Lights circuit breaker keeps tripping - even with lights off

usignuolo

Our circuit breaker has started tripping the downstairs lighting circuit even when all the lights are off. We have not added anything on to it recently and there does not appear to be anywhere water can get in. Any suggestions?

Jonesya

If the circuit breaker is tripping when all of the lights are switched off, that would point to a fault (possibly intermittent) on the lighting circuit, or possibly a problem with the circuit breaker itself.

You need to get the lighting circuit tested and inspected by electrician to confirm where the fault lies.

In the mean time, for safety, leave the lighting circuit switched off until you get it tested and the fault repaired. If there's a fault on the circuit, you don't want to get powering it up as it could start a fire.

phill99

Typically, it means an earthing fault. This is because the circuit breaker is constantly checking for earthing, even when the lights are off. Ots obviously found a fault and tripped itself.

Get it checked.

MoneyMate

Have any of the bulbs gone ?
Could put on earth fault tripping breaker.

usignuolo

Back to Square One. Had electrician round yesterday. He checked all lighting sockets, tightened one possible loose connection, checked out circuit board, turned all lights on and off several times, declared could not find any fault. Tonight it has tripped twice...... any suggestions?

Ant555

Do you happen to know if anything else is running off the lighting circuit downstairs?

I wonder if the previous owners have run something such as an outside light off it. If so then it could be rainwater getting into the outside unit or some other fault on it maybe caused by corrosion.

I assume that the qualified electrician would have thought of this but I just thought id mention it as my outside light is definitely off the lighting circuit.

dil1976

I hope you didn't pay for that work by the "electrician".

He should have got some test equipment out and carried out a full range of tests on the circuit that is tripping out.