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    ohbejoyful
    May 16, 2021

    My Cuisinart Food Processor Keeps Flipping the Circuit

    in Small Appliance Repair

    I hadn't used my trusty food processor in a while, but it was working fine until we moved into a brand new house. Like, literally brand new, one of those development spec houses. Tevery other kitchen instrument- toasters, microwave, handheld mixers- work fine. The cuisinart food processor however flips the circuit breaker every single time. Is this something that’s fixable? I hate to throw away such a sturdy long-lasting machine (I think it dates back to the 90s).

    7 answers1 reply
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    2
    jcarlisle001
    May 16, 2021

    As you know from the weight of your food processor, it has a very powerful motor. Is it the breaker in the main box that trips, or the GFI outlet in the kitchen? Have you tried using it on a different circuit, such as in the laundry room? There is a capacitor in the power unit which may have become weak or shorted and that could be the problem assuming that it rotates freely (bearings not frozen because liquid got in them). It's too good for the landfill and can be repaired!

    2
    spudnuty
    May 16, 2021

    Hey Jim, beat me to it! Ours draws 5.2 Amps and like Jim says the capacitor could have shorted. So answer all the questions he asks, especially the one about the GFCI. The other question I would add is does it appear to start spinning when turned on? And I agree these are too good to wind up in a landfill!

    2
    spudnuty
    May 17, 2021

    "The builder did not install GFCIs in the kitchen."

    OK that's a violation of National and local Codes. Are they in the bathrooms? That should have been picked up during your inspection when you purchased the house.

    It sounds like something either Jim or I will need to look at to determine the problem. I'm in Beaverton and Jim is further down but is often up here.


    jcarlisle001
    May 17, 2021

    As Rich says, in addition to omissions in your home, you may have an open or shorted capacitor in your food processor. The motor is probably not burned-out, or you would have smelled smoke from the burned winding. The capacitor is external to the motor - it may be soldered-in or have pull-off electrical connectors. We are assuming that there is no visible damage to the cord. Rich is on the west side of Portland and I am frequently on the east side - are you located in one of those areas? Another possibility would be a grounded switch, if the unit has ever been wet. It has a three-wire cord and the product is grounded through the cord.

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