Power keeps tripping when it rains? A Cyprus guide

If your power trips when it rains, first check whether neighbours have power too; if not, it’s an EAC outage. If only your home is off, try switching the earth leakage switch back on once. If it trips again, water is likely reaching a circuit, often outdoor sockets or lights. Leave it off and call a licensed electrician.

Key takeaways

Street outage or your home? Check the neighbours, then EAC’s faults page for your district, then call EAC on 1800.
EAC: try the earth leakage switch ON once; if it trips again, the problem is in your installation.
Faults after the meter are yours to fix, through a licensed electrician, not EAC.
Common wet-weather culprits: outdoor sockets and lights, garden and pool equipment, and water getting into boxes or the board.
Never hold or tape the switch on, never touch a wet board, and never fit a higher-amp fuse.

First: is it just your home?

Look outside. If the street lights and the neighbours’ homes are dark too, the problem is on the network, not in your house. The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) also asks you to check whether you were told about a scheduled interruption in advance, or whether the supply was cut for an unpaid bill.

EAC publishes current faults and scheduled interruptions by district, and you can report a problem with its online incident form or by calling 1800, EAC’s line for faults. If the whole area is off, there is nothing to reset at home: wait for EAC.

What the tripping switch is doing

Next to your EAC meter there is usually an earth leakage circuit breaker, which EAC calls the “automatic switch”. Many people know it as the RCD or the trip switch. It cuts the power when electricity leaks to earth, for example through water or a faulty appliance, or when the installation is overloaded.

EAC says the most common cause is a faulty appliance, and that the switch trips to protect you from an electric shock. So a switch that keeps tripping is doing its job: it is telling you something on your circuits is not right.

The meter and switch are usually in a cabinet on the veranda or staircase, or in the meter room of a block of flats, with your flat number underneath. Inside your home there is also a distribution board with a small breaker for each circuit.

What EAC says you can try

Start at the meter, before you open the distribution board:

Go to your meter and automatic switch. If it has moved to OFF or O, try once to switch it back to ON or I.
If it trips again, EAC says there is a problem with your electrical installation and you must call a licensed electrician.
If only part of the home is off, check the individual breakers on your distribution board. If one keeps tripping, call a licensed electrician.
Call EAC on 1800 if the whole area is off, or if you can’t get the supply back despite these steps.
Press the small test button next to the automatic switch from time to time. EAC says this checks that the switch still works and can protect you.

Inside your home, EAC can’t help beyond its own meter. The work is for a licensed electrician registered with the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services (EMS). Our guide to choosing an electrician explains the registration and what to ask.

Why rain sets it off

When the switch only trips in wet weather, water is usually getting somewhere it shouldn’t, and the leaking current trips the switch. The usual places to look:

Outdoor sockets and lights

Sockets, wall lights and switches on balconies, terraces and garden walls take the rain first. EAC’s safety tips say outdoor sockets must be suitable for outdoor use and protected by a residual current device (RCD) of 30 mA. Check that each cover closes properly and isn’t cracked.

Garden lighting, irrigation controllers and pool pumps

Garden spike lights, cables run along the ground, irrigation timers and pool pumps all sit close to water. EAC also advises against running outdoor lighting through extension cables. For the pump itself, a pool maintenance technician can check it; the wiring to it is a job for an electrician.

Water through roofs, balconies or walls

After heavy rain, water can run down inside a wall or through a ceiling into light fittings, junction boxes, the AC outdoor unit or even the distribution board. If you see damp near any electrical fitting, leave that circuit off. Our first rains checklist covers gutters, roofs and balcony drains.

Not rain at all

If it also trips in dry weather, the cause can be an appliance. A faulty water heater element, an old electric heater or a washing machine can be the cause. Try unplugging appliances and see if the trips stop, then tell the electrician what you found.

