Why Does My Keurig Trip the Breaker? (SAFETY Procedures From the Experts!)
I’m not sure what’s more annoying: the fact that my Keurig will trip the breaker when I use it, or the fact that I don’t know why it does this.
I mean, I know what causes it—the machine is just too much for my apartment’s electrical system to handle.
But why does it do it? Why does a simple coffee maker cause me to lose power?
Why does my Keurig trip the breaker?
A Keurig coffee maker uses electricity to heat up water and brew coffee.
When there’s too much electricity flowing through the machine, the breaker will trip and stop the flow of electricity.
This can cause the machine to stop working properly.
There are several things that can cause this problem, including using a screwdriver to fix the machine, turning on an electrical heating system, or accidentally plugging in an appliance while your Keurig is turned off.
If you notice that your Keurig isn’t working properly, try unplugging it and letting it cool down for about 30 minutes before trying to use it again.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, call customer service for help.
How can you fix a Keurig that’s tripping the breaker?
There are multiple reasons that a Keurig would trip a breaker during use. A breaker can and will trip if there are too many amps pulled at once or if there is a problem detected that could potentially cause a fire.
Tighten the loose connections with a screwdriver. This will prevent any overheating that would lead to a short circuit.
There is also the method where you unplug everything that uses the same circuit as the coffee maker and then plug them in individually until the breaker trips again.
Then you can unplug the other things you plugged back in and see if the one that was last plugged in still trips.
You can also prevent the breaker from tripping by using a dedicated plug or outlet that is only for the coffee maker.
That way it never pulls too many amps, causing the breaker to trip.
If these things do not fix the issue, you may need a professional.
What are the possible causes of a Keurig tripping the breaker?
The first thing to check is whether water or steam has leaked from your espresso machine.
This could be due to a faulty tank or valve, which would explain why it keeps tripping the breaker.
To fix this issue, try tightening up all of your screws and making sure everything is in place.
You can also try using an extension cord if you need extra length in order to avoid stepping on any cords.
Arc fault breakers are products that are designed to reduce the risk of fire by shutting off power when they detect high heat levels or currents.
If your Keurig keeps tripping its breaker, it might be because there’s too much current running through it—but don’t worry! We’ll talk about some ways around this issue later in this post.
Another possible cause for tripping breakers is heat.
If your Keurig has been on for an extended period of time and hasn’t cooled down properly before turning itself off again (due to overheating).
What to do when your Keurig trips the breaker?
Check if the circuit is overloaded
You can check if a circuit is overloaded by unplugging everything and then slowly plugging back in until the breaker trips again, or you can determine the watts and amps that make up the load on a circuit and decide.
The overload point for a 15 amp breaker is 1800 watts. This is determined by volts (120 standards) x amps. If you load too many things, the breaker will trip.
Check for a ground fault occurrence
For most breakers, if a ground fault trips, then there will be a red light that comes on when there is no power or it will trip right after the Keurig turns on.
This can also be done by testing the wires or the outlet itself with a multimeter and seeing continuity or if any outlets are hot to the touch.
Ensure that the electrical system is not worn out
You can check if the electricity is worn out by unplugging all the appliances and then probing with a multimeter.
This might be a job for an electrician if you are unsure of what you’re doing as avoiding electrical shock should be a priority.
Check for moisture
Checking a Keurig for moisture is important as moisture can eat away at the insulation on electrical components, and any moisture trapped inside may also cause a short circuit and, consequently, a fire.
This may mean that the Keurig is tripping a GFCI to prevent a fire and this might mean you need a new Keurig.
Check the thermal fuse
The thermal fuse is in place to protect against overheating and overloading of the circuit.
It will cause an imbalance in the circuit and will cause the breaker to trip.
Sometimes you will be able to simply replace the thermal fuse, which requires some more advanced knowledge, or the entire appliance may just need replacing as it might not be worth your time.
Preventive measures
The easiest way to prevent the Keurig from tripping the breaker is to only turn it on when it is the only thing in use on the circuit.
Most circuits that a coffee maker would be on our 15 amp circuits and a Keurig pulls about 12.25 amps of power.
If there are any other appliances or really anything at all that will pull more than the 2.75 amps of power remaining on the breaker, then prevent it and unplug them.
This is the simplest means to prevent the problem.
You need to replace your power cord
If something inside the power cord is worn or especially if the insulation is worn off, then the cord may not be distributing power properly or there may be metal rubbing on metal within the cord, which is another thing you don’t want.
This reduces the power due to the dangerous complications this could cause, like a fire.
Your Keurig is leaking
Leaking will cause the breaker to trip because any water or moisture inside the machine is going to cause the breakdown of insulation and can expose wires that may touch and then cause the ground fault to trip.
Your Keurig is overheating
Overheating is usually caused by poor electrical connections that will cause the electrical flow to be impeded due to higher resistance.
The increased resistance then causes excess heat to build up and the overheating will either trip the breaker or can end up causing a fire.
Your Keurig is overloading the circuit
Overloading should be avoided at all costs.
Don’t plug too many things into a single breaker and make sure that the load on the breaker does not exceed the amount of current it is rated to handle or it will be overloaded and trip the breaker.
Avoid extension cords and power strips
Extension cords and power strips should be avoided as they are not the wiring in the walls and they are not rated to carry the same load as the wiring in the wall is.
An extension cord could heat up and, as it is not a GFCI breaker, it may not fault and stop working and there is a high potential for fire in cases like these.
How can you prevent your Keurig from tripping the breaker?
The Keurig will not trip the breaker if there is enough available current to keep the breaker running.
So don’t put it on a breaker like a 10 amp, it will trip all the time. Also, a dedicated outlet is a good choice for a Keurig.
This means that not only do you minimize risks, but if something does go wrong, then you will know that it is the Keurig and not wiring or something you need a professional for.
Why does Keurig keep tripping the GFCI?
Technically, the appliance shouldn’t be on the GFCI, but that is somewhat hard to manage in a kitchen.
The truth is that the initial pull of amps at the start of a Keurig cycle will be too much for a breaker, and so lightening its load will make it quite a bit easier overall.
Other interesting articles:
