My oven is tripping the circuit, how do I fix it?

Categorized as Repair Guides

Last update September 3rd, 2022

Do you have an oven that trips the meter when you turn it on? Follow our guide to help you identify why the oven breaks the meter and how to fix it.

Why the oven is tripping the meter: causes and possible repairs

First electrical checks

Be sure to unplug your oven before performing these 6 checks:

  • inspect the electrical socket of the oven: check that it has not melted;
  • test the wall outlet: plug in another household appliance, if it does not work, the outlet is out of service (see an electrician);
  • if it is the oven that causes the main circuit breaker to trip, your installation is incorrectly sized or you have a short circuit, if it is the differential that blows, you have a current leak in one of the oven components;
  • check that wiring and connectors are not worn or broken and replace any damaged wires;
  • check that the terminal block behind the oven is tight, if necessary a bad contact generates the tripping;
  • if it is the oven bulb that is causing the trip: unplug the oven, unscrew the bulb and reconnect it, if it no longer trips, the bulb is to blame, replace it with a new one.

One of the oven resistors is faulty

You have 3 types: the circular resistance at the bottom of the oven, the grill resistance at the top of the oven and the sole resistance at the bottom of the oven.

We will have to inspect them all. Unplug the oven. To check the resistances of your oven breaking the meter, either you use a multimeter in ohmmeter mode or, if you do not have one:

  • you disassemble one by one each resistance of the oven to be tested;
  • you insulate its connectors with electrician’s tape;
  • you plug the oven back in;
  • if the oven still trips the circuit, the resistance of the oven is not in question: if it trips, the resistance of the oven must be replaced by a new one.

The fan is out of order

It ventilates the heat from the resistors in the convection oven. To test the fan oven fan:

  • unplug it;
  • disconnect the cables from the fan;
  • insulate them with electrician’s tape;
  • turn the oven back on;
  • if the circuit breaker no longer trips, the oven fan must be replaced with a new one.

Here is the procedure for changing the oven fan:

  • dismantle the back plate of the oven;
  • unscrew the propeller;
  • remove the fan motor by disconnecting all the connectors;
  • place the new motor;
  • replace the back plate of the oven.

I’ve tried everything but still, my oven trips the circuit

We try to be exhaustive in our diagnoses, however, sometimes depending on the brands or models, certain causes may escape our analysis. In this case, call a professional: in addition, if the oven is under warranty, the repair or exchange will be covered.

To find out who to contact to repair an oven that is tripping, ask the brand’s assistance service. They will give you a list of approved technicians. Don’t hesitate to contact the retailer, he may have an after-sales service to deal with oven problems.