It's a sweltering summer day. Your air conditioner turns on and then shuts off instantly. Was that once again the breaker? How can you end this madness?
The circuit breaker is just performing its job to prevent excessive electricity from surging through the system and starting a fire. You know the air conditioner is to blame for drawing more electricity than the breaker is designed to handle. Why is your AC using so much electricity, and is it still a mystery?
Here, we'll go over the typical reasons why circuit breakers for air conditioners trip.
What's Causing My AC to Trip the Breaker?
Your circuit breaker defends your house from electrical surges that might start a fire or electrocute you. Do not keep turning the power on if the breaker keeps tripping: Before using the breaker once more, you should make the necessary repairs to the problem.
Think about these widespread causes:
- A dirty air filter. The fan may have to work harder if a dirty air filter restricts the airflow. Due to the stress, the AC will use more electricity than usual, tripping the breaker. Change the air filter for a quick fix.
- Coil dust on the condenser. The condenser coils of your outdoor air conditioner absorb heat from inside your house and transfer it outside. The dirt on the condenser coils in the outdoor unit prevents the efficient transfer of heat when they are too dirty. A breaker trips as a result of the AC using more electricity to cool your home as a result.
- Loose connection to the circuit breaker. Your air conditioner may normally be operating, but there may be a problem with the way the unit is connected to the circuit breaker. The breaker could trip due to a loose wire or a broken brake switch.
- An electrical surge. The AC's electrical motor can run strong for hours, but if it gets too hot, too quickly, it can melt through the insulation on the wires and cause an electrical short, which could result in a fire. Unless your breaker tripped, that is. If you believe a heat-induced short in your air conditioner is to blame for your tripping breaker, you should get service right away and stop using your air conditioner until the problem is fixed or eliminated.
- Worn compressor. Your air conditioner's compressor transforms low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant into a form that can operate at higher pressures and temperatures. The warm air that has been drawn in from your home can then be properly condensed and released in this manner. Therefore, as an AC compressor age, it occasionally needs more power to finish this conversion process, frequently leading to it tripping the breaker. It must be decided whether an HVAC specialist like Heating and Cooling Exchange requires replacement or repair.
The location of my AC circuit breaker
The main distribution panel, which is typically identified as a grey metal box, can be found in your garage, basement, or closet. This panel will contain the AC circuit breaker. The panel could also be outside of your home. Find the breaker switch with the letters A/C or HVAC inside the box.
What Should I Do If My AC Trips the Breaker?
Your air conditioner might occasionally run properly but requires a hard reset to stop tripping the breaker.
To do this:
- To make sure that the thermostat's signals don't obstruct the reset procedure, turn it off.
- In your main distribution panel, turn the AC circuit breaker to the "on" position.
- Give the AC unit's internal breaker a half-hour to reset.
- Reset the thermostat to the cool setting. The AC should then start to blow the cool air at that point.
If restarting the device didn't fix the problem, your air conditioner probably needs professional repair or maintenance.