Treadmill Keeps Tripping Breaker? Isolating A Dead Short
Apr 19, 2021
How to Isolate a Dead Short In Your Treadmill.
Translation, you hit the power switch and the treadmill trips the Breaker Instantly
Mindset: Split the Power and Drive system into 4 systems. Below
- Power Entry
- Incline System
- Drive Motor
- Controller.
- Let's start with 1. First make sure it's grounded on both ends. More than likely the breaker wouldn't trip if missing, but since a no ground on prong side or termination side (in treadmill) is a fire hazard we will just mention it... Now, follwow the line cord into the machine (see black and white wire, hot and neutral) and into where it plugs into the machine, you have the same 120v RMS voltage there as you do your wall, unplug the wires from the controller board. With the breaker reset and those wires unplugged, turn the power switch to on. Did it trip? yes or no? If no move to the next, if yes, you have a short in your filter, power entry socket, or power cord...use this same strategy to narrow it down in that system.
- No, your power system is fine, cool! Unplug the machine. Now plug the line wires back in to the controller and disconnect the incline wires from the controller, those are the wires that lead to your incline motor from the controller. Once unplugged, try turning the switch on. Did it trip the breaker? Yes or no? If No move to the next troubleshoot below, if yes replace the incline motor.
- No, it's not your incline motor. With the machine unplugged... Plug the incline wires back in to the controller and disconnect the drive motor wires from the controller, those are the wires that lead to your drive motor from the controller. Once unplugged, try turning the switch on. Did it trip the breaker? Yes or no? If No move to the next troubleshoot below, if yes replace the drive motor.
- No it's not the drive motor, Guess what, it's in the controller, replace the controller. This is the most likely component to cause this failure.
And the world makes sense again.
Team Hydra
