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You may have other devices on the same circuit and adding the current draw of the drier could be overloading the circuit. You may have a short circuit in your dryer. But you may also have a lint build-up in the vent line causing the dryer to overheat. If neither of these are the case, you need to have a professional check it out.

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10y ago
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13y ago

Let's assume you have had this dryer for several years and it has just now started tripping the breaker. All electrical dryers are usually on 30 amp 240 volt circuits. The motor plus the heater elements should pull about 26 amps together. Checking the amp draw with a meter would tell us if the amp load was too high and where we need to look for problems. If the breaker is tripping immediately, look for something hung in the elements casuing a short, after running for a while, inspect the motor and blow out the lint from around it. Inspect the breaker for wire tightness and unclip it from the panel and inspect the buss bar. Are they burned?, if so replace the breaker. Do all of these inspections with the power off!

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14y ago

Dryer fault or inadequate circuit, consult local expert.

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Q: Your electrical dryer keeps popping the circuit breaker?
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What would happen if a 240V breaker was on and someone attempted to turn on the clothes dryer?

Don't understand this question. If the breaker is on, then the dryer would function normally, if the breaker your are referring to is the one for the dryer. If the breaker is off then no function. A dryer runs on 220.


Why your electric dryer makes breaker hot?

If the circuit breaker to a dryer, or to any load, keeps getting hot and trips the breaker, then either the load is pulling too much current or there is a loose connection in the breaker or breaker panel. Either condition must be fixed to reduce the risk of fire.


Can you conect your dryer to a heater circuit?

Not advisable. Both units consume huge amounts of Amps (amperes = current) and the normal 20 or 30 amp breaker may not sustain prolonged operation of both. Where I live, we have two electric meters ... one just for the water heater, the other for the house and all it's electrical needs (except for the water heater).


Can you use a 20 amp circuit breaker for an electric dryer?

If you are referring to a cloths dryer, the answer depends on the requirements of the dryer. Most dryers require AWG#10 wire with a 30 amp fuse. If the wiring is AWG#12 then use a 20 amp breaker but never use it on AWG#10 which requires a 30 amp breaker. If you are referring to a hair dryer then yes a 20 amp breaker is fine.


Where is the double 30 amp breaker in an electric dryer?

It should be in the main circuit panel. If the dryer was added at some point there may be a separate box just for the dryer either beside the main panel or at the dryer plug. It is not in the dryer itself.

Related questions

What can you do if you're newly installed dryer keeps tripping the electrical panel repeatadly and it also trips the GFI in the Garage at the same time?

If the GFI that is tripping is a different circuit, there is electrical leakage between the circuit the GFI is controlling, and the dryer circuit. It is possible that there is some cross wiring in the electrical box. I would strongly recommend getting a licensed electrician to look at it, preferably before you have a fire. If the GFI is the same circuit as the one where the dryer is plugged in, you might want to have the dryer checked for leakage to ground. You should also check the dryer circuit's rating against the rating of the breaker in its circuit. A dryer typically takes 30A on usually a single two-gang breaker; if you have a larger dryer that pulls, say, 45A, a 30A breaker will always pop. It sounds to me like a bad electrician has, instead of buying a proper two-gang 30-A breaker, installed your dryer across two circuits, one being the garage GFI circuit; the dryer, because it pulls 220V, pulls an unbalanced load across the GFI and triggers it, and the other circuit breaker is triggered because it loses the extra power provided through the GFI. I cannot emphasize this enough: get this checked out and fixed. Now. Before you get a house fire.


What would happen if a 240V breaker was on and someone attempted to turn on the clothes dryer?

Don't understand this question. If the breaker is on, then the dryer would function normally, if the breaker your are referring to is the one for the dryer. If the breaker is off then no function. A dryer runs on 220.


Why does your main circuit breaker trip when your dryer runs 15 minutes Is it because your vent needs to be cleaned?

Could be but you could also have a weak breaker that will no longer hold the load of your dryer. That is if your talking about your dryer breaker tripping. If your "main breaker" is tripping you have a different problem. Call an electrician in that case. A plugged up dryer shouldn't be tripping your main


Why your electric dryer makes breaker hot?

If the circuit breaker to a dryer, or to any load, keeps getting hot and trips the breaker, then either the load is pulling too much current or there is a loose connection in the breaker or breaker panel. Either condition must be fixed to reduce the risk of fire.


Can you conect your dryer to a heater circuit?

Not advisable. Both units consume huge amounts of Amps (amperes = current) and the normal 20 or 30 amp breaker may not sustain prolonged operation of both. Where I live, we have two electric meters ... one just for the water heater, the other for the house and all it's electrical needs (except for the water heater).


What size amp circuit breaker should be used for a gas dryer?

Typical residential electric dryers are on 30 amp circuits, which means 10 gage copper wire. The circuit breaker should match the dryer cord rating, generally 30 amps.


Can you use a 20 amp circuit breaker for an electric dryer?

If you are referring to a cloths dryer, the answer depends on the requirements of the dryer. Most dryers require AWG#10 wire with a 30 amp fuse. If the wiring is AWG#12 then use a 20 amp breaker but never use it on AWG#10 which requires a 30 amp breaker. If you are referring to a hair dryer then yes a 20 amp breaker is fine.


Where is the double 30 amp breaker in an electric dryer?

It should be in the main circuit panel. If the dryer was added at some point there may be a separate box just for the dryer either beside the main panel or at the dryer plug. It is not in the dryer itself.


Why does the furnace kick out the breaker?

The only reason the dryer breaker will trip is it senses an overload or a short circuit on the circuit. To test this unplug the dryer and see if the breaker will stay latched. If it does then the wiring to the receptacle is not at fault. If you want to delve further into the problem, leave the dryer unplugged and remove the inspection panel at the back of the dryer and check the connections. Sometimes the screw terminals become loose and corroded and cause the dryer to draw more current. To compensate for the higher resistance at the faulty terminals the dryer will try to draw more current that the breaker will allow. If everything looks good after trying both of these things it is time for a repairman to come in and look at the dryer itself, as the fault is probably an internal problem within the dryer body.


Why does my electric dryer work but fails to make heat?

there are several reasons, an easy one to check is the breaker or fuse panel if one side of the breaker has tripped(not completely unheard of) or if one fuse has blown the dryer may still run but not heat. there are also several safeties in the electrical circuit that fail the element only and will allow the motor to run but should be attended to by a qualified individual.


Can one unit pay for the other units use of electricy if their dryer is hook up to the first units circuit breaker?

Yeah unless the dryer in their unit has a meter connected to it.


I recently had some electrical work done in my basement and since then my dryer isn't drying the clothes as fast and the light no longer works is this connected?

It sounds like only one side/leg of the 220v circuit is connected or part of the breaker is not turned on... first I would check the breaker box... find the two switch breaker that runs the dryer and turn it off and back on. If this does not cure the problem, call the electrician back and tell him to come correct his mistake...