The short answer
On a Black+Decker washer, water inside a cabinet keeps tripping the protection until it dries, even after the leak is fixed. Drying out is free but slow; the leak must be found first, and a machine that still trips when dry is a real fault.
What you actually see
- A burning smell during a cycle — A smell is a stop-now condition rather than a symptom to work through.
- It trips only during the spin — A trip at one step points at the load drawn at that step.
- The machine runs but the lights in the room dim — Dimming under load points at the circuit rather than the appliance.
- A tingle when touching the cabinet or the tap — Any sensation from an appliance means stopping immediately.
Causes, ranked for this washer
- Moisture in the machine after a leak or a spill — Most likely — water that has been inside the cabinet keeps tripping the protection until it dries, even after the leak is fixed. A clean result here does not just remove one part; it removes everything that depends on it.
- Water where it should not be — Common — it ranks high because it is the mechanism behind most genuine trips on a washer rather than a nuisance one. It is worth being sure about this one rather than half-sure, since everything after it assumes a verdict.
- Shared or overloaded circuit — Regular — a washer is a heavy intermittent load, and a socket shared with a kettle, a heater or a dryer trips on the combination rather than on a fault. This is the entry most often blamed correctly and diagnosed carelessly, so take the extra minute.
What to check, in order
- First — the inside of the cabinet — Note whether the tripping began after a leak or a spill. That sequence is the diagnosis.
- Second — the base of the machine and the socket — Isolate the circuit, then look for water under the machine, at the socket and along the base plate.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Test the machine on its own circuit — Move it to a socket with nothing else on the run and note whether the tripping stops.
Tools: noneAbout 15 min
- Step 2. Dry the machine out — If water has been inside the cabinet, leave the machine unplugged and open in a warm dry room for a day or two before trying again.
Tools: noneAbout 1440 min
- Step 3. Stop at any smell or tingle — A burning smell or any sensation from the cabinet means unplugging the machine and not using it again until it is tested.
Tools: noneAbout 1 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Two isolations, not one: power at the plug or breaker, water at the supply valve. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Standing water under an energized appliance is an electrical hazard first and a plumbing problem second.
When this becomes a service call
Where the owner side ends is easy to state. Any tingle from the cabinet, the tap or the hose means stopping immediately and having both the appliance and the earthing checked.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
- Article 210 — Branch Circuits — NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code), fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
This page is written for Black+Decker washers in general. It does not cover a specific family, a specific model number or a control board revision, and where a family or model page exists it will be more precise than this one — start here to understand the fault, then follow the more specific page for the part numbers and the board layout. The nearest pages of that kind are linked under Related pages.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
