Well, an air conditioner usually trips the breaker because it's pulling in more amps than the breaker is rated for. That is, if you have a 20-amp breaker and the AC pulls 30 amps, the breaker trips. That's why breakers trip: to protect you from over currents that can damage equipment and cause fires (yikes).
If your air conditioner is tripping the breaker, there can be a range of issues behind it, such as a dirty air filter, dirty condenser coils, fan damage in the outdoor unit, a faulty compressor, damaged or loose electrical wiring, or a bad circuit breaker.
Your air filter is dirty or clogged. When the filter is clogged, the system cannot pull enough fresh air through. As a result, your system may overheat, which will cause it to kick off before the cycle ends. The evaporator coils have frozen.
If your breaker keeps tripping, it's typically an overloaded circuit, overheated appliance, electrical short, or ground fault issue.
This may indicate that there is an issue with the electrical supply line or the capacitor could be broken or failing. This can be caused by the thermostat, electrical connections in the system, or the circuit boards.
If your air conditioner is turning on and off quickly, it may be short cycling. Short cycling is a serious problem that will almost always lead to the AC condenser outside your house wearing out more quickly if you don't repair the underlying problem. The compressor motor is always under lots of strain as it starts up.
A bad thermostat can be detected when your AC or furnace is not turning on, your HVAC systems are not turning off, the thermostat not responding, your HVAC system is short-cycling, the room temperature not matching the temperature displayed on the thermostat, and the programmed setting resetting themselves.
Start by turning off all the lights, appliances, and electronic devices in your home. Then, reset the main circuit breaker by switching it off and on. Afterward, turn on each circuit one at a time, and observe which one trips the breaker. Once you've identified the circuit, you can focus on narrowing down the problem.
It is safe to reset a breaker only if it has been determined that the circuit was overloaded. Repeatedly resetting a breaker could result in an arc flash or a fire. If the cause is due to a short-circuit or a ground fault, a qualified electrician must be notified to investigate the problem.
A tripped breaker typically won't fix itself automatically. When a breaker trips, it interrupts the flow of electricity to prevent overload or short circuit conditions, protecting your home from electrical hazards.
Reasons for Short Cycling
This can happen due to several reasons, the most common being clogged air filters, refrigerant leaks, and faulty electrical connections. When the air filter becomes clogged, it can restrict airflow, which can cause the compressor to overheat and shut off prematurely.
Check your air conditioner's filter. A clogged filter can cause the breaker to trip by overloading the circuit. Replace or clean it if needed. Look for any signs of damage on the wiring leading up to the AC unit.
Insufficient Refrigerant Charge
If the AC refrigerant charge is low, your air conditioner will work beyond its normal limits to try to keep the thermostat happy. This can be the reason the A/C is tripping the circuit breaker, and it also indicates that your system has a refrigerant leak that needs attention.
When the circuit trips, resetting your home's AC is likely going to be necessary to get it working again. Another reason you may need to reset the AC is if your unit is blowing warm air when it should be blowing cold air. In cases like this, the culprit might be a thermostat malfunction.
Manufacturers often rate MCBs for a certain number of breaking operations, usually between 100 to 1,000 trips under fault conditions. Each trip weakens the internal components, especially the contact points, which deteriorate over time.
Common reasons your breaker keeps tripping include circuit overload, a short circuit, or a ground fault.
The simple answer is that, YES, circuit breakers can go bad, so your suspicions may be well-founded. Just like any other essential device in your home (e.g. your water heater, HVAC system, etc.), circuit breakers can quit working properly. That said, don't begin replacing your circuit breaker just yet.
Use a voltage tester or multimeter to test the breaker's terminals for voltage. If the tester shows voltage when the breaker is off, it may be faulty. Switch the breaker back on and test the terminals again. If the tester shows no voltage when the breaker is on, it is likely bad.
One way to locate ground faults is to use a process of elimination, which involves disconnecting or turning off devices and sections of the circuit until the fault disappears. You can use a GFCI or a multimeter to test the circuit after each disconnection or switch-off.
One easy thing you can do to check the accuracy of your thermostat is to do a temperature check. See what your thermostat reads. Then use a portable indoor thermometer to compare the temps. Another good way to do the temperature check is to download one of the many free apps that allow you to check indoor temperatures.
Short cycling indicates a problem within a heater that is cutting off its heating cycle before it finishes. This can be caused by a range of issues, which vary in severity and necessary repair.
Malfunctions affecting different system components can prevent the conditioner unit from shutting down as expected, such as a clogged air filter, a frozen evaporator coil, a faulty electrical relay switch, a dirty condenser coil, a constantly blowing fan, a bad thermostat, low refrigerant, and other HVAC system repair ...