I am having a issue with the electrical circuit that powers my dryer. I live in a 27 year old house with a BL Loadcenter panel.
I bought a dryer when I moved in 3 years ago from a electronics shop (Futureshop, like Circuit City but the salespeople are scummier). It was a great deal ($175). It had no manual or box, they told me it was a floor model and couldn’t give me much info. It had a 1 year warranty on it as well. When I got it home upon further inspection there was minute traces of lint in the lint collector, so it looks like it was returned.
Any way about 2 summers ago I was doing laundry and in a 1 week period the 30 Amp breaker that is feeding my dryer popped about 5 times. I would reset it, it would work for a while then pop again. Then it just stopped happening.
Flash forward 2 years, about a week ago it started popping everytime we use it. When you go to reset the breaker, it is warm to the touch. Now I haven’t looked at the dryer, so would a lint build-up cause this? Is it the electrical in the dryer? Is it the 30 Amp breaker?
Yes, a build up of lint makes the dryer work harder. A trick I just learned that helps reduce the load is to wash and dry the lint screen. Dryer fabric softener builds up on the screen, and even though its invisible it makes airflow more difficult. To demonstrate, run water over it, then wash it with soap and a brush, you don’t need to really scrub. Then run water through it again, its amazing how much less resistance you’ll notice. Then dry it well (wet lint isn’t nice) and put it back.
Of course, vacuum out the exhaust tube as much as possible too. If you can get to the back panel, take it off (after unplugging, of course.) and vacuum around the outside of the drum once a year.
Does it blow immediately or after running a while? Is the load of clothes bigger than usual? Does the machine appear to be running normally or is it bogging down or making unusual noises?
It could be a number of things – maybe the thermostat is shot and not shutting off, or the belt on the motor might be too tight. Or there could be a lint buildup either in the vent or in the machine itself.
Check connections as well - everything from where the power cord bolts onto the terminals in the dryer, the wiring connections to the receptacle, any junctions / splices / wire nuts between the receptacle and circuit breaker, and if you know how to work safely in a breaker panel, the connections inside the breaker panel - both the connections to the breaker, the neutral bar and make sure the breaker’s got a good bite on the bus - pop it out and plug it back in. Don’t be surprised if the terminal screws on the breaker are a full turn loose. While you’re in there, give every terminal in there a snugging - you’d be amazed how much those terminals loosen over the years.
If all the connections are good and the wire size is right for the load and distance, it is possible that you have an over-anxious breaker.