Your safety switch is a device in your breaker box which immediately shuts off your power when there is a disturbed or imbalance surge of power through your wiring. It is the switch that keeps you from getting zapped. So, when safety switches trip, it means you are exposed to an onslaught of electricity. There are obvious risks to this situation. Every house at Gold coast already has a safety switch installed in their breaker box, but every owner must always check for trips.
What does “tripping” mean?
Switches trip, which means they turn off randomly. What happens is, sometimes due to varied reasons your safety switch will simply turn off and “trip” on its own. The switches are made by the commercial electrical companies to trip in order to avoid further damage. This may sound very scary, but looking at the reasons that cause the switches can help us deal with this issue better.
Why do safety switches trip?
If the flow of the current that your devices use and your grounding/ wires take out is balanced, then the switch will remain on. But if it keeps tripping, then here are the probable causes -
- Appliances
One of the main reasons for a safety switch tripping is because of faulty or damaged appliances. When appliances are damaged, electricity tends to leak causing the switch to go into overdrive. Bigger appliances being more difficult to maintain, the wear and tear cause damage. When a switch goes off, the first thing to try resetting is it, but if that doesn’t work and the switch keeps tripping, then you must unplug all your appliances. Reset the switch, and switch the appliances on one by one. The faulty appliance will make the switch trip, and you can contact a certified electrician to do the repair.
- Damaged wiring
Electrical wiring and its insulation gets damaged or worn out as time goes by. Fluctuations caused by damaged wiring are detected by the safety switch, making it cut off the power supply immediately. This reduces the risk of wiring or insulation burning out. You can contact commercial electrical companies and get the building rewired with new cables. Especially if you own an old property, it is advisable to get your wiring checked.
- Defective Switches
Occasionally, a faulty safety switch may also cause issues. Most of the time though, these switches don’t trip, they just shut off. If your switch has stopped working, you need to contact a certified electrician and get a new one installed.
- Weather
Sometimes bad weather also contributes towards electricity leaks or fluctuations. This is recognised by the switch causing it to trip. Before resetting the switches, you have to wait till the weather clears up. Sometimes rainwater can also come in, wait for it to dry before working on the switch.
Ideally, it’s a good idea to test safety switches once a month. At the very least, test them once every three months or call a certified electrician to set up a repair and inspection. Find reliable certified electricians near you.
