This content was created by Derek Cole. This content was uploaded by Derek Cole. This is a podcast episode titled "520. Is Your HVAC Unit’s Breaker Tripping? Here's What You Need to Know" (published May 16, 2023). It features a single speaker (labeled SPEAKER A) providing spoken troubleshooting and maintenance advice for HVAC systems. The speaker outlines likely causes of a tripping AC/HVAC breaker—weak or failing breaker, dirty or overdue air filter (replace every 30–90 days), overloaded or incorrectly sized circuit wiring, dirty/blocked condenser coils, and refrigerant leaks causing compressor overheating—and recommends routine professional HVAC maintenance and ensuring the unit is on a properly sized dedicated circuit.
Chapters
Is your AC's breaker tripping? Here's what you need to know. The breaker itself could be the problem. It could be weak, it could need to be replaced. It's. It's possible. I mean, breakers don't last forever. They can fail, they can weaken and, and start tripping. Another cause could be your filter. You should always check your filter every single month. And it's recommended to replace that filter every 30 to 90 days. But definitely check it once a month to make sure it doesn't need to be replaced. If it's past 90 days and you have not replaced it, go ahead and do so. Your filter could be causing your breaker to strip. It could be an overworked circuit. Your system could be pulling too much power than the wire for the system can handle. And this could be something like, you know, it's overloaded or it's pulling too much power. Your HVC unit should be on a circuit by itself. So make sure that is the case. It could be wiring issues. Over time, wiring can become worn damaged from just normal wear and tear. If you have an older home, you may need to upgrade your wiring to support your unit and your power needs. One thing happens quite a bit is when we replace a unit, the wire needs to be correctly sized or needs to be replaced. We have some run into so many situation which the wire size is not correct. Again, that could be causing your system to trip. You don't want it to be too big because if there is a problem, you wanted to trip. But you don't want to be so small that it can't actually handle the power of, of the unit. So again, when you read the instructions and you have the white right wire size, it shouldn't be an issue. But wiring issues can cause that dirty coils. The condensed coil. It can be pulling, you know, struggling because of dirt, debris, you know, shrubs, trees, all that could be blocking the coal and cause the unit itself to overheat. And that could cause a breaker to strip. It's trying. You want the unit to be able to breathe them. So when you have grass clippings or shrubs or trees right on the unit and it collects too much, that could cause a situation where it overheats or trips to breaker. It could be as, you know, simple as getting a maintenance done by professional H Vac technician. Something as simple as maintenance could be all you need to fix that problem. Refrigerant leaks, they can cause your unit to trip the breaker. It's not if, if not enough refrigerant is in the system. It will cause the compressor itself to overheat. So when it overheats, it pulls more power. Too much power and it could trip that breaker. So a few things that causes your breaker to trip. But regardless, definitely recommend a routine service and check of your system to make sure you're good to go. Whether it's, you know, know, winter, summer, spring, fall, make sure your system is good to go. It can handle what's being what you're asking it to do, you're asking it to perform. So you wanted to perform at peak capacity, save you the most energy, and prevents problems that can be solved just by a routine service and cleaning your system.
