Any kind of major electrical fault around the house will need to be repaired by a professional electrician. However, that said, there are a few everyday electrical tasks that aren’t complicated, or dangerous, which you could attempt yourself. The most important thing to remember is to switch off and unplug whatever it is you need to work on so there’s no danger of a live current.
The first thing to do is find your main fuse box (these days called a consumer unit), which will be in the same place as your electricity meter. They’re often in the main hallway of a house, in a purpose-built cupboard. This is where the electricity in your house is controlled from, and it’s important that you know where to go and what to do if you need to turn off the mains electricity. It’s also helpful to remember where you left a torch too!
In the case of loss of electric light or power
Your fuse box, or consumer unit, will either have fuses or trip switches. Modern electric circuits are fitted with a circuit breaker fuse system; if a fault develops, a switch is tripped and the circuit is broken. Older ones have fuse holders and when a fuse is blown it must be replaced or rewired.
If you experience problems with an old-fashioned fuse box, it might be sensible to install a replacement which conforms to current regulations for ease, safety and peace of mind. If you need assistance with any kind of electrical installation we would recommend calling out a qualified electrician.
Setting a trip switch
Open the cover on the consumer unit to see which switches have tripped to the OFF position. Put them back to the ON position.
If tripping occurs again, it is probably being caused by a faulty appliance. You need to identify which circuit is affected and which appliance on that circuit is causing the problem.
Which appliance is faulty?
Go around the house noting which set of lights or sockets are not working. Unplug all appliances on that problem circuit and switch off any immersion heaters (if you have one). Switch the tripped switch to the ON position and plug in the appliances one by one until the trip goes again. Leave that appliance unplugged, and have it repaired by a qualified electrician.
What causes it to trip or blow a fuse?
- An overloaded circuit
- Too many appliances being used at the same time
- A faulty or misused appliance
- Overfilled kettles
- Unclean toasters
- Cooker rings worn out or cracked
- Faulty immersion heaters
- Faulty connections on leads to appliances e.g. televisions or stereos etc.
- Light bulbs blowing
Plugs
Most plugs will have a fuse inside them. If the appliance suddenly stops working, it is worth replacing the fuse inside the plug before calling an electrician.
To find out the correct type of fuse to fit in the plug, check the rating plate on the appliance. Do not overload plug sockets by using multiple plug adaptors.
Replacing the plug on an appliance is fairly straightforward, and is well worth doing before you declare your electrical appliance broken.
Warning:
- Do not tamper with the electricity company’s fuse and seals
- Do not take any action unless you are confident you can do it safely and legally
FAQs
Unplug all appliances on that problem circuit and switch off any immersion heaters (if you have one). Switch the tripped switch to the ON position and plug in the appliances one by one until the trip goes again. Leave that appliance unplugged, and have it repaired by a qualified electrician.
How do you fix a tripped fuse? ›
Unplug all of your appliances and try resetting the fuse switch. Once reset, plug your appliances back in one at a time and switch them back on. If the switch trips again, you'll know it's the last appliance that you plugged in and switched on. Turn off and unplug the appliance, before resetting the switch.
What is the first thing you should do when a circuit breaker trips? ›
What You Can Do If Your Circuit Breaker Trips
- Step 1: Turn Off Your Appliances and Fixtures. First, turn off any appliances or fixtures that may be using electricity. ...
- Step 2: Make That Switch. Next, switch off the circuit breaker itself before resetting it. ...
- Step 3: Check Your Work.
There can be a few reasons as to why your safety switch won't turn back on, but the most typical is a faulty home electrical appliance. Often the toaster or kettle gets the blame, but it could just as easily be any other appliance that is plugged into the power in your home (fridges can be just as guilty!).
Is it okay to leave a breaker tripped? ›
While leaving a breaker tripped for a short period is generally harmless, it's not ideal to leave it tripped for an extended period. A tripped breaker indicates an underlying issue with your electrical system, such as overload, short circuit, or faulty wiring, that needs to be addressed.
How to fix a tripped breaker that won't reset? ›
On some breakers you need to first press the breaker's lever down and then try to reset it (push it upwards) , if that does not help switch the power off at a main switch and try and reset the breaker, if the breaker still does not want to reset and keeps on going off then the problem is mechanical and not electrical ...
Why won t my fuse go back up? ›
Fuses don't turn back on. They burn out and need to be replaced. If you're talking about a breaker, those can fail and also need to be replaced. There may also be a short in the line, causing the breaker to trip again when you try to turn it back on.
How long do you leave a breaker off to reset it? ›
The short answer is, there's no mandatory wait time. If the circuit is no longer overloaded and the fault condition has been resolved, you can reset the breaker immediately. However, it's advisable to wait a few minutes for the appliance causing the overload to cool down before resetting the breaker.
How do I turn my power back on after a trip? ›
Reset the main breaker by turning the switch off and on two times. Leave the switch in the on position. Return to the breaker panel inside your home and turn each breaker back to the on position, one by one. In many cases, power is now restored.
Will a tripped breaker fix itself? ›
Circuit breakers come in 3 types:
Type 1 are auto resettable, and once tripped, will attempt to reset the circuit, or 'cycle', as the internal elements of the breaker cool down. Type 2 (trip and hold) are called modified reset, and will remain tripped until the power is removed from the breaker.
Start by turning off all the lights, appliances, and electronic devices in your home. Then, reset the main circuit breaker by switching it off and on. Afterward, turn on each circuit one at a time, and observe which one trips the breaker. Once you've identified the circuit, you can focus on narrowing down the problem.
What happens if you trip a breaker too many times? ›
Flipping a breaker on and off repeatedly can cause a surge and damage the equipment connected to that circuit.
Can you fix a blown fuse yourself? ›
Remove the blown fuse. Unscrew the damaged fuse and replace it with a fuse of the exact same size, amperage, and type. Screw in the fuse in the same location. Restore power to the fuse box by flipping the main power switch.
Is it safe to reset a tripped breaker? ›
It is safe to reset a breaker only if it has been determined that the circuit was overloaded. Repeatedly resetting a breaker could result in an arc flash or a fire.
How do I reset the fuse? ›
Open the cover on the fuse box. Most switches will still be in the “on” position so its easy to spot which one has tripped because it will be showing as “off”. Don't be nervous, just raise the switch back to the on position. You should notice lights and power coming back on straight away.
