Looking for a circuit breaker problems Electrician?

If you are experiencing circuit breaker problems or CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPING PROBLEMS IN LIVERPOOL then this page may be able to help you understand what is happening. 

Our electrical system can suffer a wide range of electrical problems throughout its life and circuit breaker problems are a common complaint when we receive emergency calls. Typical problems with electrical installations can also include:

• Complaints of Electric Shock
• Tripped Circuit Breaker 
• Damage to Electrical Wiring
• Electrical Circuit not working
• Socket Crackling Noises
• Burning Smells 

1) What is a circuit breaker?

Inside our electrical panel, consumer unit or trip switch box there are a number of different electrical devices. The Main Switch, the RCD, RCCB or RCB and MCB devices. 

The MCB stands for Miniature Circuit Breaker. This device is installed by an electrician to protect the electrical cables from overload, excessive wear, and fire. The circuit breaker will operate for a variety of reasons including:

• Too many appliances being used (Gradual Overload)
• Wiring Faults (Short Circuit or Sudden Overload)
• Moisture Problems
• Damaged Circuit Breaker

If you are having CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPING PROBLEMS IN LIVERPOOL then before calling an electrician, check that none of the above are currently affecting your electrical system. 

2) Too many appliances?

When we use a lot of electrical appliances at the same time, we demand a lot from our electrical equipment, wiring and fuse box. In older homes especially, it is common to be able to overload the plug sockets by using too many appliances at the same time. 
In modern homes there is less chance of this occurring as wiring systems are more modern and designed for modern electrical demands. Circuit Breakers will trip the power off if they detect too many appliances being used at once. 

3) Wiring Faults?

Where wiring faults have occurred, the circuit breaker will sometimes detect this and trip the power off to that particular part of the electrics. Have a think if and DIY has been carried out recently and where? Have you put a picture up or nailed something into the wall? 

Most electrical cables should run within safe wiring zones in line with light switches and sockets but NOT ALL homes will be wired in this way. Older wiring systems may not comply with this and many DIY enthusiasts might have added wiring on to the system without realising there are wiring zones. 

If you have installed shelves or hung a picture near a socket or light switch, is it possible you have damaged an electrical cable? 
The wiring in the photograph below had been done poorly and as a result, the connections became very hot, caught fire, and melted the wiring and connectors.

4) Moisture Problems?

Moisture and electricity are not the best of friends. Water can bridge electrical connections creating short circuit problems and electrical damage. Arcing can occur and serious risk of fire can increase with this situation.

We can see in the photograph below that the back of this switch had been affected by moisture. This was causing unwanted tripping.

A Circuit Breaker is not the best at detecting moisture in wiring or electrics but it will occasionally trip if the right conditions present themselves. Before calling an electrician out to come and investigate, has anything been spilled recently near the electrical system? Have you got damp in the walls? Has there been a lot of rain?

Moisture often shows up when electricians carry out their electrical testing but the source of the moisture may well need to be removed before the electrical system can be safely reinstated.

5) Damaged Circuit Breaker?

Circuit Breakers are not intended to last forever and are susceptible to damage and wear like every other part of the electrical system. When circuit breakers become worn out, they will sometimes start to trip electrical circuits when it is not necessary to do so. 

Each circuit breaker has an amperage rating. This is the amount of electrical current it will safely allow to pass before it begins to think about tripping. When circuit breakers age, they can begin to trip with less electrical load than they are intended to. 

This damage is not visible to the outside of the switch and is only able to be determined with specialist test equipment. 

Contact an electrician in Liverpool to ask for advice about your circuit breaker problems.

6) Is Circuit Breaker Repair possible?

Circuit breakers are not a repairable or serviceable device. If they are faulty then they need to be swapped for a replacement. These devices are designed to protect against an overloaded circuit and to a certain extent, electrical fires.

Electrical issues can be irritating and sometimes expensive but leaving an electrical device like a circuit breaker to trip continually is likely causing further damage and adding to those electrical issues. These types of faults rarely resolve themselves and without investigation by a professional electrician will develop into more serious issues like arc faults, wiring damage and potential fire. 

A tripping circuit breaker or other trip switch is an electrical emergency until the problem is resolved. These devices are in your electrical panel, consumer unit or fuse box to protect YOU and your home wiring system from harm.

7) How long can I leave an electrical fault?

Where electrical faults have been happening for a long time, it is only a matter of time before the breaker panel, consumer unit or fuse box components fail completely. This can be a problem because many of our homes contain electrical systems that are very old. Parts are regularly not available for older electrical installations as technology changes quickly and parts become obsolete.

If your breaker has tripped for the first time then it may be safe to reset it. If it happens again within a short time then its best to call a qualified electrician to investigate the problem. A ground fault or Earth faults can result in exposed metal work in your home becoming live to the touch which is not a safe situation.

8) The Right Electrician?

I understand that finding the right electrician can be a difficult process and especially so in an emergency. Rest assured that I am here to help, I specialise in electrical problems like this and am able to find most problems within an hour or two. 

Where problems are minor then most repairs can also be carried out on site without further costs or further visits. 

If you find that you have a CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPING IN LIVERPOOL then get in touch. There is a WhatsApp button on our website if you would rather text.