Your Washing Machine Keeps Tripping The Circuit Breaker
Has your washing machine recently been tripping the power off all the time? In this article, we will explain the possible causes for this and what the solutions are.
THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:
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The heating element is leaking electricity
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The drain pump is faulty
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Your washing machine has a leak
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The wiring is damaged
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The door safety lock is stuck
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The start/stop switch is defective
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The motor is worn out
The heating element is leaking electricity
The heating element heats the water in the washing machine. If the heating element is ever leaking electricity, it will trip your circuit breaker. You can test the heating element using a multimeter in megohm mode. Make sure you unplug your washing machine from the power supply before you begin working on it. Unplug all the connectors and place one of the tester's tips on one of the heating element's terminals and the other on the bodywork of the washing machine. If there is any value shown at all, it means that the heating element is leaking electricity and you need to change it. You may want to try swapping the tester tips on the heating element terminals. Another quick test is to unplug the appliance from the mains, unplug the heating element and plug the appliance back into the mains. If the main circuit breaker doesn't trip any more after the heating element has been unplugged, it means you will need to replace the latter.
The drain pump is faulty
The drain pump drains the water out of your washing machine. The circuit breaker will trip:
- If there is a leak and the water runs onto the drain pump's coil.
- If the pump itself is leaking.
- If the drain pump has a short circuit.
To check if the drain pump is the cause of the issue, unplug the appliance from the mains, unplug the drain pump and plug the appliance back into the mains. If the main circuit breaker doesn't trip any more after the drain pump has been unplugged, it means you will need to replace the latter.
Your washing machine has a leak
If the appliance is leaking water, it is very likely that the circuit breaker will trip at some point. When this happens, you should dismantle your machine and try to see where the traces of water or limescale are coming from. If you can't find the part at fault, unplug each element one by one and run a few tests. Always try to find the leak before changing any part.
The wiring is damaged
The electrical wires which connect all the main elements in the appliance all have lugs or connectors at the end which may be defective. This may be due to the electric current, and is called overheating. This can also be mechanical, if the wires are bent, have a kink in them, or are cut and they end up breaking or melting and then touching the bodywork or any other elements that are earthed. There may also be a risk of water leaking onto the connectors and damaging them. This would make the mains circuit breaker trip. If you want to check the wiring, you need to take the panels off your washing machine.
The door safety lock is stuck
Your appliance trips the electric once the door is closed and the safety latch (or door lock) is stuck and cannot be closed or opened after this power cut. Your washing machine could then be tripping off the power for several reasons:
- If you put too much washing powder in your machine during a wash, the foam may overflow and get into the door lock.
- It could be that you have a short circuit in the terminal block (the door lock connector) of your washing machine.
We advise you to let your washing machine dry out for between 24 and 48 hours and then try again.
If the problem is still there, check the door lock, as it may have a short circuit, and then replace it if necessary.
The start/stop switch is defective
The electric switch for starting your washing machine is equipped with a connection that has lugs or connectors. This may be defective due to the electric current (overheating) and can end up with a short circuit. In such cases, the switch may then trip the circuit breaker. Most of the time, the switch just doesn't work any more and the start button just remains stuck.
The motor is failing
The motor enables the drum to rotate. On certain models, the motor rotates very fast (1,600 spins/min) and if it's faulty can therefore cause:
- Overheating of the internal coils, creating a fault.
- Water leakage that runs onto the washing machine's motor and trips the power off.
Unplug your motor from its electrical connectors to see if the washing machine still trips the power off, then replace the part if the test is successful.