Glossary
Electrical overload (sobrecarga eléctrica)
When a circuit carries more current than its cable can take, with no fault involved. The cable heats up and, if it lasts, the thermal part of the MCB trips.
What an electrical overload is
Every circuit is designed for a maximum current according to its cable size. If you plug in more than it can feed, the current exceeds that value. Nothing is broken: you are simply asking for more than it can give. The cable starts to heat up and the thermal part of the MCB (magnetotérmico) eventually opens the circuit, after seconds or minutes depending on how big the excess is.
Typical causes
- Daisy-chained power strips (regletas) running a heater, iron, kettle or hairdryer at once.
- Old kitchens where oven, hob, microwave and dishwasher share one undersized circuit.
- Air conditioning or radiators plugged into general sockets.
- Powerful new appliances in an installation designed for another era.
Signs
Sockets, plugs or power strips that feel warm or hot, a smell of plastic, yellowed switches and sockets, and a breaker that always trips when the same appliances run together.
Overload, short circuit or contracted power
In a short circuit there is direct contact and the breaker trips instantly. In an overload it trips after a delay. And if the whole home goes off with every lever in the board still up, it is not an overload of one circuit: you have exceeded your potencia contratada (contracted power).
How to avoid it
Spread powerful appliances across different circuits, never use power strips for heaters or air conditioning, and add dedicated lines for the kitchen, air conditioning or a charger. If a socket gets hot, do not wait. See MCB keeps tripping and extra sockets and lights in Seville, Spain.
Related services
MCB keeps tripping
If your MCB keeps tripping when you switch on the oven, the air conditioning or the washing machine, that circuit is overloaded or has a fault. We check the line, spread the loads or replace the circuit breaker (magnetotérmico) so your kitchen or living room stops losing power.
Extra sockets and lights
We install extra sockets in your apartment in Seville, Spain where you now use power strips, new light points, two-way switches, USB, data and TV sockets, and new lines for appliances that need them. It is one of the jobs most requested when moving into a new-build home or rearranging the furniture.
Need an electrician in Seville, Spain?
Call us or send a WhatsApp message with a photo of the job. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.