I tripped the breaker while drilling a wall. What now?

Do not drill there again and do not try to remove the screw with the power on. Switch that breaker off and leave it off. If the screw has touched a conductor, pulling it out can strike an arc or leave the cable damaged in a way that stays hidden until it heats.

The breaker resets but falls again after a while

That is not a dead short but an intermittent contact, and it is harder to locate precisely because it is not permanent. Leave the circuit out of service: intermittent contacts create repeated arcing, which is how electrical fires start.

Can I fit a higher-rated breaker myself?

No, and it is the most dangerous modification made in domestic installations. The breaker rating protects the cable size; raising it means the cable will heat beyond its limit with nothing disconnecting. If a breaker trips, the answer is never a bigger breaker.

Will home insurance cover the damage?

It depends on the policy and the cause, which is why we leave a written diagnosis stating the origin. With a report identifying whether the fault was an appliance or the installation, a claim to the insurer or the manufacturer has documentary support.

Short circuit at home — what to do and what not to

If the short circuit came with a loud crack, a visible spark at the board or a burning smell, reset nothing: switch off the main isolator, leave the property and call 112. An arc inside the board does not put itself out.

Right now

1Identify which breaker trippedThe one that is down marks the affected circuit. Note it: it is the single most useful thing you can tell us.
2Unplug everything on that circuitIf it happened as you plugged in or switched something on, that appliance is the first suspect. Leave it disconnected and do not retry it.
3Reset the breaker onceIf it now holds with everything unplugged, the problem is an appliance. If it falls again with nothing connected, the problem is the installation.
4Stop thereDo not plug things back one by one "to see which it was" if the breaker falls with everything unplugged: in that case the fault is in the cable, and every attempt makes it worse.

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Why it happens

An appliance with a shorted winding

Hairdryers, vacuum cleaners and power tools end up with winding damage from use. The breaker falls the instant you switch on, not later: that detail separates it from an overload.

A cable pinched by a screw

Hanging a picture, a mirror or a curtain rail on a wall with buried conduit is the classic cause. The short appears as you drill, or weeks later once moisture completes the contact.

Rodents or insects in a false ceiling

Common in villas and in homes with a false ceiling or loft. Gnawed insulation leaves conductors in direct contact.

Water in a junction box

A leak from a terrace or a pipe wets the box and creates a path between line and neutral. It typically follows heavy rain, which is routine in the Marina Alta in autumn.

What we do on arrival

We locate the short by measuring on the isolated circuit, rather than opening walls blind.
We check that the breaker that tripped has the right breaking capacity for that circuit: an inadequate one does not protect the cable against a real short.
We repair or replace the damaged run and measure insulation before restoring power.
If an appliance caused it, we say so in writing so you can claim under warranty where that applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

By when it trips. A short circuit trips the breaker instantly, almost always as you plug in or switch something on. An overload takes time: the breaker holds for a few minutes with several appliances running and then falls.