We all know that when things go wrong, electrical things, it usually happens after 6 in the evening or on the weekend. Murphy's Law. The safety switch trips when you have the oven on, the cooktop cranking, the electric hot water system is under full stream, the TV's blaring and all except two lights are on, thanks to family members with short-term memory loss. (It happens in every household, admit it, share houses, family homes, couples flats, none is immune.) The timing couldn't be worse.
Electrical safety switch tripping
The first rule in this situation is to make sure everyone in your home is OK. See medical advice if you suspect someone in your home has had an electric shock.
The second rule of electrical shut off is to keep a torch handy. The fuse box or switchboard is not a place to be fumbling around in the dark.
And the third rule is to check the safety switch. Turn the switch back to ON. If it stays there you are in luck. If it just flicks back to the OFF position immediately or shortly after the initial trip you have a little investigative work to do. The safety switch is detecting a loss of power from the circuit due to a faulty appliance or electrical wiring.
Please note - if your home does not have a safety switch we strongly advise you arrange for a safety switch installation or, if renting, contact your property manager to have one installed as soon as possible.
The safety switch is not there just to make your life difficult in the middle of making dinner, it's sole purpose it to protect everyone in your home from an electrical shock which can lead to injury or death.
So, how do you find the possible faulty appliance which is tripping your safety switch? A process of elimination.
You'll need to go around the house and unplug all the appliances, yep all of them. We know, it's a pain, but it is the only way to know for sure and not put up with repeated tripping. And, no, you can't just turn them off, you have to actually turn off the powerpoint and pull the plug out for each appliance.
Don't forget things like the rangehood, fridge or anything plugged into an external power point.
Reset the safety switch to the ON position. If it stays on the issue is likely to be an appliance. If not the issue could be in your home electrical wiring or several other possible electrical issues. In this instance, you will need to call a licenced electrician for assistance and advice.
If the safety switch stays on - one at a time, plug the appliances back in. You will soon discover what's setting off the trip as the safety switch should flick off as soon as the faulty appliance is turned on.
Ensure that the faulty appliance is not used again until it can be repaired or in the case of small appliances such as toasters, kettles or irons replaced.
Any repeated safety switch tripping should be investigated by a licenced electrician and treated as a serious electrical safety issue.
In all circumstances take care around electrical infrastructure, such as switchboards, fuse boxes, and wiring. If at any time you are unsure about what to do call in an electrician.