The 15 most common electrical faults in the home (including checklist)
A residual current device (RCD) that keeps tripping, short circuits , overloads , moisture in outdoor sockets, or a solar panel inverter that triggers a residual current device when it rains: these are the most common faults we encounter at New-Heating . Below, you'll find the causes, symptoms, what you can do yourself, and when to call an electrician immediately.
- Earth leakage circuit breaker trips
- Short circuit (sparks/burning smell)
- Overload on a group
- Moisture in outdoor socket/garden lighting
- Loose/hot connections and welding clamps
- PV inverter triggers earth leakage (especially in rain)
- Outdated wiring and switching equipment
- Incorrect neutral/earth combinations
- Incorrect type of earth leakage (AC/A/B) for equipment
- No selectivity between protections
- Phase imbalance in 3-phase
- Perilex/cooking group incorrectly connected
- Overvoltage/lightning, SPD missing
- Low-quality chargers/smart plugs
- Hidden cable damage (drilling/nailing)
1) Earth leakage circuit breaker trips
Symptoms: The earth leakage circuit breaker trips, sometimes only in wet weather or when a particular appliance is switched on.
Probable causes: leakage current due to moisture, defective device, incorrect wiring or incorrect RCD type.
Here's how to check it yourself (safely): turn off all circuits → turn on the earth leakage circuit breaker → turn on circuits one by one (the "plug test"). If the earth leakage circuit breaker is on a specific circuit, the fault is in that circuit or appliance. Stop immediately if you smell burning, sparks, or water nearby.
2) Short circuit (sparks/burning smell)
Symptoms: automatic cuts out immediately, sparks/pops, burning smell.
Causes: damaged cable, defective device, wires touching each other in a box or device.
Do this: unplug the appliance, leave the circuit breaker off, and don't switch it on repeatedly. Have the wiring and junction boxes tested.
3) Overload on a group
Symptoms: The machine switches off after some time when heavy appliances (oven, kettle, tumble dryer) are used simultaneously.
Solution: Spread consumption or install an additional circuit. Often a necessary extension for kitchens/electrical appliances/heat pumps.
4) Moisture in outdoor socket or garden lighting
Symptoms: Earth leakage circuit breaker trips in rain or high humidity.
Causes: IP value too low, poor sealing, water in fixture, damaged ground cable.
Solution: dry/replace, correct IP fittings and cable glands, junction boxes above ground level, possibly a separate outdoor RCD.
5) Loose/hot connections and clamps
Symptoms: flickering lights, heat traces, discolouration at the socket or in the meter cupboard.
Risk: Transition resistance → heat → fire hazard. Tighten clamps/rails and replace as needed.
6) PV inverter triggers earth leakage (especially in rain)
Symptoms: Earth leakage trips in rain/moisture or after meter box adjustment.
Causes: capacitive leakage currents from inverter/PV strings, wrong RCD type or fault in AC connection.
Solution: correct RCD selection, separate protection and correct connection of the inverter in accordance with the standard and manufacturer.
7) Outdated wiring/switching material
Symptoms: Random failure, brittle insulation, porcelain fuses.
Approach: partial renovation or complete renewal, checking the grounding, modernising the fuse box (residual current circuit breakers/AFDD where appropriate).
8) Incorrect zero/PE combinations
Symptoms: Earth leakage occurs when joining neutral wires or when sharing neutral wires.
Cause: Incorrect looping in the box or cabinet. Requires measuring and redistributing the circuits.
9) Incorrect type of earth leakage (AC/A/B) for equipment
Modern equipment (charging stations, inverters, frequency converters) may require specific RCD characteristics. Incorrect selection results in false trips or insufficient protection.
10) No selectivity between protections
Result: in the event of a fault, "too many" circuits fail (main connection or multiple circuits). Design and selection of protection devices must be adjusted for selective shutdown.
11) Phase imbalance in 3-phase
Symptoms: one phase structurally more heavily loaded, heat traces, unexplained failure.
Solution: redistribute circuits, apply load balancing (EV), comply with grid operator connection conditions.
12) Perilex/cooking group incorrectly connected
Symptoms: Hob switches off or fuse blows. Often incorrect connection of phases/neutral/PE.
13) Overvoltage/Lightning – Missing SPD
Sensitive electronics and inverters are at risk without surge protection (SPD) in the cabinet. Have an SPD assessed to determine whether it's appropriate for your situation.
14) Low-quality chargers/smart plugs
Cheap adapters or smart plugs can cause malfunctions and heat. Choose certified products and the correct load.
15) Hidden cable damage (drilling/nailing)
Symptoms: Power outage after work, ground fault/short circuit in one zone. Further investigation with a cable detector and measurements.
