What Are The Common Causes Of An AC Unit Tripping the Breaker?
Most homes these days have breaker boxes, and when it trips, most homeowners know to “go flip the breaker back” to get the power restored. But why does a circuit breaker trip in the first place?
The reason is simple when more amps are pulled from the breaker than what it is rated for, it will trip. In other words, if you have a circuit breaker rated for 20 amps and your air conditioner pulls 40 amps all of a sudden, the breaker will trip.
Pulling too many amps (or too much power) is not the only electrical problems that cause circuit breakers to trip, but it is the most common when it comes to issues with air conditioners.
There are many reasons why your air conditioner could be drawing too many amps and tripping the breaker. Let’s cover the most common reasons an AC unit repeatedly trips a breaker and what you can do about them.
Dirty or Clogged Air Filter
A dirty air filter causes terrible air quality in the home and blocks most of the airflow from the AC unit. It also puts undue stress on the air conditioning unit by making it work harder and for more extended periods just to lower the temperature by just a few degrees.
When the air filter is clogged and packed with enough dust and dirt to prevent airflow, the air conditioner kicks into high gear and runs longer. While it is struggling to keep up with the home’s cooling demands, it could very likely pull more amps through the breaker than its maximum rating.
If it pulls too many amps, it will repeatedly trip the circuit breaker. The fix for this scenario is simple – turn off the AC unit, then clean the air filter or replace it. If the air filter is so dirty that it is blocking airflow, your evaporator coils are quite possibly caked in dust too.
To clean your evaporator coils and fins, use a vacuum cleaner with a soft bristle attachment to brush and suck out all the dust from the coils and fins. Once you have everything all clean in your air handling unit, turn the air conditioner back on and observe if it trips the breaker. If it does, you have another problem and should continue troubleshooting.
Note: You should change your air conditioner’s filter every 45 to 90 days. You can go longer, but you will be sacrificing maximum efficiency and air quality. Never go more than six months before replacing your filter.
Clogged and Dirty Condenser Coils
The condenser unit of your air conditioning system is the device that sits outside your home. It’s commonly called the “outdoor unit,” and it expels the heat that is removed from your home to the outdoors.
When your condenser coils get dirty, they can get clogged and prevent heat dispersion. If the heat cannot be dispersed normally and efficiently, then the condenser will get overworked, draw too many amps, and trip your breaker. It
Homeowners can clean the condenser coils. However, we recommend getting them professionally cleaned by an HVAC expert. Our experienced HVAC professionals can clear out your condenser coils without breaking and bending fins, which could cause more damage and decrease the efficiency of your AC unit.
Low Refrigerant Levels
Having low refrigerant in your air conditioning coils is another way your air conditioning unit ends up drawing too many amps and tripping the breaker. If there is low refrigerant in your AC unit, it has to work longer and harder to cool your home.
Additionally, if there is low refrigerant in the coils, the air conditioner can quickly overheat and damage other components of the air conditioner.
Usually, refrigerant leaks are the culprit for low refrigerant levels. To recharge refrigerant and repair leaks, the technician or service person must have EPA Section 608 certification. Refrigerants containing CFCs and HCFCs are harmful to the ozone, which is why proper training is required for such procedures.
If you suspect that you have a refrigerant leak, give us a call, and one of our certified HVAC professionals will inspect your refrigerant lines for leaks, repair your leaky AC system, and get it recharged with new refrigerant. All of which would need to be serviced by an HVAC professional.
Broken Outdoor Fan
The outdoor fan spins to blow the hot air extracted from the home off the condenser coils. If the fan has failed, the condenser will try to pull more power to cool down to prevent overheating. This issue often leads to the condensing unit tripping the breaker.
The outdoor fan may be jammed with debris (like a fallen tree branch), the fan belt could be broken, or the motor could have failed.
Faulty Capacitor or Relay
The relay of the outside unit starts and stops the compressor while the capacitor provides it with enough energy to work. If either of these components burns out or goes bad, it could cause your breaker to trip too.
A bad capacitor or relay requires replacement for your air conditioner to run, so give our HVAC experts a call today to schedule a repair!
The Compressor is Hard Starting
The compressor is what moves the refrigerant between your indoor evaporator coils and the outdoor condenser coils. Without it functioning properly, your air conditioner will not transfer heat away correctly to cool your home. For the compressor to start, it needs a more significant amount of energy than when it is just idling. The larger startup current is normal. All pumps and electric motors require more energy to start than they do to run.
After many years of operation, the compressor could wear down and require an even greater amount of energy to start. When it gets to the point where it struggles with starting (called “hard starting”) and requires much energy, it could get to the point where it trips your breaker.
Fixing a hard starting compressor can sometimes be fixed with a hard start kit or require a replacement- thankfully, our team of HVAC professionals is waiting for your call for help.
Shorted Motor
When motors work for many hours and run for many years, the insulation around their wires can wear down. When the insulation becomes worn down enough, the wire can short and pull more current or amps through the motor wire beyond the breaker’s rating and short circuit.
A shorted motor is yet another problem that is best left to be fixed by our HVAC professionals.
Loose Electrical Connections, Old Parts, and Grounding
Just like a shorted motor, any loose wiring that is shorting or grounding could draw more current than what the breaker can handle. A grounded compressor is an example of a problem that makes breakers trip.
Loose wires and grounding issues are hard to diagnose, especially without proper equipment. Let our team of HVAC technicians help diagnose your problem- give us a call today.
Faulty Circuit Breaker
Perhaps your tripping breaker has nothing to with your air conditioner, after all. The circuit breaker in your breaker box can be failing. Without proper test equipment, it would be difficult for a homeowner to determine if they have a problem with their AC unit or the AC circuit breaker.
Our team of AC repair specialists has all the test equipment and tools needed to diagnose and repair any issues you have with your HVAC system – so give us a call for help right away!
Is It Dangerous If My AC Keeps Tripping The Breaker?
An air conditioner that continuously trips a circuit breaker could lead to dangerous consequences.
For example, if the AC unit is tripping the breaker because a wire is shorting out and you turn it back on, that wire could start a fire. Alternatively, the breaker can be tripping due to the condenser overheating, which could also lead to a fire or additional component burnout.
Fire is the worst-case scenario and usually doesn’t happen, but to avoid fire- leave your air conditioner off until you get it serviced.
What Should You Do If Your Air Conditioner Keeps Tripping the Breaker?
If your air conditioning system keeps making your breaker trip, do not keep resetting it. When the circuit breaker trips, keep it off. The reason it is tripping is that there is an issue with a component of your HVAC system. If you keep resetting it, you can cause more damage to your AC unit, leading to more costly repairs.
For example, if your condenser fan has failed and it keeps resetting the breaker, the outdoor unit can overheat and damage additional components. You can take action yourself by checking and cleaning the filter, evaporator coils, and condenser coils. However, if that doesn’t work, you need professional service.
Call Our HVAC Specialists For Help
If your air conditioner keeps tripping your breaker after you’ve done some basic DIY troubleshooting and cleaning, you need to give us a call.
An air conditioning tripping your circuit breaker repeatedly is not a healthy one and needs to be professionally serviced to get back in gear. Give us a call today and let our seasoned HVAC pros get your home cool again.
