Why Does My Dust Collector Keep Tripping the Breaker?

Why does my dust collector keep tripping the breaker?

Your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker because of a short circuit that occurs when the hot wire becomes loose. An overload or a ground fault surge is another reason your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker.

 

 

Short circuit

A short circuit occurs when the hot wire of a circuit comes loose at a terminal and touches the neutral wire or a grounded surface. If this happens, the normal electrical resistance will be overridden, and the circuit will suddenly have too much current flowing through it. This makes the circuit too hot, and the breaker will trip to turn off the circuit and stop a fire.

If you smell something burning or see dark spots around the breaker, this is a sign of a short circuit. You can also identify a short circuit in a dust collector by taking a continuity test between the motor terminals and a motor frame with a digital multimeter.

 

Overload

Overload is another common reason your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker. They occur when you use more electricity than a particular circuit can manage or when you have too many lights or appliances on at once. The increased demand will cause the circuit to overheat, putting your dust collector at risk.

The capacity of a circuit breaker is determined by how much load the wires in a particular circuit can support. If your circuit breaker continues to trip, it signifies you are requesting too much power from the circuit. In this situation, you must change your dust collector and equipment to various circuits or upgrade your system if it lacks enough circuits to meet modern demands.

 

Ground fault surge

Ground fault surges act like short circuits, but they happen when a live wire touches a bare copper ground wire or a metal outlet box to which the ground wire is connected. This will cause too much electricity to flow, and for the same reason, the breaker will trip. Also, there will be a change in color near the outlet.

Not only are these problems annoying, but they can also be dangerous. If your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker, you may be putting your property at risk until you fix it.

 

How to fix a dust collector that keeps tripping the breaker?

You can fix a dust collector that keeps tripping the breaker by repairing the short circuit. Resetting the breaker or replacing the breaker is another way you can fix a dust collector that keeps tripping the breaker.

 

Repairing the short circuit

A short circuit is one of the major reasons your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker. This occurs for various reasons, like loose or slipped wires. It is essential that you fix this, and here is a simple step you can follow to repair a short circuit;

 

1. Unplug your duct collector
2. Ensure that the short circuit is appropriately located and identified.
3. Replace the old wire with a new one from your local hardware store. The new one should be the same length as the old one.
4. Extend the new insulated copper wire designed to carry big amounts of electricity. If necessary, cut the wire in the proper area to verify that it is the correct length.
5. Remove little quantities of insulation from the wire’s end with a utility knife. Allow enough space for the wire to connect to the contact points on the current wire.
6. Apply some solder to the contact locations with the soldering gun.
7. Attach the ends of the new wires to the current wires and connect them to the wiring system. To join them, use a soldering iron to solder them together.
8. Put the wires back into the system and reset the circuit breaker to see if the procedure worked. If the circuit breakers do not trip, the process is successful.

Note: To fix the short circuit, always operate safely and with the proper equipment, which includes: a utility knife, new wire, soldering gun, soldering iron, and protective gloves.

 

Resetting the breaker

If your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker, it is because the circuit is overloaded. When you try to use more electricity than the circuit is made for, the circuit becomes overloaded. To fix this, you need to reset the breaker by reducing the load on the circuit. Here is how to fix it;

 

1. Unplug all appliances on the circuit
2. Put the breaker in the OFF position for some seconds
3. Then flip it back to ON
4. Plug in back your dust collector.

Note: If, after resetting, your dust collector keeps tripping the breaker, you need to replace the breaker. Check our next guide on how to replace it.

