light switch trips breaker when turned off uk

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Why a Circuit Breaker Trips When the Light Switch is Turned Off?

Written by  Edwin Jones  / Fact checked by  Andrew Wright

Do you want to use electricity without problems, but your light switch is a headache? If a circuit breaker trips when the light switch is turned off, most likely, it’s a result of a common wiring mistake. However, there are other reasons you should keep an eye on.

You’ll never know what will happen if you let this malfunction go unaddressed, so keep reading and see the listed possible reasons. It is necessary to determine your next step on this matter to maintain a healthy power source for your home.

Table of Contents

You Have a Miswiring in a Switch Loop Setup

A double throw switch is causing the problem, what if your switch is a single pole single throw, a loose wiring connection.

When you install lights, you buy new fixtures, switches, and perhaps a new set of wiring too.

Now you think you did the proper process — hot-to-hot wire and neutral-to-neutral wire, but in the end, the light switch trips breaker when turned off. Even though you reversed the way you plug the wires, the result stayed the same. This pain in the butt frequently happens when you have a switch loop set up.

A typical DIY guy mistake in a switch loop setup is when all black and white wires are connected. This miswiring causes the light to turn on even though the switch is off. Because it’s improper, it shorts the circuit and trips the breaker when the switch’s on.

To properly rewire this connection, you will need a marker and proceed to the following steps:

• First, the circuit breaker’s black wire connects to the white wire and other black wires that feed other devices.
• Remember to put a black marker on both ends of the switch and the light.
• Then, connect the circuit breaker’s white wire to the light’s and other devices’ white cables.
• Next, connect your switch’s black wire to the black wire for the lights.
• Finally, link all the ground wires together and to the ground screw from the lighting fixture and the box.

If your residence had a history of a bad renovation or electrical rerouting by an untrained contractor, your wirings might be in trouble. It is time to remove the cover panel of your switch box and investigate the situation of your switch inside the box.

A breaker that trips from an off light switch is not common among households today. This occurrence happens because of poor wiring of a light switch like the “Single-Pole, Double Throw” switch.

You’ll know you have this kind of switch when it doesn’t have ON and OFF markings on the switch toggle.

It’s a bad sign if your switch is leaning on the side of the grounded box where it is mounted. A switch is in an improper position when the switch pole screw lies against the switch box and the runner is shorted, which causes the fuse to blow when you turn the lights off.

Also, the breaker will trip if the runner short circuits to the ground or neutral wire somewhere along the wiring’s terminus.

If you have double-throw switches for a three or four-way switch, look out for a shorted traveler wire. It’s possible a switch was removed, causing the travel wire to short-circuit ( Read now how to test a shortstop circuit breaker here ).

A standard single throw switch is a typical switch for a light fixture. You can typically find this at home with three screws for hot wires and a ground wire. Its clear difference from a double throw is that the switch toggle has an ON and OFF indicator.

Now, what’s the catch when you have a single pole, single throw switch? Will you have the same dilemma as with the double throw? Well, technically, the answer is yes. You can still experience a problem where a breaker trips when switch is turned off, but for other reasons.

If it’s a standard switch, it is easy to blame the button itself when you have a difficulty like this. The controller can be defective due to a manufacturing failure. However, a simple wiring mistake can trigger the breaker to trip just by turning the switch off.

If the ground wire and the hot wires are close enough to each other, toggling the switch can cause a slight movement that contacts them, then BOOM, a ground fault.

There’s also a possibility that the switch is in neutral. Keep an eye on this wiring mistake because you’re turning the power to the neutral and not the hot wire. Reverse wiring is a huge no-no, so try to fix it as soon as possible.

The fourth and simplest possible reason is a loose wire. Just like other devices at home, your switch gets old, and so does your breaker. When an electrical safety device comes to the point where you’ve been using it for ages, its wiring will eventually give up.

Sloppy wiring of an old switch can cause a breaker to trip, even with the slightest movement of switching it off. Like other issues stated earlier, a loose connection triggers a ground fault or a short circuit .

Furthermore, general wear and tear to your breaker and switch wirings result in repetitive breaker tripping. If you think loose or faulty wiring is not a big deal, watch this video by Andrew Pace:

It is necessary to check your terminal screws and wiring insulations from time to time. Sometimes an old wire turns brittle, and its insulations become damaged, so never let this happen to your switch and CB.

Wiring on the brink of destruction won’t only compromise a breaker but also increase the risk of multiple hazards. Always mind your safety.

There are four possible reasons why your circuit breaker trips when the light switch is turned off. Check if you have a switch loop setup, double/single throw switch, or loose wiring connections. These will help you determine a specific matter causing this problem.

If it’s the wiring that causes the problem, proceed on a safety action immediately.

Addressing an electrical problem is vital for the welfare of our homes. Never take safety for granted, and face the trouble as soon as you can.

I am Edwin Jones, in charge of designing content for Galvinpower. I aspire to use my experiences in marketing to create reliable and necessary information to help our readers. It has been fun to work with Andrew and apply his incredible knowledge to our content.

An electrician’s guide on how to fix a tripped fuse

Any kind of major electrical fault around the house will need to be repaired by a professional electrician. However, that said, there are a few everyday electrical tasks that aren’t complicated, or dangerous, which you could attempt yourself. The most important thing to remember is to switch off and unplug whatever it is you need to work on so there’s no danger of a live current.

The first thing to do is find your main fuse box (these days called a consumer unit), which will be in the same place as your electricity meter. They’re often in the main hallway of a house, in a purpose-built cupboard. This is where the electricity in your house is controlled from, and it’s important that you know where to go and what to do if you need to turn off the mains electricity. It’s also helpful to remember where you left a torch too!

In the case of loss of electric light or power

Your fuse box, or consumer unit, will either have fuses or trip switches. Modern electric circuits are fitted with a circuit breaker fuse system; if a fault develops, a switch is tripped and the circuit is broken. Older ones have fuse holders and when a fuse is blown it must be replaced or rewired.

If you experience problems with an old-fashioned fuse box, it might be sensible to install a replacement which conforms to current regulations for ease, safety and peace of mind. If you need assistance with any kind of electrical installation we would recommend calling out a qualified electrician .

Setting a trip switch Open the cover on the consumer unit to see which switches have tripped to the OFF position. Put them back to the ON position. If tripping occurs again, it is probably being caused by a faulty appliance. You need to identify which circuit is affected and which appliance on that circuit is causing the problem.

Which appliance is faulty?

Go around the house noting which set of lights or sockets are not working. Unplug all appliances on that problem circuit and switch off any immersion heaters (if you have one). Switch the tripped switch to the ON position and plug in the appliances one by one until the trip goes again. Leave that appliance unplugged, and have it repaired by a qualified electrician.

What causes it to trip or blow a fuse?

• An overloaded circuit
• Too many appliances being used at the same time
• A faulty or misused appliance
• Overfilled kettles
• Unclean toasters
• Cooker rings worn out or cracked
• Faulty immersion heaters
• Faulty connections on leads to appliances e.g. televisions or stereos etc.
• Light bulbs blowing

Most plugs will have a fuse inside them. If the appliance suddenly stops working, it is worth replacing the fuse inside the plug before calling an electrician.

To find out the correct type of fuse to fit in the plug, check the rating plate on the appliance. Do not overload plug sockets by using multiple plug adaptors.

Replacing the plug on an appliance is fairly straightforward, and is well worth doing before you declare your electrical appliance broken.

• Do not tamper with the electricity company’s fuse and seals
• Do not take any action unless you are confident you can do it safely and legally

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Light Switch Trips Breaker: What To Do?

