A dryer that keeps tripping the breaker is drawing more current than the circuit allows, or leaking it somewhere it shouldn't. The usual causes are a heating element shorted to the cabinet, a damaged cord or terminal block, a straining motor and a worn breaker. Reset it once; if it trips again, leave it off.
In this post:
- •The heating element is shorted
- •The cord or terminal block is damaged
- •The motor is straining
- •The breaker is worn
- •The circuit is shared or overloaded
- •Moisture got into the wiring
1. The heating element is shorted
On electric dryers, a broken element coil can touch the metal housing and send current to ground.
How to tell: The breaker trips a few seconds after the heat comes on, while an air-only setting runs normally.
What to do: Stop using the dryer and have a technician test and replace the element.
2. The cord or terminal block is damaged
Most electric dryers connect through a heavy cord that attaches to a terminal block on the back. A loose connection there heats up and burns.
How to tell: The breaker trips at start, or you see scorch marks or melted plastic, or smell burning, around the plug or where the cord enters the dryer.
What to do: Switch off the breaker and leave it off. Don't open the terminal cover. A technician or electrician should replace the cord, the block and any damaged outlet.
3. The motor is straining
A motor that's working too hard draws extra current, especially as it starts. Worn drum rollers, a failing idler pulley or a jammed drum can cause it. On gas dryers, which plug into a standard outlet, the motor is the most likely suspect.
How to tell: Thumping, squealing or grinding when the drum turns, a drum that's stiff to turn by hand, or a trip right at start.
What to do: Unplug the dryer and try turning the empty drum by hand. If it's stiff, have the rollers, pulley and motor checked.
4. The breaker is worn
Breakers weaken with age and repeated trips, and a loose connection at the panel can make one trip early.
How to tell: The breaker feels warm, trips even on short air-only runs, or trips with no other symptoms after years of normal use.
What to do: Have an electrician test it. Never swap in a larger breaker; it's sized to protect the wiring.
5. The circuit is shared or overloaded
Electric dryers need their own dedicated 240-volt circuit. Gas dryers run on a standard outlet that may be shared with other loads in a garage or laundry room.
How to tell: The trip happens only when something else, such as a garage freezer or a power tool, runs at the same time.
What to do: Move the other load to a different circuit and have an electrician review the setup. Backyard units often run into this; see common ADU appliance problems.
6. Moisture got into the wiring
A washer leak, a burst hose or a roof leak can reach the dryer's wiring and terminals.
How to tell: The trips started after a leak nearby, or the dryer sits where it can get wet.
What to do: Keep it off until it's completely dry and has been checked. Never run a dryer that has been standing in water.
When a technician is the better call
Element, motor and cord repairs belong with a dryer technician, and breaker or panel problems with a licensed electrician. Our dryer repair technicians can test the dryer first, so you know which call you need. If you smell gas near a gas dryer, leave and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
Southern California note
Many LA homes keep the laundry, and sometimes the main panel, in an attached garage, and inland garages get very hot in summer. Standard breakers react to heat as well as current, so a panel in a hot garage can trip a little more readily under a heavy load.
Marco's advice: Don't keep resetting a dryer breaker. When it trips, it's doing its job, and every forced reset puts more heat into whatever part is failing.
Breaker still tripping? Call ProFix LA at (818) 334-4526.