Why Is My Microwave Tripping the Breaker?

Microwave ovens transformed kitchens throughout America when they first came onto their market during the 1970s. Since then, these amazing appliances have made significant progress in terms of features, smaller sizes, and greater performance in cooking than they ever had before. With more power comes higher use of energy, but the microwave that you have is not triggering the circuit breaker at home; it's an indication that the appliance is overloading its electrical system. The main questions to ask is what's the reason, what is the cause, and what can you do to fix the issue?

REASONS WHY YOUR MICROWAVE IS TRIPPING YOUR BREAKER

If an appliance, such as the microwave oven, keeps triggering an electrical circuit breaker, you're overburdening an electrical circuit that is built to handle a limited amount of ampere. If the microwave's output exceeds this number, the breaker gets activated, and the flow of electricity is cut off. To enable this type of reaction to happen, it must be the result of one of two things in play:

Many items are connected to the same circuit the microwave oven operates on, which can cause overloaded.

This microwave is inoperable and is drawing a large amount of electricity.

Finding the root of the issue involves the following steps:

Verify whether the microwave is equipped with its own circuit.

A dedicated circuit serves just one appliance, helping safeguard your electronics and home. When you place multiple major appliances in the circuit, there is a possibility of overloading the circuit and possibly triggering the breaker. The breaker's repeated tripping can cause it to degrade, and if it does not trigger the circuit, it could result in the wiring overheating and place the home in danger of an electric fire.

A microwave requires its own circuit with a 20 amp to prevent an overload. If it is on an exclusive circuit, the breakers that have tripped must be identified using the words "microwave"—if there's no label, it's most likely an open circuit. Whatever the case, if your microwave oven is connected to an exclusive circuit, it is a good idea to move to the next step to make sure the appliance is working properly.



Examine the microwave to find out its condition.

Connect the appliance to an outlet that is not a part of your home in which the breaker has higher amperage. For instance, in a workshop, garage, or an outlet that is guaranteed to have a designated circuit. If the appliance causes a trip to the breaker, the issue is with the microwave, and you'll have to fix or change it.