Don’t you just hate it when a light switch trips the breaker? Aside from being annoying, the underlying issues may cause serious damage. What can you do about it, and how to keep it from happening again? Let’s find out!

What Does a Tripped Breaker Look Like?

Get your hands ready, check for water deposition, don’t touch a breaker switch with high amperage, turn appliances and devices off.

• Shop Related Products

Adjust Your Circuit Breaker

Check your breaker panel, know when to call an expert, avoid overloading one circuit, check and replace old wiring, install your light switch properly.

When you open your electrical panel, there should be multiple breakers on a board.

Each of the breakers in the panel regulates a different electrical circuit in your house and has a switch with numbers printed on it. Typically, each one should be labeled with the name of the area that it controls.

Keep in mind that power cannot flow through the circuit until the switch is manually turned back on after a breaker trips. This causes the switch to flip to the “OFF” position automatically.

For example, if the light switch that caused the trip is located in the kitchen, you can easily locate the breaker switch labeled “Kitchen.”

You’ll probably see the “Kitchen” breaker switch tipped to the “OFF” side or right in the middle between “ON” and “OFF.”

What Are the Safety Precautions to Take?

Before we get down to business, let’s make one thing clear: safety is still our top priority.

You may be in a rush to get your problem fixed, but temporarily losing your power supply is so much better than losing an eye or a finger.

Here are some safety tips to keep in mind:

Working on electrical systems with wet hands is extremely dangerous. So, we recommend that you start by drying your hands properly before troubleshooting your light switch.

Then, you can wear protective goggles or use electrical-insulating gloves.

Water won’t always accumulate on the breaker, but it does happen occasionally. That’s why it’s always good to examine your panel carefully. If it seems wet, don’t touch anything.

You might notice a number on the breaker switch that indicates the amps or the measure of electrical current that flows in that circuit.

If the number is 25 or above, it’s better to leave it to the professionals. Meanwhile, if your breakers aren’t labeled at all, it isn’t recommended to attempt to reset them.

Sometimes, simply flipping your light switch can trigger a trip on your circuit breaker.

This is a common issue with newly installed lighting systems. However, circuit breaker trips from flipping a light switch may also be caused by a short circuit due to faulty or damaged wires.

Either way, let’s take a look at how you can approach the tripped breaker.

Start by unplugging all appliances, lamps, and other gadgets in the affected area.

Go to your electrical service panel and check if a particular breaker has tipped to the “OFF” side.

In some cases, the breaker may not tip completely to the “OFF” position and may sit between both sides. When this happens, you can move the switch over to “OFF” first before pushing it back to the “ON” side.

Now, there is a possibility that the switch will automatically tip back to “OFF” after you’ve just switched it to the “ON” side. If that’s the case, don’t try to reset your breaker once more. Instead, seek help from an expert.

After successfully resetting your breaker, flip your light switch to see if the issue is fixed.

If overloading is the culprit, your power will come back after switching your lights on or plugging your devices one at a time.

There may be instances when the light switch doesn’t turn on, but other plugged-in equipment may receive power. If that happens, you can suspect that the problem might have originated from your light switch.

If the previous steps don’t cut it or you’re uncertain about the root cause, it’s best to call your electrician.

Having your breaker trip twice in a row should already sound an alarm, and you shouldn’t try to fix the problem on your own.

The primary concern here is that repeatedly resetting your breaker due to recurrent trips can be risky and may result in overheating.

After all, serious complications and accidents are on the line, including the following hazards:

• Overheating of internal components that may lead to fires
• Visible damages like scorch marks on power outlets, sometimes with the presence of a burning smell and smoke
• Sparks on the breaker
• Odd clicks or buzzing sounds from the outlets or switches

How To Prevent Your Light Switch From Tripping the Breaker?

Since dealing with a light switch that trips the breaker is a hassle, you might want to check out these preventative tips and tricks:

Circuit overload is the main reason behind trips. That’s why it’s better to avoid plugging your bulb into one circuit with a ton of connected appliances.

