Derek Cole answers why a circuit breaker keeps tripping (weak breaker, faulty wiring, or failing HVAC component) and explains that the beef scent dogs notice on service filters comes from bacon-scented cleaning chemicals, not the filters themselves. He stresses that repeated breaker trips are unsafe and need professional inspection.
Questions this video answers
Breakers protect wiring; trips indicate a problem such as a weak breaker, faulty wiring, or a failing HVAC component drawing excess current. Repeated trips are unsafe and should be inspected by a professional.
No, the filters have no additives. Dogs may be attracted to the scent of cleaning chemicals (e.g., bacon‑scented coil cleaner) used during service.
Chapters
Hey, this is Derrick Cole and welcome to the Ask Derrick Cole Show, episode number 31. So the purpose of this show is to answer any questions you guys have out there about energy savings, air conditioning, home maintenance, any questions at all. You can submit them through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever you're comfortable doing, and I'll be happy to answer them. So this is episode 31. So if we don't have any questions, I'll just give you a tip. But today we actually have a question. Megan, what is the question?
This question comes from Facebook from Tammy Carroll, and her question is, why would a unit keep tripping a breaker causing no air to come out of the vents when one AC pro says nothing is wrong with it? This is the third time in a week, and my hubby refuses to admit anything is wrong.
Well, hubby, there is a problem. That shouldn't be happening. So you could have multiple problems here. Now let's kind of back up a little bit. So let's go why there is a breaker anyway. The breaker is in place to protect the wire. So if that wire can only handle 30 amps of power, the breaker will trip and it'll protect the wire, therefore protecting the appliance and protecting you. Does that make sense? So The breaker is tripping because there is a problem. Now, it could be because the breaker is actually weak and needs replacing. It could be a wiring problem. You have a skint wire and it's kind of arcing a little bit and it's tripping a breaker. Or a component in your heating and air system could actually be going out, and when that happens, they usually pull more power than usual, which will also trip the breaker. So you could have a few things going on there, but, um, there is a problem. Tripping a breaker is never a normal scenario, so you shouldn't be going into your breaker box and flipping the breaker back on, uh, 3 times I think you said. So definitely a problem, and you should get it checked out by a professional, uh, they can handle that kind of problem. But yeah, it is a problem, uh, because the breaker is there as a safety measure for you to protect you. So if it's dripping, it's, you know, there's something that needs to be addressed. Um, you said Jerusalem has a question. All right, let me get— we're just gonna, we're gonna roll. Yeah, so let me, uh, get the other question from— hey, J-Ru. Um, Megan said your kids had a question for me. So we're rolling. We were talking last night and they wanted to come over. Come on to the door. We don't have to see you, we just hear your voice. Oh yeah, we're filming. Yeah, what's your question?
Does One Hour put something special in their filters that is attractive to dogs? Because we had our system serviced recently and our dogs are really loving to be around the vents.
You mean, you said filters?
Yes.
Nothing is in the filter. Nothing? Now when they clean the unit, it does have a kind of a clean chemical little smell and that's from the cleaning agent they use.
Okay.
But there's nothing else.
There's nothing like beefy flavors or anything?
No. No, we have bacon-scented, uh, coil cleaner. No, okay. Um, he's probably loving that smell.
I guess so.
Just make sure he doesn't pee on it or something like that.
Yeah, we've been watching them extra close.
All right, thank you. Give it up for J-Ro! Uh, all right, so tip of the day, and we're going back to her question which was about maintenance, um Do you do maintenance on your stuff? Have you ever vacuumed out under your refrigerator? You know where that coil is? Because everybody has a refrigerator and a heat pump and that needs to be cleaned out. So vacuum under your refrigerator, keep it clean so it can breathe, and also do the maintenance on your heating and air because it's one of the largest expenses in your house. We good? Alright, so see you next time.
