We take phone calls from customers in Cheshunt every day and the most common call of them all is, my fuse board has tripped, and it won’t coming back on.
When it comes to electrical issues no one knows when they might rear their ugly head. But thankfully there are a few things that can be done to hopefully help you get your electrics back up and running. Below is a quick guide of what to DO and what NOT TO DO.
First things first: WHAT NOT TO DO!
A common myth of trying to hold breaker in the on position won’t work unfortunately. All breakers are designed to be "trip free", meaning that they will still trip if the handle is held in the ON position. So that’s not going to get you out of trouble either I’m afraid.
We cannot stress this part enough. If your breaker or fuse has tripped never repeatedly try to switch it back on. Repeatedly resetting a breaker could result in an arc flash or a fire. Leaving the device damaged and unable to protect you or your family. If you have tried the breaker once and it instantly trips leave that circuit turned off and move onto what to do below.
WHAT TO DO!
Well hopefully your fuse board is labelled, and you are able to see what circuit has been affected. And most importantly you have only tried to reset it the once.
Now if for instance it’s the kitchen sockets that have been affected and the next steps would apply to any of the other circuits i.e the downstairs or upstairs sockets. Let’s unplug everything that’s on that circuit, be it the fridge, kettle, washing machine, microwave etc.
This would be a good time to have a look at all the socket faces and visually inspect them for any signs of burning. At the same time let’s check the plugs of the appliances again looking for any signs of burning or damage.
If you are confident that all the sockets look good and the plugs are free from any signs of burning, its time to try the breaker again.
Hopefully at this point the breaker has stayed on and you have power again. Now’s the time to start plugging your appliances back in one by one so not to overload the circuit and this will help determine what appliance was causing the issue or socket if it is a loose connection. To see how dangerous loose connections can be follow the link https://www.jjb-electrical.com/blog/loose-connections-fires-and-hole-wallet
When plugging appliances back in, it may be a good idea to start with high demand items such as the fridge as the compressors can cause the breakers to trip if they are coming to the end of their life. Kettles can cause tripping if the elements are damaged, and this also goes for cookers. We have seen it when a simple table lamp was the culprit.
Unfortunately if the circuit hasn’t stayed and the breaker has tripped again its time to call a professional to investigate the issue further, they will be able to diagnose and rectify the problem for you. I’m sure they will be impressed if you explain what you have done before calling them.
If you need an electrician in Cheshunt to get you back up and running give us a call on 01992 276087.