Remember that using an extension cord to maximize connectivity will only make things worse. If you badly need to use multiple devices, try plugging your other devices into a different circuit connection or getting a new circuit installed.

Be sure to unplug devices or appliances that aren’t in use.

If your electrical wires have been sitting there for many decades and you start to experience frequent trips, they’re probably worn out.

You might even notice that rodents have damaged your wiring. So, it’s good to have your old wires replaced by an electrician.

We’d recommend double-checking that you’re using compatible fixtures before installing new lights or replacing any part of the lighting setup.

Then your electrician can check that all screws are all tight and wirings are connected properly to reduce the risk of tripping.

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Breaker Trips When I Turn The Light On – How To Troubleshoot

Breaker trips from light switch. I turn the kitchen ceiling light switch ON and the circuit breaker trips . I am assuming the light switch or the light fixture is the cause. What can cause the breaker to trip when the light switch is turned on?

There are different reasons why a breaker will trip/reset when you turn on a light using a wall switch. See below for the reasons why flipping on a light switch could cause a breaker to trip/flip/reset.

SAFETY: Be sure to flip the breaker off when inspecting or troubleshooting any electrical issue. Use a flashlight or headlamp to safely inspect the area. Use the appropriate tools/gloves when working with electrical components. It is recommended to read this complete page before you begin troubleshooting your electrical issue.

Quick Troubleshooting: Start by turning the breaker OFF. Check the light switch by removing the switch cover. Fix any wires that are loose or damaged. Check the light fixture for any brittle/damaged or loose wires. If both the light switch and light fixture are wired properly, next inspect the wiring within the circuit. Most “breaker tripping” issues in this case involve the light switch and or the light fixture. For more detailed information keep reading below…

Recently replaced the light switch or fixture? If you have replaced the light switch or light fixture with a new one and the breaker trips when you turn the light on, the switch or fixture is most likely wired incorrectly. Turn off the circuit breaker and rewire the switch or fixture. Use the wiring diagram that came with the light switch/fixture to wire it correctly.

Having electrical issues with your ceiling fan? Ceiling fans may vibrate connections loose and cause a tripping breaker.

What do I check to fix the breaker from tripping? To find out why the breaker trips when you turn the light on, check the wiring, the light fixture, and the light switch. Inspect all components to be sure the wiring on the light fixture and light switch are not loose or damaged. Check the switch and fixture for the correct wiring with no shorts to neutral/ground. All of these conditions can cause the breaker to trip.

How To Fix Light Switch/Trips Breaker

Troubleshoot efficiently by checking the switch first. Remove the switch plate (2 screws) and check the switch with a flashlight. Inspect for any wiring touching the side of the box or other wires. Fix as needed, then check the light fixture and inspect the wiring for issues. If the issue goes beyond the light switch and light fixture, call an electrician to troubleshoot the problem.

When a light switch trips the breaker, a faulty light switch or light fixture is usually the cause. A wire may have come loose at the switch or fixture and is shorting out the hot wire. Always check the switch and fixture first.

Also check any GFCI receptacles that are on the circuit for a malfunction or fault.

If you recently hung a picture or put a nail/screw through the wall, this is likely your issue as a nail or drill bit may have damaged the wiring. If a nail or screw has damaged the wire, you can replace the wiring around the fault by using junction boxes for the splice.

Why Does Light Switch Trip Breaker?

See below for the reasons why a breaker can trip and what may be causing the problem. There can be more reasons but these are the most common/average.

Light Switch Can Trip Breaker When:

• Light Fixture Fault
• Light Switch Is Faulty
• Wire Connections Are Loose
• Short Circuit Issues
• Ground Fault Problems
• Nail/Screw Through Wiring
• Rodent Chewed/Damaged Wires
• Faulty GFCI Receptacle

Reasons Light Switch Trips Breaker

1. Light Fixture Fault If a light fixture is faulty, a breaker can become overloaded. The wires in an old light fixture can fall apart and cause a short or ground out. Turn off power before checking the light fixture for damage. Replace the light fixture if found to be faulty.

