Freezer trips the household circuit breaker or GFCI outlet when it starts or runs.
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.
Possible Causes
How to Fix / Troubleshooting
Safety first: Do not repeatedly reset a breaker that trips immediately; this indicates a potentially dangerous fault. Unplug the freezer.
Steps:
- Inspect cord: Check the power cord for damage. Replace if any cuts or burns are found.
- Check for moisture: Look for water around the compressor area, control board, and wiring. Dry thoroughly and correct any leaks.
- Isolate components (advanced): With power disconnected, test resistance from each major component (compressor, defrost heater, fan motors) to ground. Any reading near 0Ω indicates a short to ground.
- Replace faulty part: Replace the component that is shorted (e.g., defrost heater or fan motor).
When to call a technician: If the compressor is shorted to ground, a sealed system repair is required and must be done by a professional.
Repair Difficulty
Required Part
We may earn a commission from links on this page.