Urgent: act today
A breaker that trips when the AC runs is protecting the wiring from too much current. The usual culprits are a failing capacitor or a compressor drawing excess current at startup, a shorted fan motor, or a loose or corroded connection. Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call, because repeated resets can damage the compressor and the wiring.
Turn the system off and call a technician if:
A breaker is a safety device. One reset tells you something; resetting it again and again can damage the system, or worse.
Turn the thermostat to Off before resetting the breaker.
Restarting the compressor immediately after a trip is hard on it.
Reset the breaker once by pushing it fully off, then on, and wait about five minutes before calling for cooling.
Gives the system's pressures time to settle before the compressor starts.
With the power off, clear grass, leaves and debris from around the outdoor unit.
Restricted airflow makes the unit work harder.
Note when the trip happens: at startup, after it runs a while, or during storms.
The timing tells the technician a lot about the cause.
The outdoor unit and the air handler are usually on separate breakers. Which one trips is the first clue.
Pick one to see how likely it is and what it means.
Common
Technician fixThe run capacitor helps the compressor and fan motor start and run. As it weakens, the compressor struggles at startup and draws enough current to trip the breaker, especially on the hottest afternoons.
Occasional
Technician fixHeat, vibration and humid or salty air loosen and corrode connections at the contactor, the disconnect and the breaker itself. A poor connection heats up, and the extra resistance can trip the breaker or scorch the wiring.
Occasional
Technician fixWhen the insulation inside a fan motor or compressor breaks down, current leaks to ground and the breaker trips immediately. This needs electrical testing to confirm before any part is replaced.
Occasional
You can check thisGrass, leaves and a matted coil make the outdoor unit run hotter at higher pressure, which raises the current it draws. Clearing debris around the unit with the power off is safe; coil cleaning is part of maintenance.
Rare
Technician fixA breaker that has tripped many times can weaken, and a breaker must match the size listed on the unit's nameplate. Checking that takes a technician or electrician.
Breaker trips are confirmed with a meter before any part is replaced.
amps
Compared with the ratings on the unit's data plate. A draw well above them points to the compressor, the capacitor or the outdoor coil.
µF
Compared with the rating printed on it. A weak capacitor makes the compressor and fan motor work harder to start.
ohms to ground
A compressor or fan motor shorted to ground trips the breaker every time, and resetting it never fixes that.
Checked from the breaker to the unit for heat damage, corrosion and loose terminals.
A technician measures the current the system draws at startup and while running, tests the capacitor, checks the compressor and fan motor windings for shorts to ground, and inspects every connection from the breaker to the unit. The cause is confirmed before parts are replaced. Free service call with repair.
No. Reset it once at most. A breaker that trips again is telling you something is drawing too much current or has a fault. Repeated resets can overheat wiring and damage the compressor, which is the most expensive part of the system.
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