Your Tumble Dryer Is Tripping The Fuse Box

Was your tumble dryer working normally but has recently begun tripping the power in your house? Here, we take a look at the various things that can cause this problem to occur.

THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:

• There is an issue with the electricity supply to the appliance

• The circuit breaker has tripped

• The heating element is damaged

• The electric wires are worn

• The fan motor is faulty

• The drain pump is blocked

• The motor is damaged

• The interference suppressor is short-circuiting

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
Wear suitable protective gloves if you need to dismantle anything.
There is a risk of getting cut or injured

There is an issue with the electricity supply to the appliance

The electricity supply enables your tumble dryer to function and operate. It's possible your socket or plug has melted or the plug and socket have fused together. Check the socket is definitely working by, for example, plugging a different appliance into it. Quick reminder: you are strongly advised not to plug large domestic appliances into multi-socket extension leads.

The circuit breaker has tripped

It is important to be able to differentiate between the two kinds of electrical tripping that can occur, as this makes a difference to the way the fault is diagnosed. It may be either the master circuit breaker on your circuit that's tripping or just a differential circuit breaker (30 mA) on one part of it. If it's the master circuit breaker, this means there's either a short circuit occurring or your mains circuit is overloaded (you are consuming more current than it's designed to cope with). If, on the other hand, it's a differential circuit breaker that's tripping, this means there's a current leak on one of the electrically powered parts of your tumble dryer.

The heating element is damaged

The heating element heats the air that circulates inside your tumble dryer. Your appliance will likely have two elements. If one of them is damaged, or a foreign object, such as a piece of aluminium for example, is coming into contact with both the filament and the metal casing, your tumble dryer will trip the differential circuit breaker.

Purchase a heating element for your Tumble Dryer

The electric wires are worn

All the functional parts of your tumble dryer are connected by electrical wiring. Each of these wires has connectors at both ends, and these can sometimes get damaged (due to electrical overheating, twisting, bending or cutting). If they end up working loose or melting, they will come into contact with the metal body of the appliance or another earthed component of some kind, causing the power to trip. Note: check to see whether any of these wires has become pinched between the metal sheets of your tumble dryer's casing, which can happen in some cases.

The fan motor is faulty

The fan motor circulates the hot air inside your tumble dryer. Fan motors can sometimes develop electrical leaks and cause the power to trip. To test if this is the case, disconnect the appliance from the electricity supply, then disconnect the connectors from the fan motor and insulate them with electrical tape. Plug the appliance back in and check to see whether it still trips the power. If it doesn't, you will need to replace the motor.

The drain pump is blocked

The drain pump on a tumble dryer enables the appliance to evacuate the water extracted from the clothes inside it. These pumps can sometimes develop faults. If this happens, condensation will build up everywhere inside the tumble dryer due to it not being able to evacuate the water. This condensation may come into contact with the heating element, causing the power to trip. If this is happening in your case, we advise you to leave the appliance unplugged for a few days to give it a chance to dry out. Once you've done this, plug it back in and test it. If the appliance now no longer trips the power, you will need to check the drain pump is in good working order using a multimeter in voltmeter mode. Turn the appliance on and wait a few minutes. Place the multimeter's probes on the pump's terminals. If you find there is a voltage of 230 volts present but the pump won't operate, you will have to either replace it or take it apart to check there's nothing jamming or blocking it. If the correct voltage is not present, the pump will need to be replaced.

The motor is damaged

The motor on a tumble dryer enables the appliance's drum to turn. If its electrical coil is damaged and the motor is giving off a hot smell, it will need to be replaced. You can check and test it yourself. First unplug the appliance from the mains, then disconnect the motor's connectors (temporarily insulate them). Once you've done this, plug the appliance back in and check to see if it still trips the power. If it doesn't, the motor will definitely have to be replaced.

The interference suppressor is short-circuiting

The interference suppressor is required to protect your tumble dryer from certain kinds of potential malfunctions, particularly electrical faults. You can check its condition yourself. It will normally be located just after the point where the mains power cord enters the appliance. It's possible the interference suppressor has become swollen and begun short-circuiting, causing the appliance to trip the power.