Your DB board (distribution board, or fuse box) is the control centre for your home’s electrics – and a board that keeps tripping is telling you something. Here’s how to read the basics and know when it’s more than a nuisance.
What’s actually in your DB board
Behind the door are a main switch, an earth leakage unit (also called an ELU or RCD, which protects against shock), and a row of circuit breakers, each protecting a specific circuit in the house – lights, plugs, stove, geyser, and so on. Modern boards are labelled per circuit; older boards often aren’t, which is one of the most common issues we fix.
Why breakers trip
A breaker trips when it detects more current than the circuit is rated for (overload), a short circuit, or – for the earth leakage unit specifically – current leaking to earth, often through a faulty appliance or damp-affected wiring. An occasional trip after running several high-draw appliances at once is usually a simple overload. A breaker that trips repeatedly with no clear trigger, or that’s warm to the touch, points to a fault that needs diagnosing properly rather than just resetting.
When to upgrade rather than repair
Boards installed before the 1990s often lack earth leakage protection entirely, use undersized breakers for modern appliance loads, or use fuse wire instead of circuit breakers – all of which fall short of current safety standards. If you’re planning a CoC, adding solar or an inverter, or simply tired of nuisance trips, a board upgrade is usually the more sensible fix than patching an outdated one repeatedly.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to keep resetting a breaker that trips?
Resetting it once to see if it holds is fine. If it trips again immediately or repeatedly, stop resetting it and have it inspected – repeatedly resetting a genuinely faulty breaker is how faults get worse.
How much does a DB board upgrade cost?
It depends on board size and condition – we assess the existing board and provide a fixed quote before starting any work.
Does a DB board upgrade require a CoC?
Yes, any DB board work requires a new Certificate of Compliance for the affected circuits.
Dealing with a tripping DB board or considering an upgrade? See our DB board service or get a free quote.