The air compressor trips breaker immediately, but sometimes it makes a noise for a moment before it trips its dedicated breaker. If your air compressor tripping breaker on startup, or if your lights dim or fluctuate for a few seconds every time you turn it on, it means that it has a high power draw. If the air that goes to the air compressor is blocked by too much dirt, the fan will have to work harder, increasing its power draw.
Turn the air compressor switch to “ON,” restarting your air compressor. Measuring the amps that your air compressor produces while in use can be done one of three ways at the breaker box, exposing the wires at the compressor or using a splitter between the outlet and the cord of the compressor. If you plugged the compressor into another outlet and the breaker did not trip, or you measured the amperage draw during use and the beakers ratings are above that witch the compressor is drawing, chances are the breaker is weak or there is a loose wire in that circuit.
This page will provide you with the reasons as to why your air compressor keeps tripping its circuit breaker as well as providing you with existing reader problems and responses. If your air compressor circuit breaker trips and you check your air filter and it is dirty, replace it and try again! If your compressor still trips, you will need to troubleshoot further. The key difference between an air compressor blowing the circuit breaker and the motor thermal overload switch is that the latter is solely due to the compressor motor overheating, and so, the thermal overload triggers and doesn’t allow the compressor to turn on until it has sufficiently cooled.
When the air compressor tank is drained down to the cut in pressure level, the pressure switch reacts to the drop in tank pressure, it trips to “Passing” and the compressor should start and run until the compressor tank pressure has reached the normal cut out pressure setting, at which time the compressor should stop and wait for the tank air pressure to drop to the cut in pressure level again. If for some reason the motor cannot start, it will continue to draw power, and may pull enough amperage to exceed the capacity of breaker or fuse and as a result the compressor trips the breaker or fuse on restart. If the compressor starts easily again, then it’s pretty much certain that it’s the air compressor unloader valve failure that is causing your air compressor to trip the breaker on restart.
In this article, I will be writing about some of the ways to troubleshoot a tripping circuit breaker so you can know when the circuit breaker is the reason your air compressor is not starting. A dirty air filter is one of the reasons circuit breakers in air compressor trips. Another reason the circuit breaker in your air compressor trips too often is if it is faulty.
Most air compressors have a built-in circuit breaker that performs these functions to protect the air pump and compressor. When an air compressor has a dirty air filter, the air compressor motor has to work harder than it normally would have to. The most common reason why an air compressor keeps tripping the circuit breaker is a failed start capacitor.
Motors can draw 6-8 times there normal full load current when starting. Breakers work don’t tripp the instant the current is more than 20.1 amps. First check if the Unloader is working on the compressor.
Well, an air conditioner usually trips the breaker because it’s pulling in more amps than the breaker is rated for. Wires connected to the breaker may be loose or the breaker itself may be bad and needs replacing. Solution: Have a tech tighten connections to the AC’s breaker or replace the breaker.
why does my air compressor keep tripping the breaker Related Question:
How do I stop my air compressor from tripping the breaker?
Sometimes on new compressors, the easiest way to cure this concern would be to move the compressor to a dedicated circuit large enough to handle the load. Moving the compressor may also identify a week breaker. If the breaker trips on one 15 amp breaker but not the other, The tripped one may be old and worn.
Why does my compressor keep blowing the fuse?
The most logical cause of your air conditioner tripping a breaker or blowing a fuse when it comes on stems from a problem with the electrical connection, the power supply, or the circuit that powers the system. Breakers and fuses are designed to trip or blow when too much voltage is sent through the line.
Why does a compressor trip?
Lack of Maintenance: This is a common cause of compressor overheating. This makes the air conditioner work harder than required, thereby heating up the compressor. High Voltage: High voltage surge would damage the capacitor inside the unit, which makes the compressor motor to overheat and trip.
Where is the unloader valve on an air compressor?
Where Is the Unloader Valve Located? If you own a smaller reciprocating air compressor, you’ll likely find the unloader valve mounted on or inside the pressure switch. When the switch shuts the compressor off, it actuates the valve.
What size breaker do I need for a 15 amp compressor?
A 12 wire and a 20A breaker is needed. 15A ends can be used on 20A circuits.
Do air compressors have a reset button?
To reset your reciprocating air compressor, allow time for the compressor to cool down and then push the reset button before attempting to turn the unit on again.
Why does the 3 amp fuse keep blowing?
The 3A fuse on a furnace circuit board can keeps blowing because of a faulty transformer or damaged thermostat wiring. Every furnace circuit board has an inducer and if it is faulty it can cause a fuse to keep blow continuously. Check the transformer for any faults.
Does an air compressor need a fuse?
When an air compressor is causing an electrical fault a fuse will blow or it will trip the breaker system. If that’s happened there is no electricity going to your air compressor. Some air compressors have reset switches while others will have in-line fuses that need to be checked.
How do you know if your air compressor unloader is bad?
You can have two problems. Air leaking from an “unloader” valve on the pressure switch continuously (after the motor shuts off) is an indication of a leaking tank check valve, not a bad pressure switch. Air leaking from the unloader while the motor is running is an indication of a bad unloader valve.
How do you know if your unloader valve is bad?
Water leaks and inconsistent behavior are also signs of a potential failure in the near future. González: The typical signal when there is an unloader malfunction is a reduction of flow through the nozzle, which results in pressure loss. Dean: Typical symptom of an unloader failure is a sudden smooth pressure loss.
Why does a compressor trip on high pressure?
The most common cause of a refrigerant high-pressure switch tripping in the wintertime is lack of airflow across the indoor coil. One of the signs of lack of airflow is a high temperature split across the indoor coil. Inspect the filter, not just if it is dirty but restrictive.
What does unloader valve do on air compressor?
An air compressor unloader valve is a device used by air compressors to release the trapped air inside the compression chamber and tank discharge line when the motor stops. This allows the motor to start up easier.
Do air compressors need a check valve?
The check valve is an important part of any air compressor. The air compressor check valve can be found on almost any compressor out there. Check valves are used for example on reciprocating piston compressors, rotary screw compressor and scroll compressors.
What does an unloader do on a refrigeration compressor?
Because flow goes in the direction of least resistance, the refrigerant vapor will flow from the compressor to the condenser, through the unloader valve. As the discharge pressure declines, the unloader’s pin or piston is no longer compressed. The valve closes completely, preventing further refrigerant vapor flow.
Can you run an air compressor on a 15 amp circuit?
If your wiring is #14 going to this air compressor, you can not put any larger breaker on this circuit than a 15 amp. Otherwise, youre heating the wire due to the amount of current that’s traveling through it, as compared to what the equipment needs to run properly and safely.
