Washing Machine Trips My Power – Common Causes

washing machine trips power

Do you own a washing machine that keeps tripping the power in your home? If so, then there are a couple of different reasons why it might be doing it.

You may have a leak in the machine, damaged wiring, a heating element that is leaking electricity, a faulty drain, a worn out motor, a start switch that has been damaged, and it’s just a headache to fix.

We are here to take a look at some of the common causes that you’re going to run into. Please be aware that this article is purely for diagnostic purposes, we do not recommend DIY work unless you are a trained electrician, as there is a very high risk of danger.

Heating Element?

Your typical heating element will heat water in the washing machine but, if this element is leaking electricity, you have a problem. It will trip the circuit breaker every time, so you will need to test this using a multi-meter in megaohm mode.

Here’s what you do. You unplug your washing machine from any power supply before you start testing things. Take all of the connectors and unplug them, and then place one of the tips of that testerone right on into the heating element panel. The other goes on the body of your machine. If you are reading any kind of value on your meter, that means that the heating element is, in fact, leaking electricity.

Drain Pump?

The problem could be with your drain pump. If there is an issue, the circuit breaker will trip. Possible explanations include a leak in the pump, a short circuit in the drain pump, or a leak which means the water gets into the coil of the drain pump.

Checking to see whether it is the issue is not difficult. Unplug the appliance, remove the drain plug, and then plug the whole thing back in. If your circuit breaker doesn’t trip again, then the drain pump was the problem.

The Washing Machine?

Sometimes, the big problem that you’re facing as your washing machine has a leak. If it does, you need to dismantle the machine completely, and check to find any trace of water or limescale. You need to make sure that you find a leak in order to properly replace the part.

Damaged Wires?

damaged wiring is something that connects a lot of different problems together. Your electrical wires are vital for the appliance to work properly, so if there is an issue, you may have overheating or something wrong with the electrical current. If wires are bent or damaged, then they can also be a risk. You need to make sure that you have checked the wiring carefully, because this will help you to identify any potential hazards.

Broken Door Lock?

You might find that your door lock is broken, in which case you do need to stop and make sure you take a look at it. Your appliance will cause an electrical shutdown if the door lock is stuck, and there are a couple of reasons why this might be the case.

If you put too much washing powder inside the machine, or if the door lock has a short circuit, then you may find that a shutdown is likely. If this is the case, wait up to 48 hours before trying again, if the problem still persists, then it is potentially a problem with the locking mechanism, which will need replacing

Defective Stop/Start Circuit?

Your typical start and stop switch has a connection that could be faulty. If the electric current has overheated and generated a short circuit, then the switch might cause the circuit breaker to trip. In a lot of cases, the switch won’t work anymore, so that’s a good indicator that it needs replacing.

Faulty Motor?

The motor is what allows the drum to rotate in your washing machine, and in many cases, it can have problems. For example, water leakage can check the power, overheating of the coils can create a fault, so if either of these things do happen, what you will need to do is unplug your device, check the motor by removing it from the connectors, and then if it still has a problem, replace it.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to your washing machine, there are plenty of different things that can go wrong, so it’s important to take a look at what’s potentially the issue. Learning how to perform basic checks and maintenance on your machine is no bad thing, but if you do require expert help, we are more than happy to provide services.