Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

[Limited-Time]

Its a Frigidaire mdl FWS1339AOC

As stated the washing machine trips the circuit breaker on the water fill cycle. Is there a way to test the solenoid valve that controls the water flow?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Solenoids either work or they don't. Remove it from the machine and and see if it actuates. If not, replace it.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

It does actuate, the water starts filling then the breaker trips.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

It does actuate, the water starts filling then the breaker trips.

Unplug connector from solenoid. Try hot and cold solenoids separately to determine which one is at fault.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

It more likely is a pinched wire but easy to disconnect the wires one at a time from the solenoid and trying.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Thanks for the input. I'll be checking it out tonight.

 

[Volphin]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Also make sure your 115V connections are tight.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

It more likely is a pinched wire but easy to disconnect the wires one at a time from the solenoid and trying.

Yeah that was my first thought too but it is easy to rule out the solenoids then look for the short. It is unusual for a solenoid coil to short b/c the high resistance windings tend to burn open.....but I've seen a few short. Have also seen crap bridge across the connector.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

I used to own coin laundromats and have had dozens of these fail and never seen one short internally. I am sure it can happen I guess.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

I used to own coin laundromats and have had dozens of these fail and never seen one short internally. I am sure it can happen I guess.

I have never seen one fail (short) on a washer but in the industry I worked in there were thousands of solenoids for valves,servos,actuators etc. Rare,yes but it happens.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Well I tried to trouble shoot last night. Trouble was the machine ran fine. Four loads of laundry on every water temp setting no tripped breaker. Guess I'll have to take the wait and see approach.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Just for clarification sake, this is not a GFCI breaker right? Washing machines do not need to be on GFCI breakers.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

It has been running on a GFCI outlet for the past 10 years. Code here is any outlet within 36 inches of a water source must be GFCI protected. But for the record I did use a 20 AMP extension cord and run the machine on a non GFCI circuit. Though it filled longer the breaker still tripped. But like I said last night it ran correctly through 4 complete cycles. And it was plugged into the original GFCI outlet.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

What tripped? The GFCI outlet or the circuit breaker feeding the outlet?

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Utube has tons of usefull vids !

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

On the GFCI outlet it kept tripping the outlet. Then when I switched the plug to the non GFCI circuit it tripped the breaker.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

It has been running on a GFCI outlet for the past 10 years. Code here is any outlet within 36 inches of a water source must be GFCI protected. But for the record I did use a 20 AMP extension cord and run the machine on a non GFCI circuit. Though it filled longer the breaker still tripped. But like I said last night it ran correctly through 4 complete cycles. And it was plugged into the original GFCI outlet.

Sounds like a short that cleared itself. Look at all the connector plugs for discoloration or signs of arcing. Laundry bleach can create shorts if it gets on the connectors. Once the current flashes across from one conductor to the other it will leave a carbon track making a short circuit....this "carbon bridge" may have cleared itself.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Has this washer ever been opened before for repair? If so, very possible the wires going to the water valve have gotten pinched when closing it up.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

Has this washer ever been opened before for repair? If so, very possible the wires going to the water valve have gotten pinched when closing it up.

Not opened up, but moved around quite a bit in the past few weeks.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Washing Machine tripping breaker on water fill cycle.

"Sounds like a short that cleared itself. Look at all the connector plugs for discoloration or signs of arcing. Laundry bleach can create shorts if it gets on the connectors. Once the current flashes across from one conductor to the other it will leave a carbon track making a short circuit....this "carbon bridge" may have cleared itself."

Sounds like a possibility, I'll check it out this weekend, thanks.