What not to do

These come from EAC’s safety tips and its power cut advice:

Don’t keep resetting the switch. Try once; if it trips again, leave it off.
Never hold, tape or wedge the switch in the ON position.
Never touch plugs, switches, appliances or the board with wet hands, or when the board itself is wet.
Never replace a fuse with one of a higher amperage.
Avoid multi-plug adaptors as much as possible.
Don’t put wet clothes in front of or over electric heaters: EAC warns of electric shock and fire.
Don’t install sockets, switches or appliances in the bathroom.

What to tell the electrician

A few details help an electrician find the fault faster:

When it trips: only in rain, at night, at a certain time, or when something is switched on.
What was on at the time, such as the water heater, heaters, AC or a pool pump.
Which switch trips: the main earth leakage switch or one breaker on the board.
Any recent work on the electrics, the roof or the garden.
Photos of the board and of any wet or damaged fittings.

Outages and faults by city

The steps are the same everywhere: check the neighbours, check EAC’s faults list for your district, try the switch once, then call an electrician if it trips again. EAC lists faults for each district separately.

Larnaca: if only your street seems affected, look under the Larnaca district on EAC’s faults list. Electricians in Larnaca.
Limassol: planned interruptions for network works appear in advance under Limassol on the same list. Electricians in Limassol.
Nicosia: inland Nicosia usually has colder winter nights than the coastal cities, so heaters and AC heating add load on the same circuits. Find electricians in Nicosia.
Paphos: if your home is off but the neighbours have power, the fault is on your side of the meter. Electricians in Paphos.

Describe the job

A clear description helps an electrician understand the problem before they visit. Include:

Your town or village and area.
House or apartment.
Which switch trips, and when.
Any outdoor sockets, lights, pool or garden equipment.
How old the installation is, if you know.
Any water or damp you can see near fittings or the board.

Posting a job on Ergo is free. Ergo is new, so we may not have a pro for your trade and area yet. If we do, we send your request to independent local pros whose trade and city match; they can contact you, and you agree the price and the work with them directly. If we don’t, we’ll tell you and won’t pass your request to anyone.

Need someone to take a look?

Sent to local pros whose trade and city match. No match yet? We'll tell you.

Request quotes

Before-winter checklist

Tick these off before the rainy months:

Test button on the earth leakage switch pressed and working
Outdoor sockets have intact, closing covers
Outdoor lights and garden cables checked for cracks and damage
No extension cables running outdoor lighting
Sockets and cables kept away from pools, taps and irrigation
Gutters and balcony drains clear, so water doesn’t reach fittings
No wet clothes drying on or in front of heaters
You know where your meter, automatic switch and board are

Questions people ask

Why does my electricity trip when it rains?

Usually because water is reaching part of the installation, such as an outdoor socket, a garden light or a fitting under a leak, and the earth leakage switch cuts the power to protect you. Try the switch once; if it trips again, call a licensed electrician.

Why does my RCD keep tripping with nothing plugged in?

Then the fault may be in the fixed wiring or a fixed fitting, such as an outdoor light, a damp junction box or the water heater. Keep the switch off and have a licensed electrician trace the fault; this is not a DIY job.

How do I know if it’s a power cut or just my house?

Check whether the neighbours and street lights have power, then look at EAC’s faults and scheduled interruptions list for your district. If the area is off, it is an EAC outage; call 1800 if it isn’t listed.

Is it safe to keep resetting the trip switch?

No. One attempt is the limit EAC gives; repeated trips mean a fault that needs a licensed electrician to find it.

Will EAC come out for a problem inside my home?

No. EAC says it can’t be called for problems inside your premises beyond its own meter. Call EAC on 1800 for an area outage or a fault on its side, and a licensed electrician for anything after the meter.

Why does it trip at night?

It can be something switching on by itself, such as a heater, the AC or a water heater on a timer. Note when it happens and what was on, and tell the electrician.

Who fixes it in a rented home?

Tell your landlord in writing straight away, with the dates it tripped, and check your tenancy agreement for who arranges and pays for repairs. Don’t try to fix the wiring yourself.

Sources

Work as a licensed electrician? Create a free profile; we review each sign-up.

Join as a pro

Ergo introduces you to independent local professionals. You agree the price and pay them directly; we do not carry out or manage the work. This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice.