Fuse box keeps tripping
The unplug-everything method finds the culprit in twenty minutes. Fixed wiring faults are a different story.
What it actually means
A breaker or RCD that trips is doing its job: something is drawing too much or leaking current. The skill is working out whether the culprit is a plugged-in appliance (cheap) or the fixed wiring (not cheap).
Kettles, washing machines, tumble dryers, cheap phone chargers and outdoor sockets after rain are the usual suspects.
Try this first, before you spend a penny
- 1
Note which switch trips
One circuit breaker means one circuit. The main RCD tripping means a leakage fault somewhere on its circuits.
- 2
Unplug everything on that circuit
Everything. Then reset the breaker.
- 3
Plug back in one at a time
Wait a minute between each. When it trips, you have found your appliance. Stop using it.
- 4
Stays tripped with nothing plugged in?
That points at the fixed wiring or a built-in fitting. Stop there.
Safety line, not small print
Burning smell, scorch marks or sparking from any socket or the fuse box: turn the power off at the main switch and treat it as an emergency, not a diagnosis.
When it is a pro job
Any fault in fixed wiring, sockets, or the consumer unit itself is electrician work. Do not open anything. If a breaker will not reset with everything unplugged, book someone qualified.
Qualified electrician
Typical UK range for fault-finding and a minor repair. Rewiring a damaged circuit costs more and needs a proper itemised quote.
£80 to £250
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