Broken Toaster?

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I'm not sure if this topic belongs here. Feel free to move it if it belongs elsewhere.

Firstly, if anyone read my other post regarding the electrician - he hasn't been over yet. So no changes have happened to the fuse box or plug sockets. Nothing added or taken away.

...Anyway. Basically, my toaster caused the fuse box to switch off for one set of plug sockets.

This happened when I tried to jam in a thick roll that was sliced in half, into the toaster. I realise this wasn't a good idea!

I've been told not to use the toaster again because it tripped a switch. Is this good advice? I haven't used the toaster since, but I feel reluctant to replace it. It's a very pretty toaster. Yes, I shouldn't get attached to things like that, but it looks like this. I can't remember how much it cost, but it must've been expensive:



Is there any way of finding out if it's safe to use? I really don't want to get rid of it.

any electrician could figure things out. in the meantime, promote your beloved old toaster to "emeritus" status and get yourself a newer and safer one. better safe than sorry. and in the future, don't double-stuff stuff into those things, they were not meant to take it.

I'm reading your description of "fuse" as "circuit breaker". When a fuse blows, you have to replace the fuse. When a circuit breaker blows (actually it trips) you just reset it. When too much current (measured in amperes, commonly called "amps") flows through a wire, the wire can get hot and possibly cause a fire. The fuse or circuit breaker shuts off the flow of electrical current when a certain threshold of amps is reached. Usually 15 amps in 110v residential applications in the U.S.. You're in the U.K. and you have 230v (except the 115v shaver socket in the WC) so the circuit breaker ratings will be about half.

I don't think your overly thick roll that jammed the toaster is the problem. Toasters have a thermostat that shuts off when a certain internal temperature is reached. The "darkness" adjustment raises or lowers the shutoff temperature. Even if you jam the toaster, it should not stay on indefinitely. If it does, the toaster is messed up and should be replaced.

Now back to the fuse or circuit breaker. There are usually multiple outlets attached to one fuse or circuit breaker. The number of amps drawn by each device plugged into outlets connected to one circuit breaker ADD. So (hypothetically) for instance you have:

Toaster = 10 amps
Fan = 2 amps
Light = 1 amp

That's 13 amps on a 15 amp circuit. That's fine until you switch on the TV that draws 3 amps and CLICK, the circuit breaker trips.

Toasters draw a lot of current. The toaster may just be pushing an already loaded circuit over the edge.

SO...

First, look around for other things plugged in, in the general area and shut them off or unplug them. Then try the toaster with nothing in it. If the circuit breaker still trips, then I say: "bad toaster". If the circuit breaker doesn't trip, then maybe you should be more mindful of other things that might be contributing to your circuit breaker tripping.

Thank you both for your input.

auf_ehre: I understood exactly what you wrote. I think what might have made it overheat was the fact there were bits of bread stuck in the sides, as well as a lot of crumbs in the tray. I will try brushing off the bits of bread first...carefully...and unplugged of course! Then I will try switching off all the appliances and see if the toaster still trips the switch.

Again, thanks for your input.

A toasters is very simple device, its just a big resister or a simple resistive heater. it does pull a lot of power too.
There are a couple of possibilities why the fuse blew.
There is something else on the same circuit, like a refrigerator for instance. So you are happily toasting away and the frig starts and it pops the fuse.
Or one of the heating elements has shorted to ground. Shoving something over-sized in there. This essentially is a mechanical thing pushing a heating element into the case.

Toasters are cheap so replacing is not so bad. You can fix it too. Just take it apart and clean and fix any shorts. Soap and water works good