2. Light Switch Is Faulty A light switch that has become faulty can short out and trip a breaker. An old light switch can crack and become unusable and cause the breaker the flip. The wires can become brittle and cause a circuit overload or a short. Turn off the breaker when checking the light switch. Replace the light switch if found to be faulty.

3. Wire Connections Are Loose If any of the wires become loose it can ground out and short circuit causing the breaker to trip/reset. Remove power, remove cover if applicable, and inspect the terminal screws on the switch to be sure they are not loose. If loose, tighten the screws and be sure they are secure. Be sure terminal screws are tightened all the way down.

4. Short Circuits A wire is contacting another wire and current flows through and flips the breaker. Wires can become brittle and the insulation can fall off. Inspect all wires to be sure there are no short circuits. Replace any wiring if you find it to be brittle and or the insulation has become brittle and falling off. This causes grounding and shorts.

5. Ground Faults This happens when a live wire comes in contact with a metal area of the switch housing or similar. This can cause shock and also trip the breaker. Inspect all areas on the wiring to be sure there are no ground faults.

6. Nail/Screw Through Wiring If you have drilled into the wall to hang a picture lately, you may have drilled too deep and damaged a wire. This is a difficult scenario as the damaged wire will need to be repair and or replaced. It is best to call a pro at this point.

7. Rodent Chewed/Damaged Wires A rodent in the wall may have chewed on the wiring. This will cause damaged wiring and cause a short that will flip the breaker. The wiring will need to be repaired or replaced.

8. Faulty GFCI Receptacle Check any GFCI receptacles on the circuit for a malfunction. If the light switch wiring is going through a GFCI receptacle and the GFCI is faulty, this can cause a problem and trip the breaker. Replace the GFCI receptacle if found to be faulty.

More common electrical problems and solutions:

What To Do If Electrical Breaker Tripping In Your Home?

Microwave Oven Tripping Breaker

Power Out In One Room But Rest Of The House Has Electricity?

No Power To Outlets In One Room Or Wall

If you have read through this page and still have a light switch that trips the breaker, please describe your issue below and we will get back to you with a solution.

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• Default Comments (8)
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8 thoughts on “Breaker Trips When I Turn The Light On – How To Troubleshoot”

I just recently moved into a old family rental house and in the kitchen there is a ceiling fan light combo and a block off plate for the switch meaning no switch. Well I got tired of having to pull the cord while walking slowly to try and not trip in the dark. I pulled the cover off the wall and have old 2 wire 1 yellow or white and 1 black both capped off. So I thought easy enough and hooked a switch up to it not thinking. The light and fan have power so putting a switch here will do nothing. Well acted without using common sense and installed a switch, when the switch is off lights and fan working as they were before, when I flip the switch on it throws a breaker and the light and fan turn off. So I took the fixture down and it’s wired White wire to white wire green capped black to black and in the same wire nut black to blue there is 4 different wire strands coming into the ceiling box all 2 wire – black and white all besides 1 set are wired together and then to the fixture. Another reason I’m putting in a switch is because we’re thinking about moving the fan and light to the living room and putting a standard light fixture, we can’t do that if theirs no switch it stays on constantly.

I have 6 spotlights in my kitchen ceiling , when they are turned on after some time the breaker will trip , tried installing new spotlights and it still tripping , any suggestions please

My lightswitch has 3 sets of wires coming into it, live feed from the box, run to the light, and continued circuit through to the outlets. I wired a piggy tail from the live feed to the switch and connected the light run and outlet run together with a piggytail. All whites are capped and all grounds are capped. I have to power to my light switch but no power to my outlets. When I flip the switch it shorts out the AFCI Breaker. I then checked to see if it is the light and so I hard wired the light to the live feed from the breaker panel and the light stays on while the switch is off but I still have no power to my outlets. We ran the wire and it all testes great, only time we started to have issues was when I had to change the Breakers out with AFCI Breakers.

