Kitchen Sockets Keep Tripping

1) We are regularly called out to a trip switch that will not turn back on or regularly trips out. 

Commonly this is the electrical circuit that supplies power to the kitchen sockets. 

The Kitchen sockets are one of the most common circuits that will fail in a domestic property. When KITCHEN SOCKETS KEEP TRIPPING, it can be very irritating and concerning. Read on for why…..

2) Why do kitchen sockets trip regularly?

We have to consider a number of things. The kitchen contains many high-powered electrical appliances that are commonly used together. If the power consumption exceeds what the circuit can safely handle then the consumer unit / trip switch box will turn the power off to the circuit. 

The wiring in the kitchen is used very heavily compared to the other wiring in the house. If we think about light bulbs which draw very little power and are not used all the time, the electrical cables that supply the power to the lights have a very easy life and are, in fact, barely used. In comparison, the electrical cables that supply the power to the kitchen have to do things like, heat up ovens, hobs, kettles, toasters, coffee machines, dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers and so on. They do not have it nearly as easy as the light cables. 

These kitchen cables are designed for the job and will happily carry the power most of the time but as they age, what can tend to happen is that the insulation (red, brown, blue or black covering) around the copper wires within cables can deteriorate over time, become brittle and start to cause issues. This degradation can begin to allow electrical current to leak through (yes really please believe me! 😊) this leakage can be detected by modern consumer units and for safety reasons, the circuit will be tripped off!

Another reason why kitchen sockets can cause issues can relate to the installation. How many of us have kitchen socket in cupboards? Under the sink? Or elsewhere in difficult to access places? 

That’s right, the electrician that put those in had one heck of a time wiring it in safely and in a lot of cases it would have been a very difficult job to carry out. Occasionally, wires can become trapped where electricians cannot see in the back of sockets and switches, modern consumer units can detect this and trip the circuit.

3) Do old cables trip switches?

Yes and no. 

If the cabling in your home is very old and your consumer unit is very modern then there is a high likelihood that the consumer unit will detect issues in the electrical system and trip the circuit. 

Just because cabling is old, does not make it ineffective, dangerous or in need of replacement however! Only an electrician, suitably qualified and experienced, can determine the condition of the wiring in your walls in your home. There are electrical systems out there that are several decades old that have several decades left to give. 

4) "My wiring is new but my kitchen sockets keep tripping!

Then the first thing to check would be the appliances. There are so many different appliances in the kitchen that can go wrong that it is a fairly common compliant from our customers that this circuit trips. The way to see if an appliance is at fault is to disconnect all appliances from the wall and leave disconnected. If the kitchen sockets do not trip then it is likely an appliance that is causing the issue. If the sockets still trip then you know there is more likely an issue on the wiring in the wall. 

If this all sounds too technical then just call us. We can likely find the issue for you in an hour or so and will talk you through it all if you need us to. We have specialised electrical test equipment in order to test your wiring and appliances to see what may be causing the issue. 

We have years of experience and knowledge which enables us to quickly pinpoint electrical problems in most cases quickly. There are occasions when electrical faults can prove hard to pinpoint and we will chat about these with you on the phone beforehand and when we arrive at your home. We can give you free help sheets and advice before and after any service.

5) "My sockets trip when it rains"

If this is the case then the cause is likely to be outside the property. Garden wiring and outdoor sockets are fairly common for causing tripping problems and normally garden electrics have been added on to a kitchen!

5.1) Why are garden electrics added on to the kitchen?

It is often the case that the kitchen is closest to the garden and therefore the electrical supply for any outdoor works is closest at the kitchen sockets. The problem with this is that it is very inconvenient in the event of a fault to lose all the kitchen sockets if water gets into something outdoors. 

The main reason why I expect most electricians do this is for cost. It is quicker and cheaper to extend the kitchen sockets to supply outdoor electrics in the garden rather than installing a new electrical circuit to power outdoor equipment. We always recommend that outdoor electrical equipment is installed on its own circuit to prevent these types of problems occurring. 

6) What else could cause kitchen sockets to trip?

Commonly electrical appliances that are getting old or have become faulty can cause this. Water leaking into electrical sockets or accessories, burnt out electrical accessories and other issues. Socket can also go faulty over time. Most electrical accessories are not designed to last forever and can fail after a few years. We hope that these things go on for decades and in many cases that is what happens but the kitchen socket often take an absolute hammering and as such can fail sooner than the lounge socket that power a table lamp for a few hours each night.

If you have any questions or need our services then just fill out the contact form on our website and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. 😊