The power keeps tripping: what tripped and why
When people say the power has tripped, it can mean three different things: the RCD (diferencial), a circuit breaker (magnetotérmico) or the power company's limiter. Let's work out which of the three is yours in a couple of minutes. You just look and answer; nobody is putting a hand inside the fuse box here.
Step 1 of 5
Safety first. Do you notice any of this right now?
Go up to the fuse box (cuadro eléctrico) and the sockets in the area that went off, and use your nose and eyes, nothing else. A smell of burnt plastic, black marks around a socket, crackling when you plug something in, or the fuse box feeling warm when you run your hand over the outside. If you see any of those things, we stop here.
What it means when the power trips at home
“The power has tripped” can mean three different things, with very different fixes and prices. The RCD (diferencial) is the wide switch with a test button and it trips when current is leaking to earth. The circuit breakers (magnetotérmicos) are the narrow ones in the row; each protects one circuit and trips from an overload or short circuit in that area. And the power company's limiter isn't a fault: it cuts off because you're drawing more power than your contract allows.
How to tell which one tripped without touching the fuse box
Lift the fuse box's plastic flap and look. If the wide one with the test button is down, it's the RCD and there's a leak somewhere. If a narrow one is down, the problem lives in its circuit and the stickers tell you which. If none is down and you still have no power, either the cut is from the street or the fault is before the fuse box. Two rules: don't touch anything with wet hands, and if the inner cover over the wires has been removed, close the box and call.
The trick of ruling out appliances one by one
When the RCD trips, the quickest method is the most boring. Unplug everything, flip the lever up once only and plug things back in one at a time, leaving each appliance running for a couple of minutes. The one that trips it has the leak. The usual suspects: the electric water heater first, then the washing machine, the dishwasher, the oven and the tumble dryer. The water heater misleads people: it heats in the small hours and trips while you sleep.
When to call an electrician
Three signs end the discussion: a burning smell, sparks or black marks on a socket, and water near the wiring. Then switch off the main switch and leave it off. Also call when the RCD won't stay up even with the whole flat unplugged, when the power goes and comes back by itself, when it trips as you plug anything into one particular socket, and when the fuse box has no RCD or just one for the whole flat. Electrical installations are governed by the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation (Reglamento Electrotécnico de Baja Tensión), and some jobs can only be signed off by a registered electrician. What you pay for the certificate that electrician signs is in how much the electrical certificate (boletín eléctrico) costs in Valencia.
What we do
Tell us what's happening on WhatsApp or through the form, with a photo of the open fuse box. We give you a fixed price in writing, usually in under two hours, and an independent professional who works with us comes to your home, an electrician by trade who works in your area. Anything extra is quoted separately and you decide. We cover Valencia city and l'Horta.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the RCD trip but not the circuit breakers?
Because they watch for different things. The RCD checks that no current escapes to earth, and it trips with a leak from damp, a corroded heating element or a chafed cable. The circuit breaker checks how much current flows, and trips from an overload or short circuit. That's why a leak in the water heater trips the RCD without moving any of the small ones.
Can I flip the lever back up myself?
Yes, once, with the outer cover on and dry hands. If it trips again, leave it down. Insisting doesn't fix the leak and takes away your protection exactly when you need it most. What you must never do is open the inner cover over the wires or bypass the RCD to get by.
It always trips in the small hours when nobody is awake. Why?
It's nearly always the electric water heater. It heats at night to take advantage of the cheap tariff, and if the element has an earth leak it trips the RCD while you sleep. Leave the heater disconnected for a whole day and see if it trips again. If it doesn't, you know who it was and you've saved half a visit.
How much does it cost to have an electrician look at this?
It depends a lot on whether a leak has to be traced, a socket replaced or the fuse box worked on, so we won't throw a figure at you out of thin air. Send us photos and what you saw following these steps, and we'll agree the price in writing before anyone comes into your home. The quote is free and commits you to nothing.