Quick DIY Checklist (Safety First)
- Burning smell, sparks, or water? Turn off the main switch and call an electrician.
- In case of earth leakage failure: groups off → earth leakage on → groups on one by one (locate the culprit).
- Spread out large consumers (oven, dryer, kettle) or have an additional group installed.
- For PV/EV: check whether the correct RCD type and selectivity have been applied.
- Moisture outside? Check IP rating, seals, and ground cables.
When should you call an electrician immediately?
In case of burning smells, sparks, traces of heat, water near electrical systems, repeated outages without an obvious cause, old wiring , or modifications to the fuse box/PV/EV, we will test the installation (insulation resistance, RCD test, loop impedance) and repair it safely according to NEN1010/NEN3140 .
Electrician throughout the Netherlands – cities & villages
New-Heating provides electrical services throughout the Netherlands. Choose your province and schedule a free consultation today.
North Brabant
Gelderland
Utrecht
Limburg
Zealand
Friesland
Groningen
Popular searches (which we help with daily)
- electrician • replace fuse box • earth leakage trips • short circuit
- charging station installation • 3-phase connection • connect solar panels inverter
- NEN1010/NEN3140 inspection • measurement report • overvoltage protection (SPD)
- cooking group / Perilex • create additional group • garden lighting • outdoor IP value
– extensive overview
1) Earth leakage circuit breaker trips randomly
Symptoms: RCD trips mainly in case of moisture or when specific devices are switched on.
Causes: leakage current (moisture), defective device, shared neutral, incorrect RCD type.
Do this: turn off the circuit breaker → turn on the ground fault circuit breaker → turn on the circuit breaker one by one. If there's a repeat or you smell burning, call for help .
2) Short circuit when switching on the lighting
Symptoms: The machine trips immediately, clicking/banging noise at the switch or fixture.
Causes: fault in welding clamp, screwed cable, incorrectly connected fixture.
What to do: turn off the group, disconnect the fixture and have it measured.
3) Hot sockets or plugs
Symptoms: Plug hot/warm, discoloration around socket.
Causes: poor clamping connection, excessive load, cheap adapters.
Action: relieve pressure immediately, check connections, replace socket if necessary.
4) Voltage drops out in part of the house
Symptoms: One room or floor without power, the rest works.
Causes: loose weld, broken wire, defective circuit breaker or clamp.
To do: Identify the source group, inspect the junction boxes/distributor.
5) Garden lighting trips earth leakage circuit breaker when it rains
Symptoms: failure when wet/at night.
Causes: IP value too low, water in fixture/ground cable, bad glands.
To do: dry/replace, use correct IP fittings and waterproof connections.
6) PV inverter causes failure
Symptoms: Earth leakage occurs during rain or during inverter start-up.
Causes: capacitive leakage currents, wrong RCD type, fault in AC connection.
Do: correct RCD and selectivity; separate protection for PV.
7) Charging station stops charging / machine trips
Symptoms: Charging stops, group drops, sometimes evening peak.
Causes: insufficient distribution board capacity, no load balancing, phase imbalance.
To do: Adjust 3-phase, apply load balancing, correct cable cross-section.
8) Induction hob switches itself off
Symptoms: error codes, failure at higher power.
Causes: Incorrectly connected Perilex, cable too thin, shared neutral.
To do: check connections, set up cooking group correctly.
9) Flickering lights
Symptoms: flickering when dimming or simultaneously with heavy consumers.
Causes: incompatible dimmer/LED, loose terminal, voltage drop due to thin cables.
To do: use a suitable dimmer/driver, check the terminals, and possibly use thicker wiring.
10) Machine trips after a few minutes (no direct short circuit)
Symptoms: failure only after loading (oven, dryer).
Causes: overload/thermal trip, multiple heavy appliances on one circuit.
What to do: spread consumption or create an additional group.
11) Sockets without earthing in wet areas
Symptoms: old installation, loose earth connection, incorrect replacement.
Causes: outdated installation, incorrect modernization.
Action: Restore grounding facility, renew switching equipment in accordance with NEN.
12) Overvoltage damage (thunderstorm)
Symptoms: Defective electronics after lightning/induction.
Causes: no SPD in the distribution box, insufficient potential equalisation.
What to do: Install SPD (Type 2) and check grounding.
13) Melting/burning marks in the meter box
Symptoms: discoloration, odor, warm rails/clamps.
Causes: transition resistance, loose connections, overload.
Action: switch off immediately and have it repaired; check all terminals as a preventative measure.
14) Smart plugs/chargers cause interference
Symptoms: Random failure, heat at plug.
Causes: Low quality, too high load, bad firmware/EMI.
To do: use certified products, check taxes.
