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The RCD keeps tripping
An RCD that trips is protecting you: it has detected a current leak. Here's how to find the faulty circuit safely, and when to call me.
The most common causes
- A damaged appliance: washing machine, oven, kettle, water heater…
- Damp: an outdoor socket or light, the bathroom, the cellar
- A damaged cable or junction box
- A thunderstorm: a power surge can trip it
When to call me
- The RCD won't stay on, even with everything unplugged
- It keeps tripping and you can't find the circuit
- It trips every time it rains
- A socket, a switch or the fuse box gets hot or smells of burning
What you can safely check
Unplug everything
Unplug the appliances from the sockets, then switch the RCD back on.
It won't stay on?
Switch off all the circuit breakers, switch the RCD on, then switch the breakers back on one by one. The one that trips it points to the faulty circuit.
It stays on?
Plug the appliances back in one by one. If one of them trips it, leave it unplugged: it's probably the culprit.
Never force the RCD, bypass it or replace it with a less sensitive one: it protects people.
Frequently asked questions
It trips with nothing plugged in, why?
Then the fault is in the installation itself: a cable, a junction box, a damp circuit, or an appliance wired in directly such as the water heater, the oven or the shutters. It needs testing with a meter: call me.
It trips at night when nobody is using anything?
Think of appliances that start on their own: a water heater on the night tariff, the freezer, a pump, the heating. Note the time it trips: it helps find the cause.
Can I replace it with a less sensitive one?
No. It protects against electric shock. If it trips, there's a reason: that's what needs finding.
Let's talk about your installation.
One call is enough to know what needs doing. For a breakdown, it's the fastest way.
0474 32 53 01