Find a hidden current leak with a clamp meter

Everything is OFF at home, but your meter keeps running? You may have a hidden current LEAK. Here's the electrician's trick to find it with a clamp meter 🔍

1. PREP: unplug every appliance, then turn every wall switch ON (now all the wiring is live, but nothing should use power). Turn all MCBs OFF and keep the main isolator ON. Clamp the meter around ONE wire only: the incoming phase. It reads 0.00 A.

2. MCB BY MCB: turn the MCBs back ON one at a time. If the reading jumps on one MCB (0.35 A here), the leak is in that circuit.

3. IN THAT ROOM: keep all MCBs ON and turn OFF every wall switch of that circuit. Back to 0.00 A? Then the leak is behind one of those switches. (Still not zero? It's in the always-live wiring of that circuit.)

4. SWITCH BY SWITCH: turn them back ON one at a time. The one that brings the reading back is the faulty wire. Here: a damaged wire in a damp wall, leaking to earth.

Why fix it: 0.35 A × 230 V ≈ 80 W, all day, every day ≈ 58 units a month on your bill. Your energy meter counts it. Plus it's a shock risk.

Stay safe: use the lowest AC amps range, clamp only insulated wire, and get the repair done by an electrician with the MCB OFF.