Appliance Tripping the Safety Switch in Perth: How to Find It
An appliance tripping the safety switch is one of the most common reasons a Perth home suddenly loses power. When an appliance tripping the safety switch is the cause, the fix is usually to find and remove the faulty item. Here is how to tell if an appliance is the culprit, how to find it, and what to do next.
Why an appliance trips the safety switch
Your safety switch, or RCD, trips when it detects electricity leaking to earth. A faulty appliance, often with a deteriorating element or damaged insulation, can leak just enough current to trip it. So an appliance tripping the safety switch is the RCD doing its job, catching a fault before it can give someone a shock.
Is it an appliance or the wiring?
The first thing to work out is whether an appliance tripping the safety switch is to blame, or whether the fault is in the fixed wiring. If the power comes back and only trips again when you use a particular appliance, the appliance is the likely culprit. If it trips with everything unplugged, the wiring needs an electrician.
How to find the faulty appliance
There is a simple method. Unplug every appliance on the affected circuits, then reset the safety switch. If it holds, plug the appliances back in one at a time, waiting a moment after each. When the safety switch trips, the appliance you just plugged in is the one with the fault, and you have found your culprit.
6 common culprits
- Kettles and toasters with failing elements
- Washing machines and dishwashers
- Old or damaged fridges and freezers
- Irons and hair appliances with worn cords
- Microwaves nearing the end of their life
- Anything with a frayed or damaged power lead
What to do with the faulty appliance
Once you have identified an appliance tripping the safety switch, stop using it and unplug it. A faulty appliance is a shock and fire risk, so it should be repaired by a qualified person or replaced. Do not keep using it just because the safety switch can be reset with it unplugged, the fault will not fix itself.
When it is not the appliance
If you have unplugged everything and the safety switch still trips, an appliance is not the problem and the fault is in the wiring, a power point, or the RCD itself. This needs a licensed electrician to trace. The same applies if you cannot isolate which appliance is responsible after a careful check.
Damaged cords and water
Appliances used near water, in kitchens, laundries and bathrooms, or those with damaged cords are frequent offenders. Water and frayed insulation both create the leakage that trips an RCD. Checking leads for damage, and keeping appliances away from water, reduces the chance of an appliance tripping the safety switch again.
New appliances can fault too
It is not only old appliances that cause trouble; a brand-new item can have a fault straight out of the box, or develop one early. If trouble started right after you introduced a new appliance, test by leaving it unplugged for a while. If the tripping stops, that appliance is the likely cause.
Why use a licensed electrician
If no single item is behind it, an appliance tripping the safety switch that you cannot pin down means a wiring or RCD fault, which is licensed work. A licensed electrician tests the circuits and appliances, finds the fault, and makes it safe. The state’s Building and Energy sets the standards involved.
Stuck with an appliance tripping the safety switch in Perth?
ACS Electrical finds the fault fast across the metro. Explore our safety switch tripping guide, common electrical faults guide or RCD requirements guide. Call 0419 967 838.
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