Why does my fuse box / RCD keep tripping?
A trip is the safety system doing its job, not a fault in itself. The usual culprits are a faulty appliance, an overloaded circuit, moisture getting into a circuit (common with outdoor sockets, showers or leaks), or an ageing RCD. Unplug recent or suspect appliances and reset once — if it trips again or won't reset, stop and get it checked.
What a trip actually is
When your RCD or breaker trips, it's detecting something it doesn't like — an earth fault, an overload, or a short — and cutting the power to keep you safe. So the goal isn't to stop it tripping, it's to find what's causing it.
A faulty appliance
The most common cause. A failing kettle, washing machine, fridge or even a phone charger can leak current and trip the RCD. If the trip started recently, think about what's new or what was running at the time, unplug it, and try resetting.
Overload and moisture
Too much load on one circuit can trip a breaker — common with high-draw appliances on the same ring. Moisture is another frequent cause: water getting into an outdoor socket, a shower, or via a roof or plumbing leak will trip an RCD until it dries out or is repaired.
When to call someone
Reset once after unplugging the suspect appliance. If it won't reset, trips immediately, or keeps going with nothing obvious plugged in, stop resetting and get it looked at — repeated tripping points to a fault that's worth finding properly rather than forcing back on.
Is it safe to keep resetting the trip?
Resetting once after unplugging a suspect appliance is fine. Repeatedly forcing it back on without finding the cause isn't — the RCD is tripping for a reason, and that reason needs investigating.
How do I find which appliance is the problem?
Unplug everything on the affected circuit, reset, then plug items back in one at a time until it trips. That usually isolates the culprit — though some faults are in the fixed wiring rather than an appliance.
Could it be the RCD itself?
Yes — RCDs can become over-sensitive or fail with age. If nothing plugged in is causing it, the device or the wiring may need testing, which is part of what we check.