AC Keeps Tripping Your Circuit Breaker? Call An Air Conditioning Service To Fix It | Earlville, IL
So, you’ve noticed that your air conditioner is constantly tripping the breaker, but you have no idea why. That can be a problem. When an air conditioner draws more power than the circuit breaker can handle, it trips. For instance, if the AC draws 30 amps and the breaker can only handle 20, the breaker will trip. Circuit breakers trip to prevent dangerous overloads that could spark fires or destroy expensive equipment. If the AC breaker keeps tripping, DO NOT keep resetting it. Frequent tripping can damage machinery and even start fires. Call an air conditioning service in Earlville, IL to diagnose and fix the problem.
Reasons Your AC Constantly Trips the Circuit Breaker
Condenser Coil Is Dirty
Have you been skipping out on your air conditioner’s annual preventative maintenance? You may also have noticed that apart from constantly tripping the circuit breaker, your system isn’t cooling as well as it once did. If that’s the case, it could be because of a dirty condenser coil.
Your exterior air conditioning unit contains a condensing coil discharging stored heat outside the building. Due to its exposure to the elements (especially if it is located on a city street or rooftop), it might become covered in dirt and dust. This makes your system work harder to cool the space since heat transfer is impeded. The AC breaker may trip if your condensing unit consumes too much power. To prevent this from happening, you should have your air conditioning serviced annually by an air conditioning service.
Dirty Air Filter
It’s also common for air conditioners to trip the breaker after only a few hours if the air filters are dirty. Having sufficient airflow is a given in any modern air conditioner. Airflow is impeded if the air filters are dirty. As a result, the air conditioner may overheat and experience other problems. When the air conditioner overheats, it will eventually trip the circuit breaker. Clean or replace the filters regularly to enable your AC unit to get sufficient airflow.
Short Circuit
A short circuit will cause an increase in electrical current (amps), tripping the breaker. In fact, preventing short circuits is the primary function of circuit breakers. When two bare wires (unsheathed because the covering has worn off over the years) come into contact, a short circuit is created, and the air conditioner trips the circuit breaker.
It can be hard to tell whether you have a short circuit on your hands. You would have to check all wires for damaged insulation. Also, a short circuit can cause the breaker to trip immediately, after a few minutes, or even hours after running the unit. There is no specific time frame, making detection even more of a challenge.
If you suspect a short circuit is responsible for your AC tripping the breaker, you should contact an air conditioning service in Earlville, IL to inspect your system. Once they find the damaged wires, they can replace them.
Refrigerant Leak
Corrosion on the coils can cause fractures, perforations, and refrigerant leakage in an older system (especially if maintenance has been ignored). If your system’s refrigerant level lowers, it will have to work harder and run longer to get the same cooling effect. The AC circuit breaker may trip if the unit draws too much power.
If your system’s performance has been gradually decreasing, this could be why. In the event of a refrigerant leak, you’ll need to call an air conditioning service to locate and seal the leak. Alternatively, the technicians may need to swap out the coil and/or the refrigerant lines if there are several leaks.
The Air Conditioner is Old
Your air conditioner can’t last forever. If your system is older than ten years, you should start planning for replacement. There will come a time when the price of repair and maintenance to keep your old AC unit functioning will exceed that of a brand-new unit.
Older machines usually give warnings before finally breaking down. If the AC’s breaker tripping is only one of several problems you’re experiencing with your air conditioner, it may be time to contact an air conditioning service to replace the unit with a new one.
Broken Coil Fan
When the condenser coils absorb the heat from the refrigerant, the coil fan blows over them to release the heat into the surrounding air. There will be less or no heat dispersion if this fan is malfunctioning.
A malfunctioning motor could be the cause of the fan’s ineffectiveness. However, dirty, grimy fan blades can also stress the fan motor unnecessarily, leading to overheating and eventual failure. If the condenser coils cannot cool down, your system will overheat and overwork, drawing in more power. Additional power consumption will cause the AC breaker to trip.
If you’re dealing with a broken coil fan, call an air conditioning service to rectify the problem.
Issues with the Compressor
The compressor is the AC system’s engine. When this component fails, the whole system goes down with it. Compressors are less prone to breakdowns, but with time, they lose efficiency and malfunction more regularly.
One example of compressor issues is when it starts experiencing hard starts. A hard start is when the compressor has trouble getting started. Because of this, the system’s power consumption increases, which could trip the circuit breaker.
Due to its central role, the compressor’s failure could result in much more serious issues than just the system tripping, potentially necessitating a complete replacement of the air conditioner. If the circuit breaker keeps tripping, you shouldn’t just keep turning the air conditioner back on and hoping the problem goes away. A professional inspection is necessary to detect potential issues before they become expensive.
Don’t Take the Risk of Running a Faulty AC
Can you put a price on your peace of mind? If your AC breaker continues tripping and shutting off because of an underlying fault with the system, you may spend more money to fix the unit in the long run if you continue to ignore the problem. If you want to do what’s best for yourself (and the planet), hire an air conditioning service to find and solve any problems with your unit before they worsen.
If you need air conditioning service in Earlville, IL, contact Just In Time. You can count on our service professionals to do the job right. Call us at 815-768-4771 or request an appointment if you require our services.