Trip Switch

1) I think I have a faulty trip switch?

It's a possibility as occasionally trip switches do fail. When a trip switch fails it may trip occasionally and not come back on or it may trip occasionally and seemingly without reason. The important thing to note is this, if you have a trip switch that is tripping occasionally then you MUST have it checked out. These switches protect the cables in your home and as such, if they are tripping then it is likely that there is an issue on a circuit that needs some investigation. Delaying this investigation can lead to cabling that has to be replaced and then we are talking a lot of inconvenience and cost!

Just because a trip switch trips occasionally does not mean it is faulty ITSELF. It could be that there is too much load being used on the circuit and this is causing the switch to trip. 😊

2) Some of my trip switches look different to others, is this a problem?

These trip switches are housed inside the consumer unit (the main box). The consumer unit and the switches should be of the same manufacturer. In the photograph above we can see that there are a variety of different switches and manufacturers. This is potentially a problem. These components are not made to a standard size and the dimensions will vary. This can put strain on the main copper power bar in the consumer unit and cause mechanical and thermal damage. Simply put, different manufacturers circuit breakers can be a danger if they are causing issues with heat, stress and excessive forces.

We can see here that we have MK, TENBY LEGRAND and SQUARE D circuit breakers. The enclosure / consumer unit is an MK consumer unit and therefore only MK components should be used together in this enclosure. Even then, compatibility between ranges should be checked with the manufacturer. If we look closely at the photograph we can see that the front cover of the consumer unit is no longer fitting properly and this is likely the result of different circuit breakers being used.

3) My trip switch is down and it will not go back up can you help?

Yes, if you check our website and the help-sheets section, there may be something useful there to help you. There are many reasons for a trip switch to trip and it is not always possible to rectify the issue yourself. There are times when you will need to call the professionals in to help. We are here for you if you are having electrical problems. We do always try to help by phone first and if we can we will get it sorted for you without having to attend on a call-out but there are times when the only way we can rectify your wiring is simply to come and investigate it and fix it for you.

If your trip switch is down then there is likely a fault on the wiring of that circuit or any appliances connected to it. Very rarely it is a faulty circuit breaker although it can happen occasionally.

4) I have different switches that trip and I don’t know why?

Quite often your consumer unit has different types of trip switch for different purposes. There are switches that are there to protect the cabling from overload or short circuit faults, there are switches that are there to protect from electric shock and there are switches that are there to isolate the electrical supply to the property when needed. Not all switches are designed to trip, some are designed to be operated manually. If your equipment is particularly old then you may not have trip switches but rather fuses or re-wireable fuses that contain fuse wire.

Sometimes we are unable to help over the phone if the problem is likely to be complicated or if your electrical equipment is very old but we are nearly always available to come and attend your emergency at short notice. If you have switches that are tripping regularly then it is important to have the electrical installation checked over to see if there are issues that need attention. Switches do not normally trip for no reason, if they trip then it is likely that you will need a professional to investigate for you.

5) I have holes in my fuse-board where switches should be, is this normal?

No it is not normal and more than likely it is not safe either. There should be no large gaps anywhere in your fuse board / consumer unit and if you are worried about the size of the gaps then please get in touch and we will do our best to help you. We will give you our opinion first as to whether or not the gaps are serious enough to worry about. If you need something to be done to ensure that your electrical installation is safe then we will tell you what needs to be done and provide you with a quote.

6) One of my trip switches is discoloured, is this safe?

It depends on the level of discolouration, we would need to come and visit you or have you send us a photograph so we could take a look. It may be a case that we need to remove your consumer unit cover and look inside to see if there were other signs of issues such as melting, overheating and so on.

7) My trip switch is loose and wobbly is this okay?

No, this is never okay. If switches in your consumer unit are loose and wobbly then you must call us immediately so we can come and find out why. Loose connections can cause fires under the right circumstances and a loose switch may not be secured properly.

If you're still not sure it's best to contact us ASAP.