The breaker keeps tripping — why?
The most important sentence on this page: a breaker that trips is not faulty — it is working perfectly. Tripping is its job. What you need to find is the reason it tripped.
The problem
A particular breaker in the panel flips off and part of the house loses power. Sometimes it only trips when you switch on one specific appliance (washer, AC, microwave, water heater). Sometimes it trips at random. And sometimes it's the RCD/ELCB — the one with a Test button — which cuts the whole house.
Likely causes
An overloaded circuit
The most common and least dangerous cause. Too many appliances on one circuit (heater + iron + kettle + AC) push the current past the breaker's rating. The fix is to spread the load across different circuits.
One faulty appliance
If the breaker trips every time you switch on a particular appliance, that appliance is the problem, not the circuit. A washer with water reaching the motor, a heater with a punctured element, an AC with a failed capacitor — all do exactly this.
An earth leak (this is what trips the RCD)
If the one tripping is the residual-current device (RCD/ELCB — the one with the Test button), current is escaping somewhere it shouldn't — a wet appliance, or degraded cable insulation. That device protects lives, not appliances. Never ignore it.
A short circuit
A live conductor touching neutral or earth. The breaker trips instantly and hard. The tells: a loud bang, a spark, a burning smell, black scorching. This is a fire risk — electrician immediately, no deliberation.
A worn-out breaker
Breakers do age and start tripping below their rated load. It's a real possibility — but it's the last one you consider, not the first. It's usually diagnosed only after an electrician has ruled everything else out.
Fix it — step by step
- First: check for danger before you do anything elseGo to the panel and smell. Burning plastic? Black or yellowed scorching around a breaker? Is the panel warm when you hold your hand near it (without touching)? If yes to any of these — kill the main and call an electrician. Stop here.A burning smell isn't something you monitor. It's an alarm.
- Identify exactly which breaker is trippingOpen the panel and see which one has flipped. Read its label if it has one. Note: is it an ordinary circuit breaker, or the big one with a Test button (the RCD)?If it's the RCD, take it more seriously — an earth leak means current is escaping. See the FAQ below.
- Unplug everything on that circuitGo to the rooms that lost power and unplug every appliance on the circuit. All of them — lamps that are switched off, chargers, the TV, everything.Chargers and standby devices still draw current. Physically unplug them.
- Reset the breaker oncePush it fully to OFF, then all the way to ON. It should hold. If it trips instantly with everything unplugged, the fault is in the wiring itself → electrician. Stop.A breaker must go fully off before it will go back on. Nudging it from halfway does nothing.
- Reconnect appliances one at a timeIf the breaker holds with the circuit empty, start plugging things back in one by one — waiting a minute or two after each and actually switching it on. Whichever one trips the breaker is your culprit.Wait after each one. Some faults only show up under load — when the washer's motor actually starts, for example.
- Found the appliance? Don't use itIf you've identified one, unplug it and leave it unplugged. The appliance needs repair, not the wiring. An appliance that trips a breaker has a leak or a short — and that's dangerous.Do not 'solve' it by plugging the appliance into another circuit. That just moves the fault.
- No single appliance? Split the loadIf it only trips when several things run together, and none of them trips it alone, that's an overload. Spread the big appliances across different circuits and sockets.Big loads — water heater, AC, oven, washer — should each have their own circuit. If yours don't, have an electrician look at the panel.
- Write it all down for the electricianWhich breaker, which appliances, whether it trips instantly or after a while, whether it only trips when a motor starts. This saves them half an hour and saves you the diagnostic fee.Photograph the panel and send it to them before they come out.
Tools & parts you'll need
Disclosure: some parts links above are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission from the store, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which parts we recommend.
When to call a professional
Call an electrician immediately — not tomorrow — if: you smell burning or melting plastic from the panel or a socket; there's scorching, discolouration or distortion on any socket or breaker; a breaker or socket is hot to the touch; the breaker trips with everything unplugged (the fault is in the wiring inside the wall); the RCD trips and won't reset; or you felt a tingle when touching an appliance or a tap (an earth leak — a genuine risk to life). And the main panel itself is opened by an electrician only — mains wiring is a 'danger' category in AskFix, and we give no DIY steps for it.
Need a pro? We'll point you to one.
AskFix takes no commission and books nothing — we give you a technician's number and you call them directly.
AskFix is not a broker or a marketplace. We take no commission on any work you agree with a technician, and we do not warrant their work — the agreement is directly between you and them.
Not sure what's broken? Take a photo.
Snap a photo with your phone — AskFix identifies the appliance, reads the model plate, and tells you what's wrong and how to fix it. Free, no sign-up.
Try photo diagnosisPeople also ask
Why can't I just reset it and forget about it?
Because it tripped for a reason, and the reason is still there. Ignoring it means either a cable heating up inside your wall (fire) or current leaking onto an appliance's casing (shock). The breaker is the last line of defence against both — and resetting it repeatedly means you are overruling your own protection system.
What's the difference between a normal breaker and an RCD?
An ordinary breaker (MCB) protects the wiring from overload and short circuits — it protects the building from fire. An RCD/ELCB (the one with a Test button) protects people: it compares the current going out with the current coming back, and if they differ, current is escaping — possibly through a person. That's why a tripping RCD is treated more seriously.
It only trips when I run the washing machine / water heater
Usually that appliance has an earth leak — a punctured heating element, or water where electricity lives. The appliance needs repairing. Don't use it, and don't plug it into a different socket.
It only trips when it rains
The classic sign of a moisture-driven earth leak — usually an outdoor socket, a water heater, or wiring in a damp wall. Water is conducting current where it shouldn't go. This needs an electrician, and it isn't a wait-and-see.
Can I fit a bigger breaker so it stops tripping?
No — and this is the single most dangerous 'fix' available to you. A breaker is sized to what the cable inside the wall can safely carry. A bigger one means the cable can overheat and ignite before the breaker ever trips. You would be literally removing your protection. If anyone offers to do this, don't let them work in your house.
I touched a tap / the washing machine and felt a tingle
Cut the power to that circuit now and call an electrician today. A tingle on contact means the appliance's body is live — and under the wrong conditions (wet hands, wet floor, a child) that kills. This is not something to keep an eye on.