Electrical Help - Stove tripping breaker *CONCLUSION*
 

Hey what better place to look for an electrician's advice than a forum about fish. :)

About 2 months ago my coil range stove would trip the electrical panel breaker if the rear large coil was turned on. We removed that coil and were cooking on three elements only but starting this week if any element is turned on it will trip the breaker, once the whole panel tripped and the house was dark. The glass fuses on the stove itself have never blown.

So we are ordering a new stove.. But I'm wondering now if the breaker or panel is suspect instead? Is there a way a novice to confirm the health of a breaker? Do they go bad?

Thanks in advance for any help given.
Keith.

my guess is the stove had a short. if the new one still trips the breaker, replace the breaker/ breakers

+1

Breakers definitely do go bad but more often than not they don't trip. Coil burners have a tendency to short over time. I would assume that the breaker is fine but the new stove will be the proof>:biggrin:

SOunds like the breaker is getting weak. They do not last forever. If the fuses never blew, but the breaker did. WHat's the breaker size, and whats the fuse sizes? The fuse should be smaller than the breaker, especially for just the elements. So the fuse should go first.

Yeah, the stove fuses not burning out and the main breaker (whole house) tripping is cause for further investigation. Have you checked the receptacle/plug for the stove itself? Could be a loose connection there causing excess current to be seen by the breaker, but not the stove. How old is your home and/or the wiring? The BC electrical code calls for the stove to be on its own circuit with no other loads, which is probably the case with your set up since it should be on at least a 40 amp breaker with two phases (3 wire cable plus ground of size 8 wire) to provide 220 VAC to the oven & probably the burners as well. A book called "Electrical Code Simplified Residential" (B.C. Book 1) published by PS Knight should be available at any home improvement center for around $12. Not a troubleshooting book per se, but plenty of good info in there on your home's electrical system. Great bang for the buck.

I'd check for loose connections before going out to buy new breakers.

I took the breaker out yesterday to take to the local RONA but they were closed and it wont happen tonight either. Monday

The breaker was kind of strange, it actually had three circuits on one "block".

------------------------
- 15 amp breaker
- 40 amp breaker ! The two 40 amps were joined by a common bar.
- 40 amp breaker !
- 15 amp breaker
------------------------

I have seen two 40 amps joined by common bar before, I think that is standard but I have never seen the 40 amp breakers bracketed by two 15 amp breakers. The whole thing was huge and occupies 4 slots on the panel. My tank is on one of the common 15 amp breakers but it has never tripped.

The townhouse is about 9 years old, we have had it for almost 2 years now.

Yep, the two 40s will be for the stove, two hot leads (black & red) with a single neutral (white) and of course ground (green or bare). Not sure why they build these monsters with 15s at either end, my 30 amp breaker for the Electric Dryer is the same idea. The reason the two 40s are tied together is that if there is a fault in either of the hot lines to the stove, both breakers will be tripped disabling all circuits to the stove. This is for safety reasons obviously. The two 15s are I guess just nice and convenient, but have nothing to do with the stove circuit.

With all 3 wire circuits, 2 hots and a neutral, the neutral needs to carry the return current for both hot wires, so you might want to double check that all connections are tight, particularly the neutral. What size is your service (main breaker) 100 amps or higher?

I replaced the breakers today and reseated the stove plug into the wall and still the 40 amp breakers trip as soon as they are reset or the master(100 amps) trips. Unless there is a wiring fault in the walls somewhere I have to suspect the range unit itself, a new one arrives Friday. Thanks for the advice.
Keith.

Keith, I would try that.