Kenmore Dryer trips breaker

** Run the dryer on any heat seeting, and after 3-5 minutes it shuts off due to the circuit breaker tripping. I can wait a few minutes and repeat (2) with the same results. **

If there was a problem in the dryer it would usually trip the breaker right away or as soon as the heater turned on. Chances are you have a weak breaker and/or a poor connection in the breaker box causing it to trip.

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site

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[This message has been edited by DanO (edited June 10, 2003).]

Dan O - hi, could this also be a faulty high-limit thermostat for the heating element? Instead of it cutting off the electrical power to the element, maybe it's allowing it to get too hot and the breaker's kicking off. Just curious...

JJSIII - hi, getting all the lint out certainly helped. Did the problem occur before or after you did the cleaning? Were you also able to clean out the area around the heating element?

Good luck - regards! Jim D/Heathsville, VA

** could this also be a faulty high-limit thermostat for the heating element? Instead of it cutting off the electrical power to the element, maybe it's allowing it to get too hot and the breaker's kicking off. **

No. The element should draw the same amperage no matter how long it is on for. The only time it might draw more is if it shorted in which case the fuse/breaker should tip as soon as the heater was energized, not after several minutes of use.

Excess amperage is what trips a fuse/breaker (besides a defect in it or the electrical panel which would cause the fuse/breaker to heat and fail for that reason).

Dan O.

Hi! Please be advised that any heating element, including incandescent light bulbs, will tend to draw up to 20% more current when they are about to fail, because the heating element (or filament) gets thinner, thus causing more resistance to the flow of electrons. I would remove the heating element from the dryer, and look for one or more areas that are discolored, blistered, or appear to be thinner than the rest of the coil, especially where the coil meets the terminals. If so, it is about to fail and needs to be replaced. I hope this helps!

* after 3-5 minutes it shuts off due to the circuit breaker tripping. I can wait a few minutes and repeat with the same results. *

** be advised that any heating element, including incandescent light bulbs, will tend to draw up to 20% more current when they are about to fail, because the heating element (or filament) gets thinner, thus causing more resistance **

While that may be so, if it were about to fail it should still be about to fail at the start of the next cycle as well? So if your assertion was the cause, theoretically it should trip the breaker immediately the next time the dryer was used on a heat setting and not just after 3-5 minutes as the OP stated.

JMO

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site

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Hi! It all depends on the "new" resistance of the element. If it draws just enough current to be just below the threshold of the circuit breaker, this one will slowly heat up, until its internal parts heat enough to trip the circuit breaker.

I am stating this particular cause here because I lived the exact same situation on my oven about 6 months ago. It would work normally for about 10 minutes, and then it would blow a fuse. When I checked the current drawn by the element, it was very close to the current limit of the fuse. Then I examined the element and saw an area where the outer steel tubing of the element was discolored. I replaced the element and everything went OK afterwards. Have a nice day!

> I lived the exact same situation on my oven... I examined the element and saw an area where the outer steel tubing of the element was discolored. <

Most North American built dryers just use a coiled resistance wire as the heater (see illustration below). There is no outer sheath used on them like on range and water heater elements.

JFYI. I have never seen nor heard of a dryer element act as you described.

FWIW

Dan O.

I am having similar issues with our Kenmore except when my wife pulls the lint screen up a couple inches for heat to escape the dryer will finish the cycle. But if you keep the lint vent shut it trips the house breaker. I already cleaned, lint screen, housing, blower and checked the exhaust vent everything is clean. However i did a test before i put everything back together as soon as i turned it on the Element was glowing damn near red hot right away. The air flow is strong coming from the exhaust vent. Could this be the ELEMENT also? I will take it apart and check it again tonight.
Just wondering why it will keep going with the lint screen pulled up some?

I have the same exact problem it will run a cycle with the lint screen up and I checked the breaker and the amps are pulling normal amps. Ad soon as I close the screen it trips . What's the problemi 35

My Kenmore dryer kicks off and knocks off the break what can ido I've done everything I know some body please help