
1. A faulty appliance
This is the cause more often than not. Kettles, toasters, washing machines, dishwashers, fridges and old heaters are frequent offenders. A worn element or damaged cord can leak enough current to trip the switch, sometimes only when the appliance heats up or turns on.
2. Water and moisture
If your safety switch trips when it rains, moisture is the prime suspect. Outdoor power points, garden lights, sensor lights and fittings under eaves can let water in, especially as seals age. We see this a lot after heavy rain across Wyndham.
3. Damaged wiring
Cables can be damaged by rodents in the roof, a nail or screw through a wall, or simply age. In older homes in suburbs like Altona Meadows, Laverton and Hoppers Crossing, insulation on old cable can break down over time.
4. A faulty safety switch
Safety switches can wear out. If the switch trips with nothing connected and no fault can be found on the circuit, the switch itself may need replacing.
5. Storm or surge damage
Lightning and power surges can damage appliances and wiring. If the tripping started after a storm, mention that when you call. It may also be relevant to an insurance claim.
How to find the culprit
You can often narrow it down safely without tools:
- Unplug everything on the affected circuits, or switch appliances off at the wall.
- Reset the safety switch.
- If it holds, plug things back in one at a time, waiting a minute between each.
- If the switch trips when a particular appliance goes back on, you’ve probably found your fault. Leave that appliance unplugged and have it checked or replaced.
- If the switch trips with everything unplugged, the fault is in the fixed wiring or a hard-wired appliance. That’s a job for a licensed electrician.
Keep a note of when it trips. Details like “only when it rains” or “when the dishwasher heats up” help us find the fault faster.
What not to do
- Don’t keep resetting a switch that trips straight away.
- Never tape, wedge or hold a safety switch in the on position.
- Don’t open power points, switches or light fittings to look for the problem. In Victoria, that’s electrical work and must be done by a licensed electrician.
- Don’t use an appliance that you suspect is faulty.
Test your safety switches once a year
Energy Safe Victoria recommends testing safety switches once a year. Press the Test button on each one. It should cut the power to the circuits it protects. Then switch it back on. If nothing happens when you press Test, the switch may be faulty and should be checked.
If your home has no safety switches at all, or only one protecting the whole house, it’s worth talking to us about a switchboard upgrade.
When to call an electrician
- The safety switch trips with everything unplugged.
- It trips only in wet weather.
- You can smell burning, or a power point or switch feels warm.
- The tripping started after a storm.
- You’ve found the faulty appliance but it’s hard-wired, like an oven or hot water unit.
We use proper test equipment to check each circuit and find the fault, then explain what’s wrong and what it will cost before we fix it.
Safety switch still tripping?
We’re a family-owned, licensed electrical business based in Point Cook, with more than 25 years of experience. We work across Williams Landing, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina and the rest of Melbourne’s west, and we take emergency calls 24/7. Find out more about our fault finding and repairs service.
Call us on 0405 418 132, or send a few details and a photo of the job. Every job is quoted before we start.