Fuse box tripping with nothing plugged in

1) Why does a trip switch trip with nothing plugged in?

This is because there is an electrical fault in your installation. Somewhere, within the cables, electrical accessories, appliances or consumer unit there is an electrical fault causing the switch to trip. An electrician with the right tools, testing equipment, skill and knowledge can find the issue.

• There are still things plugged in.
• Faulty sockets, switches and cables shorting out.
• Earth Faults.
• Over-current or excessive current / too many appliances.
• Arcing issues.
• Trip switch troubleshooting

There are still things plugged in: The first step in trying to restore power is to begin to find the issue and where it might lie. Commonly the problem is an appliance and this is the first thing we should try to rule out. You may think you have unplugged everything BUT often there are still things that are left plugged in. Dishwashers, fridges, washing machines and other kitchen appliances are popular mistakes. The boiler switch should also be turned off as well. 

Faulty sockets, switches and cables shorting out: Sockets and switches are not designed to last forever and will eventually fail which can cause shorting out on circuits causing a trip switch to turn off. Cabling can also degrade to the point where a trip switch will no longer turn back on. In this case, rewiring the affected section will be necessary or perhaps the entire circuit if the cabling is very old as a temporary repair is simply “kicking the can down the road” in many cases.

2) Earth Faults: What do we mean by this?

Well, any electrical current that has been diverted to earth can cause an earth fault. There are many devices that can detect an earth fault such as an ELCB, RCD, RCB, RCCB, RCBO, GFCI and so on. When one of these devices trips it is because there is some current missing from the normal operation of the electrical circuit and this device has detected this missing current. The ELCB is an outdated device now and does not offer electrical shock protection to the users of the installation like the other devices do. 

An earth fault, even a very tiny current drain to earth, can set of any of these devices and cause nuisance tripping or permanent immobilisation of the circuit. 
Overcurrent or excessive current / too many appliances: A trip switch can also turn off if there has been too much power demand on the circuit or if there is short circuit. In the case of excessive power demand on the circuit then circuit breaker will turn off the supply to the circuit and need some time to cool down before it can be switched back on again. 

3) Arcing issues

When there is electrical arcing it can sometimes cause a trip switch to turn off. This does depend on a number of factors as to the success of this action. If there is an AFDD (arc fault detection device) installed then it is much more likely that the arcing will be detected and safely disconnected. If there is no AFDD then there will often need to be earth leakage or short circuit issues accompanying the arcing in order for the trip switch to turn off. 

4) Trip switch troubleshooting

If you have an RCD, RCB, RCCB, RCBO device in your consumer unit then you should test this every 6 months by pressing the test button. If the device trips then it is assumed to be working normally, however, if the device does not trip when the test button is pressed then the device requires replacing without delay as it is not offering electric shock protection. 

Any of the above issues can cause a FUSE BOX TRIPPING NOTHING PLUGGED IN to happen.

5) What are the signs of a faulty trip switch?

• Intermittent tripping
• Discolouration
• Trip / test button does not work
• Trip switch will not turn back on

6) How to fix a trip switch that trips?

Our Step by step guide is available for you to read or download on the following link: 

https://www.electricalfaultsfixed.co.uk/helpsheet/help-my-house-electrics-are-tripping

The help sheet will help you restore your power if it is possible and will let you know if you need to call an electrician.

7) If the circuit breaker trips do not ignore it and the reasons why!

So many times we visit a customers home to discover the a switch has been tripping for days or weeks and the cause has not been investigated. The customer will tell us that they have simply just kept resetting the switch and carrying on with life.

I am going to tell you why this is nearly always a bad idea...

1. Trip switches are designed to dissipate a fault current, sometimes a large fault current. This requires the ability to get rid of a large amount of electrical energy safely. The ability of a trip switch to do this is a feat of modern engineering and is very impressive. Unfortunately a trip switch can only do this so many times before it fails. Whilst they are designed to trip and disconnect power to circuits they are not able to do this repeatedly. 
2. Trip switches and consumer units are changed VERY INFREQUENTLY in domestic properties as there is often no good reason to update the equipment. Also, if something is working, we don’t tend to question it and we will get on with life. What tends to happen is that safety upgrades are missed and equipment becomes obsolete. When a trip switch fails we can then not source a replacement as they are no longer made! This means a new consumer unit is then often necessary.
3. If a switch inside the consumer fails spectacularly it could take out the main fuse for the property plunging you into complete darkness. 

It can be tempting to leave a problem if resetting a switch can seem to “fix it“ but in reality it doesn’t and just stores up bigger problems for later on. 

If you find your FUSE BOX TRIPPING NOTHING PLUGGED IN  then give us a call to come and investigate the issue for you and we will be happy to get you back up and running, give you advice and offer any quote that is necessary for updating / repairs.