Advice about resetting a trip switch

Most of our council homes have been rewired and have a modern fuse board. These modern fuse boards are called 'consumer units'.

This advice only applies to modern consumer units. If you have an older fuse board, please do not touch it. Instead, contact the Housing Repairs team.

Consumer units

Consumer units are fitted with circuit breakers called 'trip switches'. Some consumer units have buttons instead of switches.

If an electrical fault occurs, a switch is 'tripped' (turned off) and the circuit is broken. A tripped switch is usually because:

• there are too many appliances being used at the same time
• an appliance is faulty
• a kettle has been over-filled
• a toaster hasn't been cleaned
• a light bulb has blown
• an immersion heater is faulty

To reset a trip switch you will need to:

1. open the cover on the consumer unit so you can see the trip switches
2. check which switch has tripped to the off position
3. reset the trip by pushing the trip switch in or up

Take care when resetting your trip switch. Don't be tempted to have a go yourself if you're at all unsteady or unsure. Ask family or friends for help.

Repeated tripping

If the switch trips again, it is probably due to a faulty appliance or light. To find out where the fault is you need to:

1. unplug all appliances
2. reset the tripped switch to the on position
3. turn each light on, one at a time
4. if the trip switch goes again after you turn a light on, then the bulb or light fitting may be faulty
5. plug each appliance in and turn them on, one at a time
6. if the trip switch goes again after plugging an appliance back in, there is a fault with that appliance
7. turn the faulty light or appliance off and unplug it

If the switch continues to trip, contact the Housing Repairs team.

Also see

• Housing
• Council homes
• Tips and advice for council tenants