Circuit Breakers

Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping If the circuit breaker to your indoor or outdoor unit trips, you may reset it. Turn it to the "off" position if it isn't there already, then back to the "on" position. If the breaker keeps tripping, you should schedule a service call. Do not just keep resetting it and ignoring the problem. It might be just a bad breaker or maybe just a thunderstorm, but you are dealing with high voltage so it might be best to have a professional look at it. One common cause for breakers to trip is loose electrical connections. Larger aluminum wires tend to expand and contract causing the connections to loosen over time. It is just a matter of tightening the connections. Another common cause is a direct electrical short in the wiring or equipment. This is identified by the breaker tripping instantly once the unit attempts to start. If this is the situation, don't try to reset the breaker again. Call J.K. Mechanical for service. Sometimes the breaker for the outdoor unit trips because the compressor is having trouble starting. It could be weak or just tight and a booster capacitor will do the job getting it going again. Or it may be as simple as replacing a bad capacitor which helps start the compressor. Some possible reasons for a breaker to trip are listed below. Warning, when dealing with high voltage it's best to leave it to a professional service technician. * Shorted component or wiring * Locked-up motor or compressor * Weak or blown capacitor * Loose electrical connection * Bad breaker * Low voltage to the house, brownout * Thunderstorm