Cornelius, Sounds as if there is an issue with the breaker that you are using for the lights. If the breaker for the lights or outlets is causing the main breaker to reset or trip, then check the light breaker for faults or wiring issues. You may want to have a professional assist you as working in a main breaker box can be a safety issue if you do not have much experience with high voltage. -RR

I have a problem, my main power box trips when I switch the lights breaker on but when the light breaker is off, all of the electrical outlets are working, please what’s cause of the problem?

installed new light circuit, when the switch is in off position and I flip breaker on, the 2 light fixtures are on, hit the switch to on a the breaker trips. Power is getting to the switch, in off postion the circuit works, turn the switch to on and breaker trips. I must have a wire from switch in wrong plsce or wrong on the first light of two in the circuit.

The breaker started tripping when I added a second light on a combination switch and the switch is also powering a second room and all my wiring is done right, I’m assuming is that the breaker is overloaded but I will like a second opinion or confirm my deduction

I hung a new ceiling fan, the old one was just wired into the neural side of the wiring, all hooked up on the white wire. I rewired the new one into the wiring like it should be, black to black, and white to white, now when i turn on the wall switch it trips a breaker.

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INSTYLE specialises in fully bespoke / made-to-measure orders to make installation quick & easy on site.

HUGE stock available for a tracked & signed for next day delivery.

• Why do my LEDs trip the breaker?
• What type of breaker should be used with my LED strip lights?

LED power supplies have something called an inrush current. This happens when the supply is initially turned on, and for a very short period of time there is a spike of power (much higher than the specified output of the power supply), which means this can trip some breakers.

You should check with a qualified electrician which breaker you should be using. We have a download from Meanwell that explains how many of each power supply model can be used on different types of breaker. You can see it here .

What type breaker to use for my LED strip lights?

Please check with any qualified electrician.

And again, check out our download from Meanwell that explains how many of which power supply can be used on which type of breaker.

Please note I am not a qualified electrician, so please do check with an electrician for any installations queries.

Why InStyle LED?

We stock all of our LED tapes for next day delivery.

You can provide us with any sketches / plans and we can advise on the most cost effective way for wiring / control.

We can speak to installers, before, during and after your project to answer any questions.

Please call us today on 0116 2799083 or email  [email protected]

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Ceiling fan trips breaker when turned on using light switch

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Hello everyone! We recently installed two ceiling fan/light combo in two bedrooms and I different brand ceiling fan/light in the living room. We followed the instructions and connected all the wires accordingly. In one room, when you try to turn on the light switch to turn on the fan/light it trips the breaker, if you pull on either cord it works just fine and doesn’t trip anything. In the other room, the light switch doesn’t turn the fan on or off but it doesn’t trip a breaker like in the other room. The same happens in the living room, the light switch doesn’t turn it off/on but it doesn’t trip anything. Anyone experience this before? Any advice on how to fix this? Thank you!  

Tell us how you wired the fan. Did you do anything to the switches. Sounds like you may have miswired a switch leg. Pictures help.  

How did you wirethem up. Fan /light combos have 1 white wire ,1 black wire for the fan ,1 blue for the light . The house wiring is either black and white or black, white, red . Put the black and blue on the fan together and connect to the house wire black. The whites together fan and house wire. If you have a red Connect black to black White to white Red to blue Watch out for pinched or frayed wires. Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk  

What colorwires were connected to the switch?  

You have miswired a switch loop. You found a white wire connected to a black and decided you need to fix it and connected it the other whites. You need to connect the switch cable white wire to the other hot black wires in the fan box. Then take the black wire from the switch cable and connect it to the blue wire from the fan.  

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