I have a 2 year old GE dryer that recently stopped working properly. It keeps throwing the circuit breaker when in use. It sometimes only takes 1 or 2 minutes for it to pop the breaker, but sometimes, it can finish a whole load no problem. Has anyone else had a similar problem before?
I would check to see that the vent is clear, and meets GE specs for length and bends. Years ago, I had two incidents where GE dryers would trip the breakers mid cycle. It turned out that there were too many bends in the vent lines, combined with a lint build up, that restricted air flow and caused the coil spring heating element to overheat and droop out of it's suspension insulators, touch the metal cabinet and short the breaker. If you waited a few minutes, the element would cool off, retract back into the insulators, and you could use the machine for a while longer.
Ok, its probably a lint issue as there are no bends in the dryer exhaust. (It exhausts right out the back through the wall). Thanks for the reply!
You don't mention it, but is this a gas dryer or electric dryer?
RBM wrote: ...
Can't see how that wouldn't have zapped the heating element...even a diaper pin or straight pin (wife used to sew a lot) would invariably zap the element if made it's way thru the rear vent holes and hit a element.
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sorry, its an electric dryer
the element still heats properly when the dryer is on, but the problem is that it doesn't stay on long enough to finish a load before the breaker is thrown.
Had this problem with our air conditioner. Turned out it was a bad breaker. Changed breaker, problem solved. ww
I agree, but this occured to two different machines. I would have expected the coil element to weld to the body, but in both cases that didn't happen
Bad breaker is always a possibility. I also just recently had a dryer breaker tripping and it turned out to be a 20 amp breaker. This breaker worked fine for years on the customer's old 4500 watt dryer, but when she got a new 5300 watt dryer it would only make it half way through the cycle.
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I think this is what the problem is. I had the house rewired in the spring with a change from fuses to circuit breakers. It is a 40 amp circuit, but I think the breakers are faulty. I'll call the electrician this week for a look
Nah.
This is a good excuse to buy another tool!
Get a clamp-on ammeter and see what the dryer is pulling under load.
Here's one for $13.00
I believe the breakers are guaranteed for life on parts and labor. I'll give him a call.
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