Posted: 4/6/2013 6:19:15 AM EDT
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I have lived in our house 5 years and never had any electrical issues. Randomly, the washer/dryer would pop the circuit breaker in the basement. We would reset it, and it could go for quite a while before it happened again. Now though, it happens any time either the washer or dryer is running even by themselves, whereas we used to be able to run both simultaneously.
I plugged in a kil-o-watt device to measure the draw. The dryer pulls 6 amps running, as much as 7-8 amps on startup. The washer pulls 8 amps, but as high as 12 on startup for a second. The outlet powering them is 14-2 gauge and has a 15 amp fuse in the circuit breaker. I realize on startup it is over 15 amps, but it was never a problem before as neither device was starting at the same time. Lately though, I can't even run the washer alone without tripping the circuit breaker. It will pop the breaker in the middle of a cycle too, not just at startup. The same with the dryer. 6 amps should not be popping a 15 amp breaker! I ran an extension cord to another outlet and plugged both washer and dryer in, and they are running fine together on one 15 amp circuit. Do fuses go bad, as in I should replace the fuse in the breaker box? The wiring all looks good, and I wouldn't suspect that would deteriorate over time. I realize that as motors wear they require more amperage to start, and I was initially thinking my washer/dryer motors were going out, but seeing that they work just fine on another circuit makes me think it is a wiring problem. Thank you for any and all suggestions! House wiring is new to me! Edit to add: Washer and dryer are both 2006 Maytag Quiet 100 series. The breaker box fuse for this particular outlet has 2 15 amp "switches" for lack of a better term, and only 1 of the switches ever needs reset, always the same side. |
| Fuses or circuit breakers? Assuming you mean circuit breakers I would start there first. Shut the main off, pull the one in question and replace it. At $20-$30 they are cheap. If you have to go buy a new one take the old one with you, there are a few different kinds and while they look the same they are not and they will not fit. They do on occasion go bad, if this doesn't fix the problem then I would assume it is the wire. 14 gauge is ok, but 12 would probably be better, it is actually code here that all residential is 12 gauge. |
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Sounds good, that's where I will start.
I did mean breakers. I mistakenly called them fuses. I figured they were like a fuse though, they were either good or bad, no in-between. Still, that is a cheap alternative. I would not be surprised if it is not up to code, but the house was built in 1900 so codes weren't around then 
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| Is the dryer gas? You say that there is one 15 amp circuit feeding both the washer & dryer? If the dryer is not gas, you should have a dedicated single pole 20 amp circuit on 12 gauge wire for the washer & another 2 pole 30 amp circuit on 10 gauge wire for the dryer ( if it is electric ) |
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Quoted:
Is the dryer gas? You say that there is one 15 amp circuit feeding both the washer & dryer? If the dryer is not gas, you should have a dedicated single pole 20 amp circuit on 12 gauge wire for the washer & another 2 pole 30 amp circuit on 10 gauge wire for the dryer ( if it is electric ) this |
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Well I think it is fixed! Thanks to the suggestions, I took the breaker box apart and switched 15 amp breakers around and it was working. I went to Lowes and picked up a new 15 amp breaker and it is running both just fine.
Yes, it is a gas dryer. Thanks again!!! I have never delved into household electrical so I was a little reluctant and entirely unaware that breakers go bad. |