Your safety switch is designed to protect you when there is a leaking current, to minimise the risk of electric shock and electricity related fires that can result in injury or death. A safety switch turns off the electricity within milliseconds, disconnecting the power to the circuit to ensure the safety of those within the home. This can also be referred to as a ‘safety switch trip’. 

 

Has your safety switch tripped? 

Although it may seem like a hassle when your safety switch trips, it just means that it has successfully done its job. Your safety switch will most likely be located in your switchboard or fuse box, if the switch is flipped to ‘OFF’, this means it has tripped. It is important to ensure that if your safety switch is ‘OFF’ you know why it has tripped. If the safety switch is still on but your power is off, then there is another reason for the power trip. 

 

Reasons for a safety switch trip 

  • Temporary electrical fault 
  • Heavy rainfalls that causes rain damage (an electrician should be called for this one)
  • Thunder, lighting or electrical storms 
  • Damaged wiring 
  • Faulty safety switch 
  • Nuisance tripping (happens when too many appliances are running together)

 

What to do if your safety switch keeps tripping 

There are a few different ways to approach a tripping safety switch:

  1. It could be as simple as just switching the switch ‘ON’ and the power may come back immediately. 
  2. If this doesn’t work and the power switches off again, the next option is to unplug all the appliances in your home and attempt to turn the safety switch ‘ON’ again. If the safety switch stays on, you will then need to plug in all appliances to see which one tripped the switch. Often it will be fridges, toasters, irons and kettles. If you do find the appliance causing the trip, ensure to keep it unplugged and get a licensed technician to fix it.