That blows! It’s a cold night; you’re watching TV with your laptop plugged while you’re preheating the oven. You feel it’s a little chilly so you go to put on the heater. Then lights out! “What going on?” you ask yourself in the pitch black. The likely answer is that your circuit breaker tripped or you blew a fuse. How could that of happened? Though it could be for a number of reasons, it is actually preventing something much worse like an electrical fire. The main reason circuit breakers/ fuses flick off is when a circuit has a bigger electrical load then it’s supposed to. This is a safety precaution to stop the circuit overheating.
What causes them to trip/blow?There are five main reasons for a fuse blowing or circuit breaker tripping:
- Momently electrical disturbances. This is usually a one off occurrence where an electrical disturbance took place which overloaded the circuit breaker/fuse and caused it to trip/blow. This happens rarely.
- Faulty appliance. Ever noticed that the lights only go out when you plug in a particular appliance? This means that it is likely faulty and the cause for overloading the current.
- Overusing.This means you have too much plugged in to one outlet.
- Faulty safety features. It is possible that the circuit breaker is faulty and is tripping for no reason. See your electrician
- Faulty wiring. The wiring in your house could be faulty, meaning that it is overheating with barley any appliances plugged in. See your electrician
Are you tripping?If you notice your always in the dark and you need the complete peace of mind that comes when hiring a fully licensed, professional electrician, then call Omega today on 1300 674 797 and book so we can keep the light on for you.