Dryer and breaker sparks

2 years ago

I’m trying to figure if an electrical issue can be solved by replacing a bad breaker, a bad outlet, or requires us to service our dryer.

Our dryer wouldn’t power on this morning, so we checked the breaker. The breaker had tripped, but when we tried to reset the breaker, it sparked and tripped a bunch of other breakers.

We then unplugged the dryer and reset the breakers. When we tried to plug the dryer back in, the dryer plug sparked at the outlet.

Our house is 8 years old, so we’ve needed to replace other breakers as they quit working. But this kind of sparking was a first.

This could be an impossible question to answer, but does anyone have any insight on whether replacing the breaker would solve the problem? Or will we need to service the dryer or check the outlet for other electrical problems?

Featured Answer

kudzu9

2 years ago

You should not be having these problems unless you have a defective wiring situation. Breakers can go bad, but I've never had one fail in over 50 years of home ownership. The fact that you have had such failures before is an indication that something is fundamentally wrong here. Get an electrician involved before you have a more serious problem, like a house fire.

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Comments (9)

Wingo Smith
Original Author
2 years ago
The breaker didn’t solve the issue. And the electrical cord to the dryer burned at both ends.
millworkman
2 years ago
Call an electrician before you make your situation much worse.
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w0lley32
2 years ago
Something inside your dryer is causing a short circuit, more than likely the heating element. When they burn out, they can hang freely and touch the frame of the dryer. When this happens, it creates a short circuit that trips the breaker and causes sparking and arcing when you go to plug it in.

If you have the skills to do so, you can open up the dryer and check for a broken heating element, or a broken wire touching the frame of the machine or touching another wire.

Or you can call an appliance repairman.
cat_ky
2 years ago
I agree, its most likely the dryer that is bad, but, for peace of mind at least, I would be calling an electrician, since it sounds like you really need to have one there. Something sounds wrong with the electric too.
dadoes
2 years ago
"Our dryer wouldn’t power on this morning, so we checked the breaker. The breaker had tripped, but when we tried to reset the breaker, it sparked and tripped a bunch of other breakers."

It's not clear if the breaker sparked when reset or sparks emanated from somewhere on the dryer. A breaker shouldn't visibly spark when it trips, nor should a problem with the dryer cause other breakers (on different, unrelated circuits) to trip at the same time. The dryer and electrical/breaker panel both are due for examination.
Wingo Smith
Original Author
2 years ago
Well, the thermal pad was broken, and there was a missing nut, causing the dryer to short-circuit. After replacing those, it works again. Thanks, all.
kaseki
2 years ago
I agree with @dadoes; multiple breaker tripping suggests that the neutral and ground bonding circuits may not be organized as they should be, or that the arc was sufficient to react with the impedance of the main feed such that other arc-fault breakers (AFCI) were triggered. An electrician check should reveal whether mitigation measures are called for, or that the cause is on the power company and out of your hands.
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
2 years ago
Having to replace multiple breakers that are only 8 years old is a red flag. You solved the immediate problem with the dryer (congratulations - I made the same repair on one that I was given), but you really should find out what is the issue with the wiring or breaker panel. Maybe the builder put in some cheap crapola that somehow passed inspection.