Circuit breakers are tripped by an electrical fault. This could be short circuit, drain to earth, or overheating (typically a result of a short circuit). Circuit breakers are designed to protect the device they are in circuit with. But more importantly to us they stop the said device from harming it's environment - either by overheating and causing a fire or by giving the operator an electric shock.

Circuit breakers in domestic environments are normally referred to as MCBs (miniature circuit breakers) as they deal with low voltage currents (under 1000v) or RCBs (remote circuit breakers).

MCBs are rated to suit the circuit they are attached to, lighting circuits have a lower trip threshold than a washing machine, hob, shower or other high power device.

So, what may be happening with a washing machine that is tripping a circuit breaker?

This is potentially life-threatening stuff and you will need a qualified electrician to check the following:

• That the MCB is correctly rated.
• That the circuit the washing machine is connected to is designed for the load.
• That there is no fault in the circuit.

You will also be wise to get a plumber to check that the machine is correctly installed and has no leaks - leaks can cause a short to earth and this would trip the circuit. You would think it would be quite obvious if there was a leak, but a slow leak can cause more problems than a major one as they can take longer to be detected.

If you would like a simple and safe check try tying strips of loo-roll around individual pipes below where you suspect leaks could occur particularly where the flexible hose or hoses that come out of the machine connect with the copper or plastic pipes on the wall. Do this one evening before running the machine and check in the morning to see if any of them are wet or damp.

If you are in rented accommodation tell the landlord immediately, he has a responsibility to you and also will want to protect his property.

There is no reliable documented evidence that Samsung machines are more prone to this fault than machines from other manufacturers.