15) Hidden cable damage (drilling/nailing)
Symptoms: Power outage after job; earth leakage/short circuit in one zone.
Causes: affected pipeline route, damaged sheathing.
What to do: Trace and repair the circuit; replace the cable if necessary.
16) Phase imbalance in 3-phase connection
Symptoms: one phase structurally heavier, heat, failure at peak.
Causes: uneven distribution of groups, EV without load balancing.
To do: redistribute, set up load balancing, distribute critical circuits.
17) Shared zero between groups (error in box)
Symptoms: Earth leakage trips when switching, voltage “flows along”.
Causes: Incorrect connection of neutrals.
What to do: Separate the circles and reconnect them correctly.
18) Incorrect RCD types (AC/A/B) for modern equipment
Symptoms: PV/EV/frequency controller malfunctions.
Causes: Incorrect RCD type or placement in the cabinet.
To do: Use correct type and selectivity, follow manufacturer requirements.
19) Too thin cable cross-section on long runs
Symptoms: Voltage drop, heat traces, peak failure.
Causes: Long pipes with 1.5 mm² instead of 2.5 mm² (or heavier where necessary).
To do: match cross-section and protection to length/load.
20) Old porcelain fuses
Symptoms: unclear protection, no differential protection.
Causes: outdated installation; no earth leakage circuit breakers.
Action: Modernize to automatic/RCBO systems; measure and report.
(visible, human)
We're often found using combinations of service and location . Below is a natural list of relevant variations that fit the content.
General
- electrician Rosmalen
- electrical failure Den Bosch
- earth leakage circuit breaker trips Tilburg
- short circuit solution Breda
- replace fuse box Eindhoven
- create additional group Tilburg
Kitchen & cooking
- have a cooking group installed in Den Bosch
- Perilex induction connection Tilburg
- preparing kitchen electrical system Eindhoven
Solar panels & EV
Installation of solar panels and home batteries
About our electrical services in your hometown and surrounding area
As an electrician in your community, I see every day that many people only think about their electrical system when something goes wrong. A tripped earth leakage circuit breaker, a circuit that keeps tripping, or a hot socket – these are all signs that reveal the condition of your system. Often, it's nothing major, but sometimes there's a bigger risk lurking, such as moisture in pipes or an overloaded distribution board.
At New-Heating, we operate with professionalism and safety in mind. We use measuring equipment to quickly detect faults in {{PLAATS}} and prevent unnecessary component replacement. We install new circuits, check grounding, install surge protection (SPD) , and replace old fuse boxes with modern earth leakage circuit breakers (RCBOs ). Everything is meticulously finished, tested according to NEN1010 and NEN3140 , and we always explain what we're doing and why.
Electrician in North Brabant – cities & villages
New-Heating serves all of North Brabant. Choose your location and schedule your free consultation today.
Greater Den Bosch & Bommelerwaard
- 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch)
- Rosmalen
- Vught
- Boxtel • Liempde • Esch
- Schijndel • Sint-Oedenrode (Meierijstad)
- Veghel • Erp (Meierijstad)
- Oss • Berghem • Lith • Ravenstein
- Bernheze: Heesch • Nistelrode • Heeswijk-Dinther
- Heusden: Drunen • Vlijmen • Nieuwkuijk
- Waalwijk • Sprang-Capelle
- Kerkdriel • Zaltbommel (region)
Eindhoven & De Kempen region
Tilburg, Breda & surroundings
- Tilburg
- Goirle • Riel • Hilvarenbeek
- Loon op Zand • De Moer
- Oisterwijk • Moergestel
- Dongen • Gilze-Rijen
- Breda • Prinsenbeek • Teteringen
- Etten-Leur • Zundert • Rucphen
- Moerdijk: Zevenbergen • Klundert • Willemstad
- Halderberge: Oudenbosch and surroundings
- Roosendaal • Nispen
- Bergen op Zoom • Halsteren
What do we help with every day in North Brabant?
- electrician North Brabant • electrician place name • electrical breakdown service • earth leakage circuit breaker trips
- replace distribution box • install additional group • 3-phase connection • overvoltage protection (SPD)
- Install charging station • Load balancing • Connect solar panel inverter • NEN1010/NEN3140 inspection
- cooking group / Perilex • prepare kitchen electrical system • garden lighting • outdoor IP value
Need immediate help or advice? Schedule your free consultation .
Local electrician in North Brabant
Whether you live in 's-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda, Helmond, Waalwijk, or a smaller village, our electricians will safely resolve issues, replace fuse boxes, and install charging stations and solar panel connections in accordance with NEN1010/NEN3140. We'll take measurements, explain what we're doing, and ensure your system is future-proof. Need free advice?
