The power keeps tripping: what it means and what to check

Updated 20 October 2026

When the power goes off, the fuse box switched a circuit off to protect you. Here’s how to find out why, safely.

Two kinds of switch

A circuit breaker trips when a circuit is overloaded or shorts. The residual-current switch, the one with a test button, trips when current leaks to earth. That is often water, or a faulty appliance.

What you can check

1. Unplug everything on the circuit that went off.
2. Switch the breaker or the residual-current switch back on.
3. Plug things back in one at a time. If one makes it trip again, that appliance is the likely fault: leave it unplugged.
4. If it trips with nothing plugged in, after rain, or there’s heat or a burning smell at the fuse box, stop. Leave it off and call an electrician.

Never do this

• Never hold or tape a switch in the on position.
• Never open the fuse box’s cover.
• Never swap in a bigger breaker.

When to call an electrician

When the fault isn’t an appliance, or when it keeps coming back. Electrical work on a home’s installation is for a qualified electrician. Every artisan shows ID and their papers before they can take jobs.

Need someone today? Dashfixe matches you with a vetted local artisan who is free now, and you approve the price before they travel.