When the lights suddenly go out and your appliances stop working, it means your circuit breaker has tripped! In this case, it may not reset or may fail to switch back on, which indicates a problem with your electrical installation.
It's important to understand that when your circuit breaker trips, it's protecting you from an issue in your electrical circuit (overcurrent, overload, short circuit, or earth fault). You no longer have power in that circuit because your circuit breaker has cut the supply. Note that if the circuit breaker cannot be reset, there's still a problem in your electrical circuit that needs fixing.
The power outage may originate from different sources:
- A general power cut affecting part of your street or neighbourhood
- Your main circuit breaker, which protects your entire electrical installation
- One of your branch circuit breakers, which protects several individual circuits
How can you identify the fault in your electrical circuit?
In the case of a short circuit A short circuit occurs when two points in the electrical circuit make contact with each other abnormally. This is often caused by faulty wiring (at a switch, socket, etc.) or a defective appliance.
In the case of overcurrent An overcurrent occurs when the combined power demand of connected loads exceeds the rating of the installed circuit breaker, or when one of your appliances develops a fault. Your circuit breaker instantly cuts the power to prevent any problems.
This often happens when too many appliances are used simultaneously. Your electrical circuit hasn't been adequately sized for this heavy load and therefore cuts the power supply.
Earth fault protection Earth faults occur when one of the live wires touches a part that's connected to earth. This can be caused by bare wires touching a metal casing or when someone touches a live wire. In this case, before doing anything else, inspect your property and secure any dangerous items before restoring power.
In all three cases, the main circuit breaker will have tripped. You'll need to identify which circuit the fault originates from and therefore which circuit breaker is affected.
An effective way to determine this is to switch off all the individual circuit breakers. Then reset the main circuit breaker and finally reset the individual circuit breakers one by one until you find the one causing the problem and tripping your entire electrical system. Since each individual circuit breaker protects a specific electrical circuit, you'll then only need to locate where the problem lies within that circuit.
Special case: circuit breaker trips with nothing connected
Sometimes a circuit breaker can trip with nothing plugged in. This situation, which may seem puzzling, indicates that the problem lies not with the appliances, but with the electrical circuit itself.
When your circuit breaker trips with no appliances connected, it's often due to insulation failure. The insulation of electrical cables can be damaged by moisture, ageing, or even rodents that have chewed through the protective sheathing. It may also be a permanent short circuit in a socket, switch, or junction box.
In some cases, the circuit breaker itself is faulty and trips unexpectedly. You may also have a persistent earth fault in your installation, particularly in areas with high moisture levels such as bathrooms or kitchens.
To identify the source of the problem when your circuit breaker trips despite nothing being connected, first verify that all appliances are unplugged from every socket on the affected circuit. If the circuit breaker still won't stay on when you attempt to reset it, the problem definitely lies within the circuit itself. You can visually inspect sockets and switches for any signs of burning or moisture damage.
Please note that this situation often requires professional assistance, as it may indicate a dangerous insulation fault in your electrical installation.
If the fault persists
If you're unable to reset your circuit breaker after following the steps above, your problem may be more complex.
You'll need professional help (whether it concerns your electrical installation or the circuit breaker itself), so don't hesitate to contact a qualified electrician who can resolve your problem.
Please note that if you have any doubts whatsoever, don't hesitate to call a professional immediately. Working on electrical circuits yourself carries significant risks.
We remind you that it's essential to switch off your main circuit breaker before working on any faulty electrical appliance or the electrical wiring of your circuits.
