My Dishwasher Trips the Circuit Breaker During the Cycle

Supply

• One circuit breaker can control the electricity to a whole section of the home. It can send power to overhead lights and a couple of power outlets. Should this be the case with the circuit breaker that controls the dishwasher, the circuit breaker could trip. The extra devices plugged into the power outlets could place an extra demand on the circuit breaker, which could be more than the circuit breaker can handle at once, and cause it to trip. Because a dishwasher is such a large appliance, it’s not a bad idea to dedicate one circuit breaker to the device.

Capacity

• A dishwasher demands a certain amount of electricity to allow it to work correctly. Circuit breakers come in different sizes and can carry different loads of electricity to its connected appliance. If the dishwasher’s connected circuit breaker is so small that it can’t carry the electrical load demanded, it will trip, causing the dishwasher to shut off. It’s possible for the dishwasher to run for a small amount of time before the breaker trips. The dishwasher’s user manual should tell you how much electricity the unit will require. If you find that the breaker is unable to carry the load, you should call an electrician to switch out the breaker with a larger one.

Wiring

• Electricity flows in a complete circuit from the circuit breaker to the dishwasher and back to the circuit breaker. Correct electrical wiring is imperative to the correct operation of the dishwasher. If the dishwasher isn’t wired correctly to the breaker, it will trip the breaker and stop or it might continue to run, until the circuit breaker is turned off manually. You can check the wiring at the breaker and at the terminal panel of the dishwasher to confirm that it’s correct.

Contact

• When two hot or bare electrical wires make contact, the circuit breaker trips and the wires could potentially spark a fire. If you smell electrical burning or see a black burned spot along the electrical wires between the dishwasher and the circuit breaker, shut off the breaker immediately. When hot wires touch, the electrical load increases, which trips the breaker. Wires should already be covered in insulation to prevent the live wires from touching each other. If you see two bare wires touching each other near the connection terminals of the dishwasher or circuit breaker or you see damage to the wire in any place, call a technician to replace the wires and correct the problem.