 

Replacing the breaker

The breaker might be faulty, causing your dust collector to trip it off. In this case, you need to replace the breaker. Here is how to replace it;

1. Locate and flip the main circuit breaker to the OFF position.
2. Remove the screws that hold the panel cover plate in place.
3. Locate the old breaker now that the cover has been removed.
4. Now, carefully hold the edge of the old breaker at the panel’s inner center and pivot it out to the panel’s outer side.
5. The breaker should release and pull away from the panel.
6. Avoid touching the metal bus bar to which the breaker was attached.
7. Unscrew the twist terminal clamping the black circuit wire connected to the breaker.
8. If you are replacing an AFCI or GFCI circuit breaker, the breaker will have a neutral circuit wire connection and a coiled white pigtail wire connecting to the neutral bus bar in the panel. Unplug these cables.
9. Before installing the new breaker, turn the breaker reset lever to the OFF position.
10. Attach the black circuit wire to the new circuit breaker by inserting the bare end of the wire into the breaker’s screw terminal and tightening the screw.
11. Connect the white neutral circuit wire to the matching screw terminal on the breaker when replacing an AFCI or GFCI (or AFCI/GFCI combination breaker).
12. Put in the Breaker
13. Replace the Panel and Reconnect the Power

 

Why does my dust collector keep tripping the GFCI outlet?

Your dust collector keeps tripping the GFCI outlet because of worn out insulation. Insulation can wear out or damage over time. Insulation, particularly in older wiring, can dry up and crack. When the wires are too close together, insufficient insulation in the dust collector can cause an electrical leak, which trips the GFCI breaker.

 

Accumulated dust or a bad GFCI outlet is another reason your dust collector keeps tripping the GFCI outlet. All electrical parts wear out over time, including GFCI outlets. They can last up to 25 years, but they can break down a lot sooner than that. Most experts advise that you should replace them every ten years.

 

Why does my dust collector keep blowing a fuse?

The reason your dust collector keeps blowing a fuse is because of an arc fault. Arc faults happen when there are problems with the wiring or the connections between the terminals, such as a loose terminal screw.

 

A damaged outlet or a wrong fuse is another reason your dust collector keeps blowing a fuse. Fuses are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations. Many appear identical yet have extremely diverse purposes. If you or someone else installs an incorrect fuse in a fuse panel, your dust collector will continue to blow a fuse.

 

Why is my Harbor Freight dust collector tripping the breaker?

The reason your Harbor Freight dust collector keeps tripping the breaker is because of an overload. This happens when you desire a specific circuit to provide more electricity than it actually has. This will cause the circuit to overheat, putting all electrical appliances connected to the circuit at risk.

A ground fault surge or a defective circuit breaker is another reason your Harbor Freight dust collector keeps tripping the breaker. When a breaker becomes old and no longer produces energy, it is time to replace it. Furthermore, if not maintained, it will eventually wear out.

 

Whenever your Harbor Freight dust collector keeps tripping the breaker, you need to fix it. Here is a simple DIY guide on how to fix it;

1. First, ensure there are not too many loads on the circuit
2. If there are many loads, reduce them.
3. Then you put the switch in the OFF position for a few seconds and put it back in the ON position.
4. If, after this step and your Harbor Freight dust collector is still tripping the breaker, then you need to change the breaker.
5. To change the breaker, flip the switch back to OFF opposition.
6. Remove the faceplate by unscrewing it.
7. Look for signs of damage inside the breaker box panel before touching anything.
8. Remove the damaged breaker.
9. Disconnect the circuit breaker wire.
10. Take note of the circuit breaker’s exact amperage and type.
11. Replace the faulty circuit breaker with a new one of the same type.
12. Insert the new circuit breaker.
13. Reattach the loose wire.
14. Reinstall the faceplate.
15. Turn the power back on.

 

Why is my Delta Freight dust collector tripping the breaker?

The reason your Delta Freight dust collector keeps tripping the breaker is because of an arc fault or a short circuit. An arc fault occurs when loose or corroded wire forms a short contact, resulting in an arc or a spark. In general, arc fault is regarded as the main cause of often tripped circuit breakers.

This generates heat and increases the risk of an electrical fire. When your Delta Freight dust collector starts tripping the breaker, here is a simple fix you can follow;

 

1. Turn off everything that is plugged into the circuit.
2. Look for the Electric Service Panel.
3. Find the breaker that tripped.
4. Move the handle of the circuit breaker to the off position
5. Turn the handle of the circuit breaker to the right, toward the middle of the service panel.
6. Turn on your Delta Freight dust collector.
7. If it still keeps tripping the breaker, you need to repair the arc with the help of an electrician because it will be very dangerous to do it yourself.