Why Does My Power Keep Tripping? Brisbane Emergency Electrician Lists The Top 5 Causes

You’re boiling the kettle, someone turns on the heater—and boom, the power trips again.
It’s not just inconvenient. Frequent tripping can be a warning sign that your home’s electrical system is under stress, outdated, or even unsafe.

If you’re wondering why it keeps happening in your Brisbane home, the answer usually lies in one of these five issues:

⚡ Quick Summary: Why Your Power Might Be Tripping in Brisbane

• Overloaded circuits pulling more power than your system can handle
• Faulty appliances with internal electrical faults
• Short circuits, often caused by wiring issues or geckos inside switchboards or air con units
• Ground faults from water intrusion—common in Brisbane’s stormy weather
• Old or non-compliant switchboards without safety switches

If you notice burning smells, flickering lights, or your circuit breaker keeps tripping, it’s time to contact a Brisbane emergency electrician.

Now, let’s break down each one—starting with the most common offender we see across Brisbane homes every week.

1. Overloaded Circuits

This is the number one reason for power tripping in modern Brisbane homes.

Every circuit in your house is rated for a specific amount of electrical current (amperage).
Have you recently replaced an appliance or bought some neew ones?
When you plug in too many high-wattage appliances on the same line—especially those that generate heat—it can easily exceed the circuit’s limit.

Most common overload zones:

Kitchens:

• Kettle (2,000–3,000W)
• Toaster (800–1,500W)
• Microwave (1,000–1,200W)
• Coffee machine
• Air fryer or benchtop oven

Just two of these running at once on the same circuit can cause the breaker to trip.

Media Rooms / Home Offices:

• Gaming consoles
• High-end PCs or dual monitors
• Portable heaters
• Multi-socket powerboards running speakers, chargers, routers

These setups seem innocent until everything runs at once—and boom, the switchboard throws a fit.

Laundry:

• Washing machine + dryer combo
• Ironing station
• Dehumidifier or heat pump

If you’re drying clothes and running an iron at the same time, you may be pushing the circuit over its limit.

Why does this happen?

Older switchboards and circuits were never designed for the energy-hungry appliances of today. A home built in the 1980s might have been wired for two TVs and a fridge—not an espresso machine, air fryer, a teenager blow drying her hair, two MacBooks, and an electric scooter charging all at the same time.

Your breaker is doing its job by tripping—preventing overheating and fire—but if it’s happening regularly, your home needs help.

The solution? Consider a professional switchboard upgrade with properly distributed load management. We’ll assess your usage, map out appliance zones, and ensure your circuits are correctly balanced for safety and performance.

2. Faulty Appliances

Not all electrical faults come from your wiring—sometimes, the problem is hiding inside your own appliances.

When a device develops an internal fault, it can leak electricity, cause a short, or create an irregular current that trips your safety switch. This is particularly common with appliances that contain motors, heating elements, or internal electronics.

Brisbane Humidity Can Increase Faulty Devices = Trouble

After recent heavy rains across Brisbane, we’ve seen a noticeable spike in tripping calls related to:

• Washing machines with moisture in the control panel or drum sensor
• Fridges or freezers with deteriorating compressors
• Outdoor appliances left exposed to rain or humidity (bar fridges, electric BBQs, pool pumps)

Even dishwashers, when exposed to internal leaks, can trip a circuit the moment you start the cycle. When moisture gets into appliance electronics, it disrupts insulation resistance and can cause current to flow along unintended paths—triggering your RCD (Residual Current Device) the second it detects leakage. It’s your switchboard saying, “Something’s not right. Let’s play it safe.”

How to Track It Down

Start with this quick test:

1. Unplug every appliance connected to the tripping circuit.
2. Reset the breaker or safety switch.
3. Plug items back in one at a time and monitor closely.

As soon as it trips again, the last item plugged in is likely your culprit.
But if nothing obvious stands out—or if multiple appliances trigger the trip—it may point to a deeper issue in your wiring or the board itself.

Still not sure? Book a same-day electrical safety inspection with our Brisbane team.
We’ll test your appliances, inspect internal circuits, and help you sort out the fault without the guesswork.

3. Short Circuits — or Sneaky Geckos

A short circuit happens when live wires cross or touch something conductive. Usually, this is due to worn-out wiring—but in Brisbane, there’s another hidden cause: geckos.

These reptiles crawl into outdoor air conditioning units and switchboards, especially at night when they’re warm. If a gecko touches two live terminals, it can short the circuit and trip your power instantly.

How to prevent gecko-related shorts:

• Install gecko-proof sealants
• Keep outdoor switchboards and AC units sealed
• Have your air con system checked for vulnerable gaps

Yes, we’ve found more than one charred gecko inside Brisbane switchboards.

4. Ground Faults from Moisture

A ground fault means current is escaping into places it shouldn’t—like wet concrete, metal, or soil. This is dangerous and often caused by water getting into your power points.

Storms, high humidity, and even leaking pool equipment can trigger this. If it’s happening outdoors, check the RCD (safety switch) or schedule a moisture fault inspection before it gets worse.

5. Unsafe or Outdated Switchboards

Still using ceramic fuses? No safety switches at all?

Brisbane has lots of older homes still wired with cotton cabling, and some haven’t had a switchboard update in decades. These setups are dangerous and don’t meet today’s electrical standards.
Below is a recent switchboard upgrade we did – Believe it or not there are still lots of old switchboard configurations out there!

We offer modern switchboard replacements with RCD protection to bring your system up to spec.

So… Why Does the Power Keep Tripping in Your Brisbane Home?

In 95% of cases, it’s:

• Overloaded circuits
• Faulty appliances
• Short circuits (especially with geckos!)
• Ground faults from moisture
• Aging switchboards without RCD protection

Each one carries a safety risk—and delaying could cost you more than a blackout.

Call Brisbane’s Power-Tripping Experts

At Precision Electrical & Air, our emergency electricians are on-call across Brisbane 24/7. We fix power trips at the source—fast, safe, and guaranteed.

✅ 24/7 emergency service
✅ Licensed & insured electricians
✅ Experts in switchboards, safety checks, and appliance testing

📞 Call us now or book online for an inspection.