What Does An Electrical Safety Switch Do?

May 27, 2022

Electrical safety switches are a vital aspect of your electrical safety in your Perth home.

They protect you and your loved ones from experiencing an electric shock. These safety switches are also known as residual current devices (RCDs), and all homes in WA must be fitted with these devices. 

 

How do electrical safety switches work?

 

Electrical safety switches are devices that detect a change in the circuit and shut off the power supply in as quick as 0.3 seconds. They work by interrupting a circuit to help prevent a person from experiencing an electric shock. 

Although it’s the circuit breakers and fuses that protect your home against short circuits and power overloads, the safety switches are the only devices that protect the people in your home from receiving a nasty electric shock. 

 

How to test a safety switch

 

You should test your safety switches at regular intervals to ensure they are in good working condition. If not, you’ll need a replacement, or an updated version of the switch installed on-site before any accident occurs.

Find the safety switch and locate the ‘T’ or ‘test’ button on the device. Once you press this, you should see the switch flip to the ‘off’ position. This is a sign that everything is working, and you can now switch this back to the ‘on’ position. If it doesn’t flip to the ‘off’ position once you’ve pressed the button, turn off the power straight away. 

 

How to reset a safety switch

 

If your safety switch has tripped, don’t be alarmed. Resetting your safety switch should be an easy fix to get your power back on.  Here is our advice: 

  • Locate your device in the circuit breaker to reset your safety switch.
  • The device should be in the ‘off’ position. 
  • Try and flip this back to the ‘on’ position.
  • In some cases, the problem is temporary, and you should be able to reset it easily. 
  • However, there may be a faulty appliance connected to the circuit, which is the source of the problem. 
  • Make sure to unplug this appliance (or appliances), and then you should be able to reset the safety switch. 
  • Once you start to plug in your appliances again, you may trip the safety switch again, which can help you identify which appliance is at fault.

If you’re still unable to reset the safety switch or notice that you’re experiencing an issue quite regularly, it’s best to call a Perth electrician to resolve the issue.

 

Whenever you are in doubt, call an electrician in Perth

 

Don’t put your electrical concerns off for another day. An electrical switch being faulty is hazardous and should be dealt with by an experienced residential electrician in Perth right away. Get in touch with our team, we perform RCD testing

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