During the hot summer season, the last thing anyone wants is an unstable air conditioner. Southern Nevada has intense heat during the summer, which can cause illness and even death. Air conditioners are not a luxury, they are essential. An air conditioner can develop many problems, but most can be repaired. When the air conditioner keeps losing power and you constantly have to reset the breakers to restore power, many people consider it an electrical problem and not an air conditioner problem. However, that can be false. There are a number of reasons why an air conditioner may keep tripping. It could be electrical, or it could be mechanical. Hal Mechanical will explain what can cause the air conditioner unit to trip the breakers.
Central AC System Under Stress
If the breaker keeps tripping to the air conditioner unit, in most cases it is not the electrical system. In fact, the electrical system is doing its job perfectly. When the breaker trips it is because the electrical line is under stress. When excessive power is demanded in a circuit or a power surge occurs in a circuit, the breaker trips to stop the flow of power. This is essential as it can prevent serious house fires. If the breaker is tripping there is a problem with the air conditioner unit. Basically, the air conditioner unit is under stress which is forcing it to work longer and hard.
Dirty Air Filters
Dirty air filters is often the culprit. The air filters inside the home is in the vents where the air is sucked out of the home and then replaced with the cool air. When the return cycle is active, the air conditioner works harder to suck the air up when the filters are dirty. The air filters are so very essential and can cause many problems including trips if they are dirty.
Dirty Outside Condenser Unit
The outside unit is either located on the roof or on the ground next to the home. If debris gets inside the unit, it can cause the fan and other components to get damaged and not function properly. If dirt builds up around the moving parts, it can cause rust and poor performance. As simple as poor performance may sound, it puts additional stress on the entire cooling system which can cause the breakers to trip if not addressed.
Home AC Compressor Overheating
If the compressor develops problems one of the frequent results is overheating. When the compressor overheats it can cause the breakers to trip to prevent further damages to the compressor or even a fire. There are many problems that can occur with the compressor such as a blocked suction line, a sudden surge of refrigerant, or low refrigerant, or the incorrect size compressor. If the compressor is the culprit get the compressor checked and replaced.
Air Conditioner Motor Short Cycling
Air Conditioner Motor Short Cycling
When a motor overheats, which can be due to wear and tear due to age, or if the compressor fails to keep the motor cool, it will short out. If the unit is old and the motor is causing the circuits to trip, often it is time to replace the motor. The motor overheats and demands more power as it ages. This is why it may be time to replace the motor or even the entire air conditioner unit depending if it requires other repairs due to its age.
Central Air Conditioning Tune Up Maintenance, Repair, Replacement & More in Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Providence, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada
There always could be a damaged wire, a loose connection in the HVAC system circuit line, or the breaker could be malfunctioning. However, in most situations it is the air conditioner unit that needs attention. If you are having this problem or any other HVAC malfunction, contact Hal Mechanical today.