Your dryer keeps tripping breaker? Don’t Worry! We’ve got a list of the most common causes and what to do about it. You’ve checked your circuit breakers, checked the breaker box, and unplugged everything. The dryer just keeps tripping the circuit breaker. When this happens, it can be really frustrating. An article with advice on what to do when your dryer trips the breaker can be helpful. We’ll cover all the main causes of circuit breaker tripping and what you can do to fix them.
Faulty Circuit Breakers
When the dryer is tripping the circuit breaker, it’s possible that there is something wrong with the circuit breaker. Circuit breakers trip for safety to prevent an electrical circuit from being overloaded or short-circuiting.
If you overload an electrical circuit or short it out, it can lead to a fire or physical damage. To prevent this from happening, circuit breakers are designed to keep the normal draw of electricity down. If a circuit breaker is not working, it will continue to trip because it cannot handle the normal draw of electricity.
A circuit breaker that is 15 to 20 years old can weaken and trip up, potentially leading to an electrical shortage. It may be time to replace the breaker in your older home.
Circuit breaker replacement is not difficult! But make sure you contact an electrician before you do it. Even though your circuit breakers might be in a local hardware store, they can cause a lot of electrical danger, so it’s best not to take the risk.
Check Thermal Resistor/Thermistor
A defective thermal resistor may be the root of the problem with your dryer. A thermal resistor controls the heat in the dryer. If it’s defective, it won’t turn off the heating components in the dryer, which will cause it to heat up indefinitely.
Your dryer is taking too much power and is about to turn off the breaker. Is there anything you can do? Users should check the thermal resistor (also called a “thermistor” or “thermostat”) for damage. If it’s not damaged, they can unplug the dryer and try again later. Keep in mind that the dryer will still be hot and will keep drawing power.
A thermal resistor controls the amount of heat in a dryer. It’s about the size of a nickel and is usually located in the heating element. Unplug the dryer and test for conductivity with an ohmmeter. If there is no reading, the resistor needs to be replaced.
Heating Element
If the heating element fails and shorts out, the dryer will trip the circuit breaker. To test if it is at fault, use a multimeter and test for continuity between the terminals and the case. If the heating element has continuity with the case, it is shorted out and should be replaced.
Heating Element Assembly
If the heating element fails, it will short out on the housing, which can cause a circuit breaker to trip. To test for this issue, use a multimeter to check for continuity from one terminal to the case. If there is continuity from one terminal to the case, the heating element assembly is shorted out and needs to be replaced.
Faulty Drive Motor
Alright, your dryer stopped working. Before you call a technician, you’re going to use your multimeter to figure out what’s wrong with it. If the motor is shorted internally, the dryer will trip the breaker. So, if you see continuity on your multimeter, you’ll need to replace the drive motor.
Terminal Block
One of the more common and startling occurrences with electric dryers is a loose wire on the terminal block. If this happens, one of the wires can short against the body of the dryer, tripping the breaker. The fault can be as small as a loose wire connection but as large as a wire breaking and landing on the ground. This is something that needs to be fixed as soon as it can be. This isn’t a common issue.
Loose Electrical Connections
There might be a loose connection in the outlet. When the connection is loose, it can’t properly transfer current. This means that the power needed by the dryer might be being mishandled because of the loose connection and drawing more power from the electrical system. Consequently, this will trigger the circuit breaker to blow and hence Your Dryer Keeps Tripping Breaker.
The electrician’s skills are the best for fixing an electrical outlet that’s been ruined. There are other ways to fix it but you’ll need to be very careful.
Bad Bearings
Eventually, an accumulation of grime or dirt can take its toll on the dryer’s motor bearings. This can happen as the result of normal wear and tear, or because of lack of maintenance. When the motor begins to turn with the increasing resistance, it draws more electricity. This can be enough to repeatedly trip the circuit breaker, so it’s important to address any problems before they happen.
Hi there! I’m Sam Hendricks, and I’m a repair technician and expert. I created this website to help people like you save money and time by fixing your own appliances.
Over the years, I’ve seen people spend a lot of money on unnecessary repairs or replacements. That’s why I decided to share my expertise and create easy-to-follow guides for fixing appliances on your own.