GE Oven Keeps Tripping Breaker? Here’s Why (+ How to Fix)

Overloads, ground faults, and short circuits are the three universal causes of circuit breaker tripping. This happens when there is an electrical fault in the wiring or a problem with an appliance component.  

Specifically, if your GE oven keeps tripping breaker, one of these issues is the cause:

• The circuit breaker is wrongly sized.
• A heating element has shorted out.
• There are issues with the house wiring.

Because breaker tripping can cause damage to the electrical circuit and compromise both the electrical system and the appliance, it is important that you resolve it immediately. I’ll tell you how to do that in this article and advise when you should seek professional assistance.

Wrong Size Circuit Breaker

Circuit breakers have an indicated amperage or the amount of current (electrical charge) that flows through a given point every second.  Most household circuits have breakers with a 15 to 20 amp rating. GE oven breakers’ ratings vary depending on the circuit voltage requirements:

• 30 amp (or higher) circuit breaker for electrical ranges and ovens with a 208/240-volt requirement
• 15–20 amp circuit breaker for gas ranges and ovens with a 120-volt requirement

If your oven breaker has an amp rating lower than required, it will keep tripping, with the risk of damaging the circuit and the appliance.

How To Fix

The right GE oven breaker size should be ensured at installation. The installer should strictly follow the installation instructions provided in the model’s installation manual on the breaker size.

Note that circuit breakers usually handle 80% of their total amperage, which means a 30 amp breaker provides a 28 amp electrical charge.

If the amp rating indicated on your GE oven circuit breaker is lower than specified on the installation instructions, call the installer or a professional electrician to fix the installation mistake.

Shorted Heating Element

A power surge to the oven heating elements can cause them to short out. An oven heating element may also short out against the sheath of the surface unit. Whatever the case, the circuit breaker will trip to protect the circuit and appliance from damage. 

A shorted heating element will most likely show signs of damage such as breakages and blisters, and must be replaced.

How to Fix

To fix a shorted GE oven heating element, you must replace the part. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Disconnect power to the range/oven.
2. Remove the racks from inside the oven.
3. Remove the shorted-out oven element by unscrewing it from the oven wall.
4. Disconnect the heating element’s electrical wires and pull out the element.
5. Reconnect the wires to the new element. Ensure you order the right one designed for your model.
6. Screw the new element to the oven wall. Your new heating element should work without causing harm to the breaker unless the appliance or circuit has other issues. If the latter is the case, call a professional electrician or oven technician for a more precise service.

If a visual demonstration works better for you, this GE Appliances video on YouTube will come in handy:

Issues with the House Wiring

If your circuit breaker is the right size for the range or wall oven and the heating elements are sound, then the next possible cause for a breaker tripping over and over is bad house wiring. 

How To Fix

You can determine if the house wiring has faults by cycling power to the oven. If the breaker trips immediately after the oven is turned on again, then you should suspect house wiring issues.

A trained electrician should resolve electrical wiring issues. Do not attempt to troubleshoot electrical wire issues on your own, as this can be very dangerous.

Should an electrician rule out issues with the house wiring, your GE appliance could have other non-manifesting faults. Call a GE oven repair technician to do a thorough service to the appliance.