6 Reasons Why Washing Machine Keeps Tripping Breaker – Let’s Fix It

If your washing machine keeps tripping breaker to your home, you’re not alone. This is a common problem to have, and luckily there are quite a few things you can try to fix it. Before calling in a repairman or purchasing a new washing machine, you should troubleshoot the problem yourself first.

Circuit breakers are a crucial part of your house’s electrical system. They protect your home by sensing a sudden spike in the number of amps used, and automatically shutting down power to that circuit to prevent overheating and fire. So why can some washing machines trip a breaker?

The reason for a tripped circuit breaker could be due to an overloaded circuit, or there could be a short in the wiring that’s causing an electrical problem. Any of these issues with your washing machine also means you might have a larger problem with your home’s electrical system.

When you do laundry, you don’t want to have to worry about your equipment shocking you or your children. In the United States, all laundry equipment includes a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to prevent electric shocks. GFCI’s are required by law in most houses. They work by monitoring the current flow in a circuit and cutting power if it detects a problem with the electrical ground.

Why Washing Machine Keeps Tripping Breaker – Troubleshoot and Diagnosis

The most common problems that cause a circuit breaker to trip are related to the washer’s internal mechanisms, such as the door latch assembly, water level control switch, timer, or motor. A circuit breaker trips when an abnormal load is sent through it.

Here are some of the most common reasons why your washer trips the circuit breaker and how you can fix the problem in each case.

1. Dampness

When the cold weather approaches, homeowners may experience problems with electricity in their washing machine. An area in which many homes experience this problem is the conservatory. The electric supply for a conservatory is often shared with another part of the house, such as the kitchen. This means that when the cold weather hits, you might experience faulty electric appliances including your washing machine.

When unheated spaces are less than warm, dampness can settle in and damage electrical washing machine components. This means that washing machine maintenance should especially be a priority in cold weather.

Dampness can have a negative effect on your products’ mechanical and electrical components. If a machine has been exposed to moisture, there’s a chance that the dampness is present in some of the electrical or mechanical components. The moisture could enter into the delicate parts like the transistors and thereby cause problems with the functioning of the product.

It is recommended to place the washing machine at normal room temperature and avoid placing it in highly humid environments, or exposing it to low temperatures.

2. Faulty Door Latch Assembly

Like many devices, your washing machine is made up of parts, which in this case includes a door latch. That catch inside the washing machine door keeps it sealed during the entire spin cycle, ensuring that the drum doesn’t fill with water and make a mess on your floor.

The washer door latch designed to lock automatically during the wash cycle, ensuring no one opens the door in the middle of a wash cycle. It also unlocks when the cycle is complete and ready for you to remove your clothes.

The washer’s door latch assembly as well as the washer door spring help ensure a secure attachment for the washing machine door, which is crucial for the proper functioning of a washer. If the door latch assembly is faulty, it could cause other problems such as leaking water during washing cycles or even cause the washing machine to stop working completely.

The latch is the only part that operates a washing machine door. The most common issues with this latch is that it becomes loose and doesn’t work properly. Your machine may have a faulty door switch or a loose electrical connection. If you notice these issues, there’s a good chance your issue can be resolved.

There are a few common problems that can occur with the washing machine door latch. First, the door latch wires may become exposed and shorted to the ground. Second, there could be an internal short circuit within the door latch assembly. Both of these types of issues can cause your washing machine to trip its breaker.

To fix this issue, you’ll need to replace your door latch assembly. It’s a pretty easy process that starts with unplugging the washing machine. It’s also a good idea to refer to your user manual for any special instructions specific to your washer model.

Replacing a washing machine door latch is straightforward, and can be done in about 20 minutes. It’s not difficult to remove the door latch assembly from behind the machine, which allows you to examine it and clean it to prevent future problems.

3. Defective Timer

These days, almost every washing machine is controlled by a control board, which has replaced the timer. However, some manufacturers still use timers in their washing machines.

Your washing machine is controlled by a mechanical timer that acts as the brain of your appliance. It controls the cycles, temperatures and motors to make sure each load of laundry gets washed properly. The timer motor is on a spring — the same kind you’d find in a wind-up toy or alarm clock. The motor has moving contacts that control things like heaters, pumps and motors that get your clothes so clean.

If you have a washing machine, it is quite likely that your tripping circuit breakers might be caused by the timer’s moving parts. Because washing machines are equipped with motors and mechanical parts, they are prone to overheating, overuse and of course electrical misfires. A broken washing machine timer can cause greater damage at the circuit breakers and in extreme cases you might have to replace or repair the original timer.

A washing machine’s timer connections might become welded together due to heat buildup, which is why it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and not overuse the washer. A short circuit may occur if the timer is drawing too much power for some reason, possibly due to using a long washing cycle or overloading your washer with too many clothes.

