[Stryker25]

I have a newly constructed home, and have a breaker that keeps tripping when the appliance is OFF and not in use.

It is for the laundry outlet servicing the washer and dryer (these are brand new appliances). When the appliances were first place by the delivery crew, they tested them and they worked fine. FOUR weeks later when we moved in, when I went to use the washer, it wouldn't turn on and I discovered the circuit had tripped. I reset it and was able to use it over the next 3 days each day without issue. On that third day, electricians actually stopped by (from the builder's warranty program) and said the breaker must be bad and replaced all the breakers (because we had also noticed a kitchen outlet breaker had been tripping when not in use).

Another 3 days later when I went to use the washer in the morning, I again discovered it had tripped when it wasn't in use! I'm getting really frustrated by this. It can't be an overload issue because it never happens when the appliance is actually running, right?

Does anyone have any idea what could be going on here???

(By the way, I haven't noticed the kitchen outlet trip again...yet)

 

[DanS26]

Check the wire run for a nail puncture......an electrician should know how to check that.

 

[jmon]

As you mentioned, it's a newly constructed home, tell the electricians (builders warantee program) that changing the breaker didn't help. That's all you should have to do. The electricians should know what to do.

They should at least turn off the breaker, pull the outlet/gfci, look for obvious things like bare wires, wire insulation, loose wire nuts, back stabs, severed or shorted out wire, etc.

 

[seharper]

Does the circuit breaker have a TEST button on it? (the answer is yes). Can you get us the model number of the breaker in question, clear photo etc.?

Did you supply the washer or did it come with the house? How old is it?

 

[afjes2015]

I have a newly constructed home

electricians actually stopped by (from the builder's warranty program)

There could be many reasons for this to happen. It is in your very best interests at this moment to be sure that this issue is solved completely prior to any warranty expiring.


I would be very insistent on this. A problem like this could haunt you in the future and could be expensive to resolve. However, it could be something simple that they have overlooked also. Either way be absolutely sure this is resolved by them and do not bring in anyone else to attempt to trouble shoot this as then the original builder may try and swing the blame to the other person you brought in.

 

[seharper]

It's not that complicated. They've changed the ?FCI breaker. It's still tripping, which means it isn't the breaker. It's either the wiring in the walls, or the appliance.

Unplug the appliance. This will reveal if it's the wiring in the walls. Trips continue? It's wall wiring. Trips stop? The appliance.