Last update September 3rd, 2022
Is your fridge blowing the fuses? In this tutorial, we help you identify the causes of the fridge tripping the electricity and how to fix it.
Unplug the fridge before handling its electrical wires.
Fridge tripping the fuses: causes of the problem
Why does the refrigerator break the circuit?
The problem of the fridge blowing up fuses can be due to:
- defrosting resistor defective;
- poor insulation of the compressor;
- a thermostat malfunction;
- or the fan of the no-frost fridge which has a problem.
How can I be sure that it is the fridge that is causing the circuit to break?
So how do you know what’s causing the power to go out? To check that it is indeed the fridge that blows the fuses:
- Turn down all the fuses;
- reset the circuit breaker;
- reassemble the fuses one after the other until you find the one that is at fault;
- make sure it’s the one in the fridge.
Electrical checks
Inspect the refrigerator’s power cord for wear, scratches, or kinks.
How to fix a fridge that trips the meter?
The fridge breaking the circuit: here are the solutions for the main causes.
The defrosting resistor is at fault
To test the defrosting resistance of the fridge:
- check the resistance value which you should find on the fridge manual;
- take a multimeter in ohmmeter mode;
- put the spikes across the resistor;
- si vous mesurez la valeur de r sistance mentionn e dans la notice, la r sistance est en service. Le cas ch ant il faut changer la r sistance du frigo pour une neuve.
The problem is the compressor
An electrical leak to the compressor ground may be the cause of the fridge blowing fuses. Unplug the fridge, disconnect the compressor and plug the fridge back in. If the fridge doesn’t trip the circuit anymore, the compressor is at fault and probably needs to be changed.
The thermostat is defective
The electrical leak may be coming from the thermostat. To test the refrigerator thermostat:
- get a multimeter in ohmmeter mode;
- put one tip on the ground terminal and the other on the thermostat terminals;
- if there is continuity, the fridge thermostat should certainly be replaced by a new one.
Fan is dirty or disconnected
If your fridge has No-Frost, its fan may be at fault. Unplug the fridge, disconnect the fan and plug the fridge back in. If the fridge no longer breaks the meter, the fan is at fault and probably needs to be changed.
I have tried everything, my fridge is still breaking the meter, what can I do?
You have done all the checks recommended in this article but the fridge still trips the fuses? In this case, contact an authorized repairer and make use of your warranty if it still applies.
