Why does my power keep tripping? 6 common causes in Singapore homes

A tripping breaker is annoying, but it is also your electrical system doing its job. The switchboard cuts the power when something is unsafe. The goal is not to stop it tripping, it is to find out why.

First, which switch tripped?

Open your distribution board and look at what is down:

• The RCCB (the switch with a "T" test button) trips when electricity is leaking to earth. This is usually water or a faulty appliance.
• A single MCB (small switch for one circuit) trips when that circuit is overloaded or has a short circuit.

Take a photo of the board before you touch anything. It helps an electrician a lot.

6 common causes

1. Water getting into a socket or light

In Singapore this is the most common one. Rain finds its way through a roof or window and runs into a ceiling light or an outdoor socket. If it trips mostly after heavy rain, suspect a leak first.

2. A faulty appliance

Kettles, water heaters, washing machines and old fridges are frequent culprits. Switch off and unplug everything, reset the RCCB, then plug things back one at a time. The one that trips it is your suspect.

3. Too much on one circuit

An aircon, an oven and a kettle on the same circuit can overload it. This usually trips an MCB, not the RCCB.

4. Damaged or old wiring

Wiring in older flats and landed houses can age, get chewed by pests or be damaged during renovation. Burn marks, a burning smell or warm sockets are warning signs. Stop using that point.

5. A water heater element going bad

If the trip happens when someone showers, the heater is a likely cause.

6. Outdoor points and gate motors

Garden lights and gate motors sit in the weather all year. Their seals wear out and moisture gets in.

When to stop and call us

• It trips again straight after you reset it with everything unplugged.
• You see burn marks, smell burning or hear buzzing from the board.
• It trips every time it rains.

Do not keep resetting a breaker that keeps tripping, and never tape a switch up. Electrical work should be done by a qualified electrician.

How Steer Builders helps

We trace the fault circuit by circuit, show you what we found and quote before any repair. If the cause is a roof or ceiling leak, we fix that too, so it does not come back after the next storm.

WhatsApp us a photo of your switchboard or call +65 8673 1579. See our electrical service.