You’ll need to open the washing machine’s door and disconnect its washer door switch. Turn off the power at the panel, remove any screws or retaining clips that hold the switch in place, then pull it out. If a new switch of the same type is used, match it with a mounting hole and how it will attach to the frame. Then reverse your steps and reattach everything, plug in your appliance and try again.

4. Defective Water Level Control Switch

Washing machine water level control switch sensors monitors the water level inside the washer’s drum. When the built-in float switch feels the water build up, it compresses and closes a switch, which signals the washing machine to start its cleaning cycle. To stop water overflowing from the washing machine, there is a “level control switch” to monitor the water level and it will automatically turn on the inlet valve when it detects that there is not enough water. This switch’s location and shape vary according to brand and model of the washing machine you have.

The water level switch is responsible for monitoring the water level in your washing machine and shutting off the machine’s motor when there’s too little detergent left. A faulty or broken water level switch can prevent a washer from operating or cause it to overfill, possibly leading to serious damage or personal injury.

When any one of the water level switches on a washing machine fails, it can cause several problems. For example, if your washer is set to a spin cycle but stops sooner than expected, you could have a faulty water level switch. However, you might also find that the circuit breaker trips more often than normal, which would indicate that there’s too much power flowing to too many places at once.

Each washing machine has its own water level switch. The switch sends power to the motor or other parts of the machine as the water level changes, so that the laundry gets the correct amount of water. If the water level switch is faulty, it can send power to other parts of the machine it shouldn’t. For example, if there’s too much power being sent to a motor, it could cause the breaker to trip.

To Fix the issue, you need to replace the water level control switch. Washing machine Water Level Control switches differ based on the brand, but they all perform the same function — controlling the water level within the drum. They’re even easier to identify than other parts: in most cases, water level switches are shaped like a dial or a door that covers your washing machine’s water fill hole.

5. Faulty Motor

The motor is the heart of your washing machine. The motor powers the drum through all of its cycles; it’s what agitates all the dirt out of your clothes, and it’s what spins them dry. It controls everything that happens inside your washer. Modern washing machines have drum motors. The motor controller is a specialized chip that receives signals from the control panel and the sensors that detect factors such as drum rotation speed, temperature, and current level. It studies these data and issues commands to the washing machine’s drum motor in order to maintain ideal drum operation for a wide range of loads.

The most common reason motor failure occurs is that it becomes worn out over time, and overheats. As the motor becomes more and more worn, the time it takes to do its job increases, and the electricity needed to run it also goes up. The result is a burnt out motor and a tripped circuit breaker.

The washing machine motor control board carries multiple resistors, each with their own purpose. It’s possible that one of those resistors has been burned or blown due to exposure to heat or a power surge, which is why the circuit breaker trips and prevents the motor from running.

To fix your problem, there are two possibilities: the motor could be at fault or the motor control unit could be to blame. The good news is you’ll be able to pinpoint which one it is after you remove the panels on your machine. You’ll find either a motor or a control unit, and whichever one doesn’t look quite right will be the culprit.

6. Washing Machine is Leaking

Leaky washing machines are a common problem in home maintenance, and they can be difficult to fix without breaking the bank. In many cases, the issue can be resolved quickly by solving the leak in your washer’s hose. In other cases, more significant damage has happened to the washer’s internal mechanisms, leading to expensive repairs and possibly a loss of warranty. All that said, it’s important for homeowners to take note of any signs of trouble immediately.

There are a lot of factors that can cause a washing machine to improperly drain and leak, including poor internal hoses, a disconnected pump, holes in the drain hose itself, or a leaky gasket. Thus, you’re likely to deal with any of these problems. Moreover, we don’t recommend using a leaking washing machine. The same goes for other brands and models.

You may have a water leak, and you don’t even know it. A leaky hose or faucet is one of the most common reasons a washing machine trips a breaker. When the washer is running, the water in the hoses and faucets is under pressure. If there’s any kind of damage to the hoses or faucets, leaks can occur and cause your washer to trip the breaker.

Counterintuitive as it sounds, washing machine leaks don’t only come in the form of water. The heating element in your washing machine — the thing that generates heat to get your clothes clean — may also leak electricity. If it continues to leak after you’ve installed a new one, it will trip the breaker switch if it continues.

Washing Machine Trips Circuit Breaker On Spin Cycle

After the washing machine finishes the spin cycle and shuts off, the circuit breaker trips. The circuit breaker completes the circuit by checking to make sure the load on the circuit is below the rating limit. In this case, the circuit breaker is tripped because the spin cycle consumes more power than the circuit can supply.

The circuit breaker will only trip if the load on the circuit exceeds the rating limit. So if the circuit breaker trips during the spin cycle, the load on the circuit is more than the rating limit for that circuit. The circuit breaker will trip when the circuit exceeds the breaker capacity.