What a safety switch does
Electricity should flow out along the active wire and back along the neutral. A safety switch compares the two. If some current is leaking away, through faulty insulation, water, or a person, it switches the circuit off in a fraction of a second. A circuit breaker is different: it protects the wiring from overloads and short circuits, not people from shocks.
Why it keeps tripping
- A faulty appliance: the most common cause. Kettles, heaters, washing machines, fridges and old power tools are frequent culprits.
- Moisture in outdoor power points, garden lights or a damp wall cavity, often after rain.
- Damaged cabling, for example a nail or screw through a cable, or rodent damage.
- A wiring fault in the installation itself.
What you can safely check
- Unplug everything on the circuit that tripped.
- Reset the safety switch.
- Plug things back in one at a time. If it trips when one appliance goes back in, stop using that appliance and have it checked or replaced.
- If it trips with everything unplugged, or won't reset at all, leave it off and call an electrician.
Never hold a safety switch on, tape it, or have it bypassed. It's tripping for a reason.
Test yours regularly
Press the “T” or “Test” button on each safety switch every three months. It should switch off straight away; switch it back on afterwards. If it doesn't trip, call an electrician.
Does every circuit need one?
Current wiring rules require safety-switch protection on new power and lighting circuits in homes. Many older homes have none, or only one covering some circuits. A switchboard upgrade is usually the way to fix that.