LED Strip Lights Tripping Your RCD or RCBO? Here is the Fix

The Problem

When the LED strip lighting is switched on, the RCD trips and cuts the power. This occurs in installations where multiple LED drivers or transformers are used to power the LED strips.

What's Causing It

Each LED driver contains internal capacitors. When power is applied, these capacitors charge instantly — creating a sharp surge of current known as inrush current. When many drivers switch on simultaneously, the combined inrush current is significantly higher than the normal running current.

The RCD measures the balance between the Live and Neutral currents. During the surge, the current may not return evenly through the Neutral. Even a small imbalance causes the RCD to interpret it as a leakage fault and trip. This only happens at the moment of switch-on due to capacitor charging — not while the lights are running.

Why It Happens

This is more likely when:

• Many LED drivers are on one circuit
• Neutrals are shared between circuits
• A driver is weak or leaking current internally
• The RCD is very sensitive (e.g. 30mA Type AC)
• Lighting and sockets share the same RCD

In short: too many drivers start at once, creating a surge and neutral imbalance — the RCD trips.

Solution Steps

1. Put the LED drivers on a dedicated lighting circuit with an RCBO so the neutrals are not shared.
2. Tighten all neutral and earth terminations in the distribution board and junction boxes.
3. Test each LED driver individually — replace any unit that causes tripping.
4. Spread drivers across more than one circuit if possible.

Last Resort: Inrush Current Limiter

If the above steps don't resolve the problem, install an inrush current limiter (such as Mean Well ICL-16R or ICL-28R). This device reduces the surge at startup and prevents the neutral imbalance that triggers the RCD.

Need Parts?

At APM Plumbing & Electrical in Acton, we stock RCBOs, LED drivers, and inrush current limiters. Visit us at 24 Western Avenue, Acton W3 7TZ or order online at apmi.uk.