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.
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.
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.
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.
The amp draw check will tell you if there is a problem in the motor or compressor. If the air compressor is tripping when it tries to restart, the problem is in the check valve on the air compressor. The air inside the discharge line then bleeds off through the pressure switch and lets the compressor restart without a load. You can disconnect the power to the air compressor and bleed the pressure out of the tank.
why does my air compressor keep tripping the circuit 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 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.
Can a bad compressor cause breaker to trip?
Old or weak compressor A weak compressor has trouble starting. When it does try to start, it may try to pull too much electricity, which will trip your breaker. If this is the problem, an air conditioning professional might recommend installing a hard start kit.
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.
How do you troubleshoot an air compressor?
To diagnose the problem, remove the hood, run the compressor for a few minutes, then shut it off and unplug the compressor. Feel around the motor parts for any sort of air draft. Chances are, the leak will originate from the tank valve, in which case you will need to remove and clean or possibly replace the valve.
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.
Why does my AC reset button keeps tripping?
Electrical overloading, overheating, cord pinching or aging can trip (Reset button will pop out) the power supply cord. -After correcting the problem, press and release. RESET (listen for click; Reset button will engage and on some devices, a green light will turn on) to resume operation.
What is the most common cause of compressor failure?
Low Refrigerant Levels — Low refrigerant levels are typically caused by leaks in the refrigerant lines. Low refrigerant levels make the compressor work hard just to pump enough refrigerant through the AC unit, which, as you may have guessed, can lead to compressor failure.
How long does it take for compressor overload to reset?
(If power is available at the compressor terminals, and no amp draw is shown, the internal overload may be open due to overheat, the unit must be cooled for the overload to reset.) This may take up to 24 hours.
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.
What causes a circuit breaker to burn?
Overheating is the most common cause of circuit breaker burns. This occurs due to overloads, power surges, or arc-faults in your system. Any of these events will overheat your circuit suddenly, possibly causing the breaker to heat up and burn, thus resulting in a tripped circuit breaker.
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.
Do air compressors go bad?
Aside from lack of electrical power, air compressors can also fail if it lacks sufficient air pressure in relation to the cut-in pressure. If this happens, check the cut-in pressure settings and adjust them accordingly. It may also be because of the lack of oil.
Can an air compressor be repaired?
Air compressor repair can be simple. The air compressor unloader valve is what makes the “psssssst” sound when the motor shuts off after reaching operating pressure. It’s actually venting the residual pressure from the compressor head so the motor doesn’t have to work as hard on the next startup.
