When the temperatures rise, the sound of your air conditioner turning on is a welcome relief. That relief may be short-lived if your air conditioner trips the circuit breaker. Many Anaheim homeowners assume that fixing a tripped circuit breaker is as simple as flipping a switch. If you notice that the breaker often trips after your A/C turns on, you may have a bigger problem on your hands. Many different electrical problems cause tripped circuit breakers, so it’s important to call an experienced technician to examine your air conditioner. When you call our team at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning, we can diagnose and repair all your air conditioning issues before the next heat wave!
How Your A/C and Electrical System Work Together
Your air conditioner is a major appliance that requires a lot of power to function properly. How much electricity your air conditioner needs depends on several factors, including the unit’s size, age and condition. External factors, like the weather, may also impact the amount of electricity your A/C demands.
Your air conditioner extracts heat and humidity from the air inside your home. A fan blows the indoor air across the cold evaporator coil. The refrigerant inside the coil removes the heat and humidity from the air, lowering the temperature. The unit blows the cool air back into your home and releases the heat as a gas outside your home. This process repeats until your home is at the desired temperature.
In order for your air conditioner to function, it needs electricity. Your community’s electrical grid provides power to your home. The electrical system in your home distributes this electricity to your air conditioner and other appliances through circuits. Every circuit has a switch that acts as a safety device. When the circuit breaker detects unsafe conditions, it flips to the off position and cuts the power.
Why Your Air Conditioner Trips a Breaker
When an air conditioner draws too much power from a circuit, the breaker will trip to prevent damage. Our technicians at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning can check your air conditioner to find the cause. We see these common problems with air conditioners in Anaheim.
An Overloaded Circuit
Many homeowners plug multiple appliances into one circuit. If the circuit isn’t rated to handle that much power, the circuit breaker will trip. Our technicians at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning can determine if an overloaded circuit is the cause of your electrical problems. In many cases, we can solve this problem by rerouting the appliances to other circuits.
Wrong Circuit Capacity for Your Air Conditioner
Each circuit breaker has a rating that tells our team members how much current the circuit breaker can handle. When you plug an appliance into a circuit that can’t provide the power required, the circuit breaker will trip. For example, say your air conditioner attempts to pull 30 amps from a circuit with a breaker with a 20-amp rating. Once the number of amps pulled exceeds 20, the breaker will trip to prevent an overload.
Weather Conditions Force Your A/C to Use More Power
There are times when your air conditioner may need to pull more power than normal. During a heat wave, your air conditioner must work harder to remove heat from the indoor air. When the indoor air is much warmer than the thermostat’s temperature, your A/C will run continuously to try to reach the desired temperature. Your air conditioner will draw more power to keep running. Sometimes, the A/C pulls too much power and trips the circuit. If the summer heat is causing your air conditioner problems, our team at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning can help diagnose the problem and recommend a solution.
Poor or Damaged Wiring
As your electrical system ages, your wires expand and contract. Over time, this activity can cause loose wires and connections. Faulty connections may lead to bare wires touching each other, which causes a short circuit. When there is a short circuit, the circuit breaker will detect the change in electrical current and trip the breaker. A short circuit is a serious problem that, if ignored, can lead to an electrical fire. It’s important to call one of our experts at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning right away. As part of our inspection, we’ll check your system for loose or damaged wires.
Dirty or Damaged Air Conditioner Parts
If your circuit breaker still trips when the A/C is on the right breaker, it could be an issue with dirt and debris in your HVAC unit. As your air conditioner’s filter traps dirt, dust and other particles, the filter’s ability to filter out particles declines. When your filter is old or dirty, it’s time to replace the filter. Dirt also can build up on the fan, motor and coils. All this dirt and debris forces your system to work harder and longer to cool your home. Your air conditioner will draw more power from the circuit, which may trip the circuit breaker.
Dirty and Clogged Condenser Coil
Over time, dirt and debris can clog your condenser coil. This buildup of dirt stops the airflow through the unit. Your air conditioning unit may function in this state for a while, but eventually, the system will overheat.
Preventing Circuit Breaker Problems
Anaheim homeowners can prevent circuit breaker problems with a regular tune-up. All air conditioners benefit from our maintenance services. During a maintenance appointment, we’ll conduct a complete evaluation of your system. We’ll turn your air conditioner on and off to check for circuit breaker issues. We also inspect the wiring and electrical connections and fix loose or damaged wires.
Our tune-up services include a thorough cleaning of your air conditioner. We clean or replace any dirty air filters. Our team members inspect and clean the motor, blower and fan. We also clean the condenser coil to remove any dirt or debris buildup in the unit. Finally, we test your unit to ensure the air is flowing properly through the unit.
Your Anaheim Air Conditioner Experts
A tripped breaker is a serious problem that shouldn’t be ignored. When you call our team at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning, we conduct a thorough inspection of your HVAC system. We offer annual maintenance services for all types of furnaces and air conditioners. Our technicians can handle all of your repair needs. When you call us at the first sign of trouble, we can stop small repairs from becoming major problems.
If your air conditioner or furnace is close to the end of its lifespan, you can count on our team members for all your installation needs. Our sales team can recommend the right air conditioner for your home. We’ll consider the size and age of your home, as well as your budget. Our team also can recommend the right smart home thermostat for your home. We offer Nest and other smart home systems to our customers. In addition to our heating and cooling services, you can call Sano Heating & Air Conditioning for your indoor air quality needs.
Keep cool during the SoCal summers when you call Sano Heating & Air Conditioning for your air conditioner repair needs!
