We hear Phoenix-area homeowners ask, “Why does my air conditioner keep tripping the breaker at the control panel?” First off, if this keeps happening then don’t turn the circuit back on. The circuit breaker’s job is to keep your home and appliances safe by shutting off the flow of electricity when the current flow gets too high. If it keeps tripping, something needs to be fixed. If the air conditioner is the source of the tripping, it may be overheating. When an air conditioner overheats, it draws more amps (a measurement of electrical current) from the circuit. That may be pushing the circuit past the number of amps it was meant to handle. So the breaker usually trips after the air conditioner has been running for awhile. So now we need to know what’s causing your air conditioner to overheat. 1) Dirty air filter: Dirt on the filter impedes air flow. This causes the AC to run longer to circulate enough cool air to achieve the temperature you want.

This then causes the air conditioner to overheat. Change the filter and see if that helps. 2) Dirty condenser coils: The condenser coils are in your air conditioner’s outside unit. Refrigerant runs through these coils. A fan blows over the coils to dissipate the heat that the refrigerant absorbed in your home. This is done so the refrigerant can flow back into the inside air conditioning unit and absorb more heat from your home’s air. (See how an air conditioner works exactly.) But if the condenser coils are covered in dust, dirt and leaves, then the coils can’t properly dissipate the heat. So the air conditioner has to work harder and longer to cool your home and overheats as a result. In the Phoenix area, it’s easy for air conditioners to get covered in dust after haboobs (dust storms). Learn more about why you need to clean your condenser coils. You could wash the coils off, or you could have a contractor do it professionally as part of a pre-season air conditioner maintenance visit / A/C tune-up.

Spring is the perfect time for one of those! 3) Not enough refrigerant: Without enough refrigerant, the air conditioner has to work longer to cool your home. The air conditioner overheats in the process. You’ll know if you don’t have enough refrigerant if the air your air conditioner puts out isn’t very cold. portable ac unit how it worksA contractor will have to add more refrigerant and seal the refrigerant leak.2 ton ac unit for sale 4) Condenser coil fan malfunction: This is the fan in the outside unit. rv trailer ac unitsIf it stops working, it can’t cool down the condenser coils properly. Have a contractor repair the fan. These certainly aren’t all the reasons of what can cause the circuit to trip the breaker. But they are some common ones that you can see.

Try changing the filter and cleaning the coils. If that doesn’t work: Call a professional to repair the air conditioner. Inevitably, air conditioners seem to fail at the most inconvenient times: when it’s hot and you have to wait for the repairmen. While professional repair is usually necessary and recommended to ensure that your air conditioning unit works efficiently and effectively over the long run, there are some issues that can be quickly and easily fixed, enabling you to bypass the long, hot wait. Here are some of the most common AC problems people experience and some tips for air conditioning troubleshooting. The air conditioner isn’t cooling: If the unit is running but your home isn’t cooling as it normally does, the first thing to do is to lower the thermostat five degrees and give it some time to see if this fixes the problem. Keep in mind that if the temperature outside is particularly high, your air conditioner may not be able to achieve your desired internal temperature regardless, particularly if you have a lot of windows bringing in heat.

Inadequate air cooling may also be due to a dirty evaporator or dirty or blocked condenser, which unless you know what you are doing should probably be looked at by a certified technician. A faulty compressor may also be the cause, which will definitely require professional repair. The AC unit is blowing warm air: The most common reason that an air conditioning system blows warm air is due to dirty filters. Essentially, in this case the system is producing cold air but that air is not able to flow through the ductwork. So if this issue occurs, the first thing you should do is check the filters. Other easy things to check is whether leaves and other debris are not obstructing the airflow. If everything looks clear, then you will need to wait for a repairperson, as the problem is most likely due to insufficient refrigerant, which only licensed repair technicians are able to replace. The unit shuts on and off repeatedly: In most cases, this problem is caused by a dirty or blocked condenser unit, or a dirty evaporator.