Common Causes of Power Cuts (What is triggering your safety switch)
Safety switches are usually the reason behind what causes power cuts in most homes. This is a good thing as they have proven to be effective in preventing shock during the power outages. They are able to detect if there is any variation of current within the system then automatically cut off the power supply before any danger is caused to the electrical appliances or someone gets shocked. But in some instances, the switches might just get triggered even when there is no immediate danger. Such a behavior should be investigated so that the cause of the outage is determined and rectified. There are a number of reasons why power outages occur some of which are listed below.
Nuisance Tripping
This is by far the major cause of power cuts in many homes. Nuisance tripping happens when there are too many appliances connected in the line and each appliance leaks out a tiny amount of current. The cumulative current leaked can be significant enough to trigger the safety switch. To prevent this, you should avoid overloading your power lines. A good tip would be to switch off the sockets that you might not be using so that you ease the line.
Lightning Strikes
Lightening like this could certainly cut your home’s power
Power outages can be caused when a lightning strikes your home or the power lines. Lightning normally cause a power surge in the lines thus triggering the safety switch to cut out on the supply. If this happens in the middle of a storm you should avoid resetting the switch until the storm is gone. A lightning arrester would also be a good idea in order to protect your home from further strikes. In case you do not have one, consult one of the electricians in Sydney to arrange and install one for you.
Faulty appliances
Sometimes, a faulty appliance within the line can cause the safety switch to go off. Such appliances normally attempt to draw too much current and this will be construed by the safety switch to be an excessive leak and cut out the supply. When this happens, you should try and isolate the faulty appliance and have it checked. If you are not sure where the problem is, then you should contact an electrician in Sydney to help you isolate the problem.
Problem with wiring
In some occasions, trouble with the wiring can be what is triggering the safety switch. Electrical wires get old and faulty with time and they can become very dangerous especially in old houses. Other than being old, a wire can get exposed and when it comes into contact with another conductor, they can short and cause the safety switch to trip. The solution to this is to get a qualified technician in Sydney to come and inspect the wiring. Depending on his findings, he can either recommend that you do a replacement of the wiring or you do a repair.
