my toaster keeps tripping the main fuse box any ideas why? its just over a year old and still quite new

lynda, March 2010

I followed the advice about cleaning crumbs etc. from the toaster and found a lump of carbon on the elements that looks like it had once upon a time been a currant (not a current ! ) from a toasted teacake. Everything is now fine.

les m., November 2023

did exactly what the OP said. My Dualit toaster was tripping the electrics when pushed down. Did it twice. I thought I needed a new toaster and then tried this. Worked perfectly. Gave it a clean and removed the build-up of crumbs and a couple of raisins that had collected over the years and now it's working perfectly. :-)

Daz, December 2022

This is excellent advice, my toaster is 15 years old and started tripping the electrics every time I depressed the lever today - thought it might be at the end of its days, but no, shaking out all the crumbs and poking out the bits of carbon with a skewer worked perfectly. Toaster working again, and will keep on top of the build up of crumbs! Thanks!

Emma, October 2021

Many thanks Richard for your advice, my toaster work. To be honest I was trying to replace but two new toaster both had standard slot but the ordinary slice of bread was too big and it wouldn't fit, even the Argos manager was shocked! Long story short, I thought I better find out if I can fix the toaster myself and your advice was so very much welcome. Much appreciated.

Stranger, June 2021

Thank you for the advice Richard. It worked on my "broken" toaster and I've had toast for breakfast for the first time in 2 weeks. Yay!

Debra Pays-Welburn, January 2021

Thank you to Richard Chambers, Leeds UK. Used your advice to safely clean out our toaster of crumbs and carbonised material and the shorting stopped. Cheers!

James. Preston, UK., June 2019

Thanks Richard, My toaster was tripping the house circuit breville smart toaster, so as most do I thought it was finished. we bought a new cheaper one. I liked the old one 3 years old so I looked for a fix. As you suggested I looked for a carbon deposit found raisin/bun had created a carbon deposit I removed it and now it works fine and the new one is being returned.
Thanks again.

Paul Sydney, April 2019

Thank you: Richard Chambers, Leeds UK. Our Morphy Richards toaster was doing the same thing so I thought I'd google our problem, before rushing out to buy a new toaster. Took your advice & it absolutely worked...used a wooden kitchen skewer to carefully remove the carbon deposits. Good to know for next time & nice to find it wasn't a case of 'planned obsolescence' - so common with small appliances these days. Thank you! Sue, Melbourne, AUS.

Sue, August 2017

A very common problem with toasters. Breadcrumbs fall off the bread you are toasting. If you do not regularly clean the toaster by shaking it upside down over a waste bin, the crumbs will eventually form a layer so deep that some of them make contact with the hot element, and the heat turns them to carbon. The carbon eventually causes a short-circuit from the element to the body of your toaster, causing the fuse/trip to operate. You need to (a) shake all the crumbs out of the toaster, then (b) see if that has fixed the problem. (c) If the toaster still fuses, then (d) unplug it (very important for safety) and take it to a well-lit position (best lighting is outdoors on a day with hazy sun or a translucent white cloud covering most of the sky). Look for signs of carbon on the various ridges at the bottom of the element. (e) if you see carbon, use any convenient tool to scrape it away. (I use a long thin screwdriver with a narrow blade, poking it down from the top of the toaster). (f) retry the toaster, to see whether it now works. Repeat (d) and (e) if necessary. (g) Make a habit in future to empty the crumbs every fortnight or so.
I do not agree with the advice that your toaster is kaput and needs to be replaced. In the vast majority of cases, the problem is carbon build-up.

Richard Chambers, Leeds UK, September 2016

Yes I have an idea...

Your toaster is defective (it's toast!)

There's not much in a toaster - mainly a heating element and a thermal trip switch to stop the bread burning. Your toaster has very probably got a defective heating element and part of it is likely touching an internal metal part. Either too much current is flowing (small breaker trips) or some current is running to Ground (big breaker taking out all power in house).

Small appliances are generally not made to be repairable these days - finding a repairer is difficult - costs of parts and labour combine to make repair uneconomical.

Amazon are selling small appliances - toaster from £7 to over £300

Good luck...

Peccavi, March 2010