Washer Tripping 20 Amp Breaker

breaker problems especially ones that are connected to something that causes shocks should be investigated by an accredited electrician immediately and certainly not after months or just left off
Imagine how you will feel if some child unknowingly turns on the equipment and gets shocked
It a 10 amp breaker trips it is because of a problem in the washing machine
If a 20 amp breaker trips and still produces noises in a washing machine I would be pulling the plug on the machine until I had it checked out professionally
As I have said , the wiring in the premises needs to be checked professionally first and then have the machine checked by an accredited service technician
Remember your next shock could be your last

A 200 amp circuit breaker has a large spring to assist in rapid opening and closing a load of this size to minimize damaging arcing every time is it operated under electrical load

The larger the circuit breaker is and the more poles (1, 2 or 3) that are being opened / closed; the more force it will require to operate - both by hand or when tripping. Compare the tension or force you need to apply to a similar sized circuit breaker at Home Depot, etc.

The troubling issue about this for me is the fact that the 200 amp service disconnect / main is tripping. This is an indication of an overloaded panel / circuit. I usually see individual circuits that trip in a panel - but often find the that main breaker has only 20% - 60% of its rating on it at any given time. If you're tripping a 200 amp service disconnect / main breaker repeatedly - something has got to give - and eventually the circuit breaker will fail. That may be where you are now with this breaker. You may be in need of a service upgrade (if it is the service disconnect) as clearly, you have out grown the 200 amp size one you currently have or need add a new sub-panel to ease the load that this 200 amp main is trying to supply now.

Either way, you should call a reputable electrical contractor to have your service / sub-panel evaluated very soon. Good luck!

You have a short or overload fault in the washing machine that causes the circuit breaker to trip out and this prevents a possible fire.

Jan 2013
1) Move wire to another same-size circuit breaker to eliminate bad circuit breaker as suspect.
Do NOT increase size of breaker or it will cause fire.
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-replace-circuit-breaker.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/Troubleshoot-household-electricity.html

2) Put hand on each appliance and outlet to see which ones are warm. Outlet should never be warm or hot. Replace outlet. Inspect wires for loose and burned connections.

3) If the breaker is good, then add up total watts being used by checking watt rating on each device. 100 watt light bulb is 100 watts. Big screen TV has a label that shows 300 to 500 watts. Computer has label. Space heater has label showing 1500 watts. Iron has a watt rating label. Take total watts and divide by 110Volts and this will give amp load. Total watts used = 2000 and then divide 2000 by 110 volts = 18.8 amps
Compare amp load with circuit breaker.
20 amp circuit breaker has 80% safe maximum, or 16 amps.
If amp load is 18.8 amps, then 20 amp breaker is starting to get hot, and weak breaker will start tripping.
If amp load is 18.8 amps, and breaker is 15 amps, then you are overloaded and breaker is feeling the heat, and tripping because of heat.
Solution is to reduce amp load.

4) If you have short circuit, that can also trip breaker.
Unplug everything and then plug things back in slowly to see which plug or appliance is causing the problem.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

1) You got a FIRE truck coming.

2) Wire is too small.
Problem is NOT circuit breaker.

3) Both 240Volt appliances on same breaker is a hazard, especially if space available in 200 amp service panel for more breakers.

4) Usually each 240V appliance has separate breaker.

5) Circuit breaker trips because of High heat on the wire.
If wire gets hot, it will start a fire inside the wall.

Electric code requires wire-size match breaker-size.

6) If you put larger amp breaker on same wire that is getting hot, then wire will get hotter.
Result: FIRE truck middle of night with folks jumping out window in glass-cut bare run across yard.

7) Each appliance has volts and watt rating on label.
EVERY appliance has label.

8) For example stove might be rated 8000 watts and 240Volt.
8000 watts divided by 240 volts = 33.3 amps
Stove would require 40 amp breaker and 8 gauge wire.

9) How to figure it out:
http://waterheatertimer.org/Color-codewire.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-a-subpanel.html

10) Do same calculation for new furnace.
12000 watt furnace divided by 240 volts = 50 amps.
Use 60 amp breaker and 6 gauge wire.

11) Summary: fixya wants you to be safe, and buy stuff showing in the ads.
Use a bigger breaker ONLY when bigger wire is also installed.
Call furnace installer, the installer should know to check safe wiring before installing.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

DO NOT install a 20 amp breaker, you can cause a fire. The breaker is rated for the WIRES, and unless you change out the wires, the 15 amp wires will overheat and can cause a fire.
Typically, A/C units need dedicated power, with nothing else on that circuit.
One step that you may try is a new 15 amp breaker. Once a breaker starts tripping, is starts tripping earlier....
You may wind up running a new circuit for the A/C, if you do, size it for the A/C.

I would not go to larger breaker size until I knew why 15 amp breaker is trippingIf you find out that 15 amp breaker is tripping because it is being overloaded or that breaker is getting weak. Then I would replace breaker with the same size because they may have wired some with 14-2 wire instead 12-2, I would not feel comfortable pulling 20 amps, on 14-2 wire. That is my suggestion for what it's worth. Thank you.

When Working with Household Electricity you want to always keep in mind that the BLACK wire ALWAYS carries DEATH. What I mean by this is that working with a Single Phase Circuit (one that uses 120VAC) the only wire that should be carrying a voltage is the BLACK one, the other 2 wires (typically the White Neutral and Green Ground) should both be electrically connected to Earth Ground (usually by being attached to your water pipe.)

It is also possible that your hot tub may use more than 20 Amps.

Adam, in order to help you, you must provide me with more info. What size breaker is tripping. What does the maufactor's manual reads about what size circuit it must be plugged into. If your house is a little old you probably have a 10 amp breaker that is tripping. If so than the manufaturer states theat it is recomamded to place it onto a 20 amp breaker. Only switch out the 10 map breaker to a 20 amp breaker if your the wire from the breaker is a 12 gauge wire.
Do not put a 20 amp breaker onto a 14 guage wire because it will most likely melt the insulation due to heat whichwill expose the bare copper wire which could lead to burning your house down.

gfci's are designed to trip if they receive voltage on there ground/neutral side, therefore my vote is for Smithbrother I would say there is probably a partial short somewhere in you system.