Appliance Spares
Quick answer: a dryer that trips the safety switch (RCD) — instantly, or minutes into a cycle — most often has a heating element leaking current to earth. Years of heat cycles crack the element’s insulation; damp winter air finishes the job, which is why these trips cluster on cold mornings. A moisture-affected door switch or motor can do it too, but the element is the front-runner and it’s a replaceable part.
Find the element for your dryer
Read the trip pattern
| When it trips | Points at |
|---|---|
| The moment you press start | Motor or wiring fault — dead short to earth |
| 30 seconds to a few minutes in, once heat begins | Heating element insulation — leaks once hot |
| Only on cold, damp mornings; fine by afternoon | Moisture tracking — element or connections absorbing humidity |
| Random, and other appliances trip too | The RCD itself or the circuit — electrician territory |
Why winter exposes it
Element insulation (magnesium oxide inside the metal sheath) is hygroscopic — it drinks moisture from damp air through any hairline crack. In summer the first minute of heat dries it out before the leakage trips anything. In a cold, humid laundry the leakage current crosses the RCD’s 30mA threshold first. The classic story: “dryer trips every morning but runs fine if I keep resetting” — that’s not the dryer healing, that’s the element drying itself out. Each cycle, the crack grows.
What to do
- Don’t bypass anything. The RCD is doing its job — leakage current through you instead is the alternative.
- Unplug and inspect the element (rear or front panel by model): discoloured, blistered or sagging coils confirm it.
- Replace the element — on most Australian dryers it’s a plug-and-bracket part. While in there, vacuum the lint off everything: lint on a weeping element is the fire-risk combination.
- If the element checks out, the motor and door switch are next — or have an electrician meter the circuit.
We stock elements across Simpson, Westinghouse, Hoover, Electrolux, Fisher & Paykel and more. Match by your model number.
| Path | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Technician callout + element + labour | $280–$450 metro |
| DIY element swap | Part only — 45 minutes, unplugged, plug-in connections |
Parts that fix this
In stock now and dispatched the same day from Sydney. Not sure which one fits your model? Run your model through the part finder and we will confirm before you order.
Frequently asked questions
It trips the whole house, not just one switch — same fault?
Many homes run one RCD across several circuits, so yes — one weeping element can darken half the house. The diagnosis doesn’t change.
Can I test the element without a multimeter?
The pattern test above is surprisingly reliable. With a multimeter, megaohms from element terminal to the metal sheath should be effectively infinite; anything readable confirms leakage.
The dryer is fine but trips only with the washing machine running too — what’s that?
Two small leakages adding up across one RCD. Fixing the worst leaker (commonly the dryer element) usually buys the circuit back its margin.
Is this dangerous to keep using?
The RCD protects you while it works — but you’re burning its margin and the fault only grows. Treat repeated trips as a this-week repair.
Related guides
- Dryer not heating but spinning
- Dryer thermal fuse keeps blowing
- Dryer smells like burning — causes ranked
Ready to fix it?
- Run your model number through the Oz Appliance Spares Part Finder — model in, exact-fit part out.
- Browse 3,000+ parts in stock
- Order before 12pm Sydney time → ships same day from our Sydney Northern Beaches warehouse, Australia-wide.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
