Even if you don’t know much about electricity or how the appliances in your homework, you know that they shouldn’t be causing the circuit breakers in the electrical panel to trip when they turn on. You especially don’t want your air conditioning system to start tripping its circuit breaker during the summer, since it will cause the AC to stop working and leave you without the cooling you desperately need.
If your AC suddenly shuts down, check the electrical panel first before calling for assistance. Sometimes the problem is only a minor issue, and the AC will go back to work without again tripping the breaker. But if the problem re-occurs, there’s either something wrong with the electrical panel… or something wrong with the AC. Below we’ll look at a few of the possible reasons you air conditioner might be causing these electrical problems.
- Dirty outdoor coil: The outdoor coil of an air conditioner, a.k.a. the condenser coil, is responsible for releasing heat to the outside. Dirt and grime make this job harder, and the AC’s refrigerant will remain too hot and the system will start overworking. The increased draw on amps can lead to the circuit breaker tripping. HVAC professionals can use special chemicals to clean off the coil and get the system working its best again.
- Shorts in the motors: A short is when electricity arcs between two wires, taking a “short cut” when it shouldn’t. When this occurs, the circuit breaker will trip to prevent an electrical fire. Motors in an AC can create shorts if they overheat and melt the insulation along their wiring. Repair technicians must replace the damaged motors.
- Hard-starting compressor: The largest demand on electricity in an AC comes from the compressor when it starts the cooling cycle. If the compressor is struggling to do this, it will hard-start, and the resulting drain on electrical power can trip the circuit breaker. You need to have this problem repaired soon, since it not only causes a large spike in electrical bills but it also threatens to permanently damage the compressor, which is expensive to replace.
Call the Doctor of Home Comfort today when you need air conditioning repair! Hall’s Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration serves Bossier City, LA.
