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Resetting a trip switch

If you don't understand these instructions or don't feel able to do it, or have an older fusebox type system contact the Housing Contact Centre or your TMO.

General advice

• Modern electric circuits are fitted with circuit breakers called trip switches. If a fault develops, a switch is tripped and the circuit is broken. If you have an older system with wired fuses, do not touch it. Contact us.
• The trip switches are at the consumer unit. The consumer unit may be next to the electricity meter (unless the meter is in an outside cupboard).
• Trip switches usually operate because:
  • there are too many fittings or appliances on a circuit and it has been overloaded
  • a light bulb has blown or an appliance has been misused or has developed a fault
  • a lead to an appliance such as a TV, hair drier or kettle has come loose or is badly connected
  • water has leaked into a circuit.
• If an appliance has developed a fault, leave it unplugged and get a qualified electrician or service engineer to check it.
• Make sure your hands are dry when you touch electrical fittings.

What to do

To reset a trip switch:

• open the cover on the consumer unit to show the trip switches
• check which switches have tripped to the OFF position
• put these switches back to the ON position.

If the trip goes again:

It is probably being caused by a fault in an appliance. You need to identify which circuit is being affected and which appliance on that circuit is causing the problem.

To identify a faulty appliance or socket:

• check all the rooms in the house and note which set of lights or sockets is not working
• unplug all appliances on that problem circuit and switch off the immersion heater
• switch the ‘tripped’ switch to the ON position
• plug in the appliances one at a time until the trip goes again. (Do not use double adaptors when doing this)
• when you have found the ‘problem’ appliance, unplug it
• reset the ‘tripped switch’ to the ON position
• plug the appliance into a different socket
  • if the trip goes again the problem is with the appliance - you need to get it repaired
  • if the trip doesn't go off - the problem is with the first socket - don't use it and phone the Housing Contact Centre or your TMO.