If your circuit breaker keeps tripping, it’s a sign something isn’t quite right with your home’s electrical system. While it might seem like a minor inconvenience, repeated tripping is often a warning that shouldn’t be ignored. Understanding the reasons behind it can help you stay safe and avoid more serious electrical issues down the line.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common causes—and what you can do about them.
1. Circuit Overload
This is the most common cause of a tripped circuit breaker. A circuit overload happens when more power is being drawn than the circuit is designed to carry. It’s often caused by plugging in multiple high-wattage appliances—like kettles, toasters, or space heaters—on a single circuit, especially in kitchens or living rooms.
Why this matters:
Circuit overloads are one of the leading causes of residential electrical fires. While the breaker tripping is a safety feature doing its job, repeated overloads can cause long-term damage to the wiring and connections behind your walls. Ignoring it—or simply resetting the breaker without fixing the root cause—puts your home and family at risk.
What to look out for:
- Breaker trips when multiple appliances are used together.
- Lights flicker or dim when large appliances start.
- Power points or plugs feel unusually warm.
What you can do:
Unplug all devices from the affected circuit and leave the breaker off. Then, contact a licensed electrician. We’ll:
- Assess the total electrical load.
- Inspect for signs of heat damage or wear.
- Advise if a dedicated circuit is needed for high-use areas.
This isn’t a DIY job—only a qualified electrician can safely test and upgrade your circuits.
2. Short Circuit
Short circuits are serious electrical faults. They occur when an active (live) wire touches another live wire or a neutral wire, creating a sudden surge of current. This causes the breaker to trip instantly.
Why this matters
Short circuits are dangerous. The sudden flow of electricity creates intense heat, which can lead to melted wiring, scorched fittings, or even fire. The risk is even higher in older homes or poorly maintained systems.
Signs of a short circuit:
- Breaker trips immediately after resetting.
- Burning smell near switches or outlets.
- Black marks, melted plastic, or popping sounds.
What you can do:
Leave the breaker off and do not attempt to reset it. This type of fault can’t be safely diagnosed without the right tools and training. A licensed electrician will:
- Inspect the circuit wiring and terminations.
- Identify the point of the fault.
- Repair or replace damaged cables or fittings.
3. Ground Fault
Ground faults occur when a live wire touches a grounded surface, such as a metal conduit, water pipe or grounded terminal. They’re especially common in wet areas like bathrooms, kitchens, laundries and outdoors.
Why this matters
Ground faults pose a serious shock risk. They can energise metal surfaces, appliances, or fittings, putting you and your family in direct danger.
What to look for:
- Breaker trips when using an outdoor power point or an appliance near water.
- Tingling sensation or mild electric shock when touching appliances.
What you can do:
Immediately stop using the affected outlet and leave the breaker off. Call a licensed electrician, who will:
- Test for earth leakage using specialised equipment.
- Locate and isolate the fault.
- Repair wiring or upgrade outlets to RCD-protected fittings if required.
4. Faulty Appliances
Appliances can also trigger circuit breakers. Internal faults, damaged cords, or faulty components can cause them to draw too much current or create a short circuit.
Why this matters
A faulty appliance can damage your electrical system and pose a fire or shock risk. Even if the wiring is fine, repeated tripping due to appliances can degrade your switchboard over time.
What to look for:
- Breaker trips only when using a particular appliance.
- Appliance feels hot, buzzes, or smells like burning plastic.
- Visible damage to cords or plugs.
What you can do:
Unplug the suspect appliance and leave it disconnected. Do not continue using it. A licensed electrician can test it safely and confirm if the issue lies with the appliance or the circuit. Avoid moving the appliance to another outlet without checking—this can spread the issue to other circuits.
5. Wiring Issues
Wiring faults are a major cause of ongoing breaker tripping. Over time, cables can degrade, connections can loosen, and terminals can overheat—especially in older homes or those with DIY alterations.
Why this matters
Damaged wiring is hidden inside your walls. If it overheats, it can cause insulation to melt or burn. Loose wires can arc or spark, triggering intermittent tripping—or worse, causing a fire.
Common wiring problems include:
- Breakers trip randomly or multiple times a day.
- Lights flicker or buzz for no clear reason.
- You can hear buzzing or cracking from switches or outlets.
What you can do:
Book a call with our licensed electricians to carry out a full inspection. We’ll:
- Test the integrity of the wiring using approved safety instruments.
- Locate loose, aged, or damaged cabling.
- Recommend rewiring or remedial works if needed.
This is not something that should be delayed—faulty wiring is one of the leading causes of house fires in Australia.
6. External Factors
In some cases, your circuit breaker may trip due to issues that originate outside your home’s electrical system. While less common, these events can still cause significant disruption—and in some cases, pose a risk to your property and safety.
What causes it?
Here are some common external factors that can lead to a breaker tripping:
- Power surges from the grid: Sudden spikes in voltage from the utility provider—often due to faults in the street, load switching at substations, or grid instability—can overwhelm your home’s wiring and cause protective devices to trip.
- Lightning strikes: A direct or nearby lightning strike can send a surge through power lines, telephone cables, or even earthing systems. This can damage appliances, fry circuits, and trip breakers to prevent fire.
- Water ingress into external circuits: Outdoor power points, garden lighting, or pool equipment can trip breakers if water gets into the system. Perth storms or high humidity can cause moisture buildup in poorly sealed outdoor enclosures.
- Supply-side neutral issues: If there’s a fault on the supply neutral (from the utility provider’s side), it can create dangerous voltage imbalances in your home. This can cause lights to flicker, appliances to fail, and breakers to trip irregularly.
- Voltage fluctuations or brownouts: Sudden drops in voltage (common during peak demand) can cause certain appliances—especially motors, fridges, and air conditioners—to draw excess current as they try to compensate, tripping the breaker.
Why this matters
External faults are often unpredictable and not visible inside your home, making them harder to diagnose without professional equipment. If left unresolved, they can lead to damaged appliances, switchboard faults, or fire.
What you can do:
- If your breaker trips during a storm, do not reset it immediately. Wait until the weather has cleared. Check for any signs of water damage near external outlets, the meter box, or outdoor fittings.
- If there’s no clear internal cause and the breaker keeps tripping, contact a licensed electrician. We will:
- Perform voltage and insulation resistance tests.
- Inspect for damage caused by surge, water ingress, or neutral faults.
- Liaise with Western Power (or your electricity distributor) if the issue is on the supply side.
- If lightning has struck nearby or your home experienced a surge, do not use major appliances until the system is checked. Surge protection and RCDs may need replacement, and hidden damage is possible.
Never ignore or repeatedly reset a tripping breaker following a storm or outage. Power supply faults can be subtle, but the consequences of overlooking them can be severe.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Tripping Breaker
A circuit breaker is designed to protect your home from electrical hazards. If it keeps tripping, it’s doing its job—but it’s also telling you there’s a problem that needs attention.
Electrical issues can lead to fires, electrocution, or major damage to your appliances. The longer you leave it, the greater the risk.
Need a Professional to Take a Look?
At Limelight Electrix, our qualified residential electricians in Perth can quickly identify the cause of a tripping breaker and provide safe, long-term solutions. Whether it’s a faulty appliance, overloaded circuit, or wiring issue, we’ll get it sorted so you can get back to using your home safely and confidently.
Need help now? Contact the team at Limelight Electrix for expert electrical fault finding and repairs. We service homes across Perth and can provide same-day electrical support.
