Why does my fuse board keep tripping?
A methodical guide to diagnosing the most common causes of RCD and breaker trips — and when to call an electrician.
A fuse board that keeps tripping is trying to tell you something. The three most common causes are: a faulty appliance, a genuine circuit fault (like a nail through a cable), and an RCD reaching the end of its life.
Try this first
Unplug everything on the affected circuit and reset the breaker. Plug items back in one at a time. If a specific appliance trips the board, that's your culprit — usually a kettle, iron, tumble dryer or older fridge.
When to stop and call
If the breaker trips with everything unplugged, or trips at random times with no obvious cause, you likely have a circuit or accessory fault. Fixing this properly requires insulation resistance testing — don't just keep resetting it.