Oven Tripping Breaker

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Molo

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Hello all,

The oven has worked well for years on this circuit, now it has tripped the breaker 3 times in the past 2 months.

it is a 50 amp breaker and a 6 AWG wire.

Also, it is clear that the oven casuses it to trip and not the stove.

edit: One of the wires going into the breaker appears burned .Where should I start with this?

Thanks for any replys!
 
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Jadnashua

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I'd look at the oven's heating elements. The lead and insulation could be breaking down, and occasionally shorting out.

CB also can fail. I'd look for a loose connection at the CB. Look for signs of overheating - discolored wiring insulation, metal color changes.
 

Molo

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Upon closer inspection it is a 50 amp breaker and a 6 AWG wire.

Also, it is clear that the oven casuses it to trip and not the stove.

More info..........

One of the wires going into the breaker appears burned
 
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Jadnashua

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If the screw clamp at the breaker isn't loose, I'd lean towards the breaker needing to be replaced or you may have a burned buss bar. I'd pull the breaker and look at the contacts.

When the oven is on and working, feel the breaker and see if it is getting hot. If it is, I think I'd replace if, but check the bus bar first.
 

Molo

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If the screw clamp at the breaker isn't loose, I'd lean towards the breaker needing to be replaced or you may have a burned buss bar. I'd pull the breaker and look at the contacts.

When the oven is on and working, feel the breaker and see if it is getting hot. If it is, I think I'd replace if, but check the bus bar first.

As a matter of fact the breaker is at the top left of the bus bar. About 1.5" up from this the bus bar is burned. along the top edge. All things considered this has worked for years since the bus bar was burned.
The upper screw on the breaker has some browning around it, but very little. It was a bit loose.
Perhaps I could relocate the breaker to a point further from the burn spot on the bus bar and reinstall the wires?



Thanks for any replys!
 
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Molo

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Another interesting development.

I moved the breaker to another place on the bus bar.

Turned the oven on and it worked for 10 minutes then stopped.
BUT It didn't flip the breaker and the stove still works!!

Prior to moving the breaker it was flipped when the oven was on for a few minutes.

????????
 

Cookie

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Maybe, you just baked one too many cookies, and time for a new stove.
 

Cass

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#1 what brand of box is it?

#2 First I would turn off the main breaker and test to be sure it is off...then remove all breakers and inspect the bus bars and breakers

I would at very least replace the 50A breaker and inspect closely the cable ends going to it for any evidence of heating regardless of how minor.

Lastly I would pull the meter and inspect the main breaker.

I recomend you have this done by a licenced electrician...

Breaking the meter seal in some jurisdictions can cause problems that you will not want.

Is the breaker box in a damp area?
 

hj

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oven

The oven uses a lot more current than the burners. IF the circuit breaker is "burnt" that usually means a loose connection, and if so that loose connection WILL overheat the breaker and trip it even without a short circuit. Replace the circuit breaker because it is probably damaged by this time.
 

Thatguy

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Measure the voltage drop across the closed breaker contacts while its carrying the rated load current.
>100 mV = bad contacts.
<30 mV = good contacts.

You might also have a loose connection at the breaker. Clamped connections should have voltages way smaller than 30 mV while carrying rated current.
 
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Molo

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How do you explain this:

I moved the breaker in the box.

Now the oven turns off after about 10 minutes but doesn't trip the breaker and the stove still works!
 

Alectrician

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I assume this is a range (cooktop/oven one unit)??

Perhaps I could relocate the breaker to a point further from the burn spot on the bus bar and reinstall the wires?


New breaker, new location.

Next step is to check terminations at wall JB behind the range.

Next, open the access panel to the control wiring and look for burned terminals.
 

Dunbar Plumbing

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Yikes.............




You're taking a huge chance and thinking just because it's worked "all those years" beforehand makes it okay to keep testing the waters? Absolutely not.


Any time you see wires heating back to the panel, you've got a problem at the device it's hooked to AND the breaker that serves as the interrupter when things go awry.

If the stove is older than 8 years, replace it and get a new breaker in that panel, all of which should be done by a licensed electrician.
 

Billy_Bob

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I was thinking... Replace everything damaged (and the range as well if you don't know what the trouble is).

Everything damaged to me would be the section of damaged wiring, the breaker and the breaker bus or panel.

Of course if I had a problem like this I would think Ohhh No! Then start thinking of ways I could just "mend" the problem and avoid a big expense and a lot of work.....

Then I would think about it...

Then I wind up doing it right and get it fixed once and for all.
 

Thatguy

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Lift the roof
put a new house under it
lower the roof

You might want to borrow a clamp-on ammeter and check what is really happening with your wiring.

The worst outcome is that you buy a new stove/oven/breaker/breakerpanel and after one day of honeymoon you have exactly the same symptoms.
That is a bad day.
 

Cookie

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The honeymoon is over when you figure out she doesn't care if the oven or stove works, or you eat. :D (If I marry again, I am holding out for a chef.)
 

Gary Swart

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Go back to the basics. There are just 3 things that can cause a breaker to trip. 1) an overload (not likely on a dedicated circuit)
2) a short in the wire or loose connection
3) a defective breaker

Look for and do the obvious. Look for blackened wires that would indicate a short and check for loose connections. Replace the breaker.

If there is nothing obvious, you need to call a qualified electrician as the problems is almost certainly in the wiring that an electrician can test. Then repair or replace the oven.
 
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