Hoover Electrical Short / Earth Leakage

Freezer trips the household circuit breaker or RCD when plugged in or when compressor starts.

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Safety Warning

This repair may involve working with high voltage components or water connections. Always unplug the appliance before removing any panels.

If you are not confident in your ability to perform this repair safely, we strongly recommend contacting a professional technician.

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Possible Causes

Shorted compressor winding to ground, Damaged mains cable, Moisture in defrost heater or wiring, Faulty mains filter causing leakage

How to Fix / Troubleshooting

Safety: Do not repeatedly reset a tripping breaker. Unplug the freezer and investigate. Risk of electric shock is present.

  • Visual inspection: Check the mains cable and plug for damage or signs of overheating.
  • Isolate components (advanced): With the freezer unplugged, a technician can disconnect the compressor, defrost heater, and other loads one by one to identify which causes tripping when re-energized.
  • Check for moisture: Inspect the defrost heater area and wiring for water ingress or damaged insulation.
  • Professional testing: Use an insulation tester (megger) to check compressor and heater insulation resistance to earth. Low readings indicate a fault.

Important: Because of shock and fire risk, this fault should generally be handled by a qualified electrician or appliance technician.

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Repair Difficulty

Professional Required 5/5
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