It’s normal for your home’s air conditioner to turn on and off to maintain your desired temperature. However, if your AC system in Mountain City, GA, turns on and trips its circuit breaker, it’s a sign something’s wrong. Here are some reasons your AC system might trip its circuit breaker:
Dirty Air Filter
Believe it or not, something as simple as a dirty air filter can lead to a tripped AC circuit breaker. It happens because a dirty filter forces your AC system’s blower motor to work harder, drawing more current in the process. The good news is that swapping out your air filter should solve the problem immediately.
Shorted Motor
Although your AC system’s fan motors can last for years without trouble, they’re not immune to malfunction. One problem fan motors can develop is a damaged coil that creates a short circuit. A short circuit occurs when electricity flows to places other than intended.
When a short circuit happens, it can cause overheating and carries the risk of starting a fire. Your circuit breaker detects the short circuit and trips to end the threat. You’ll need one of our expert HVAC service technicians to find your AC system’s short and make appropriate repairs.
Grounded Compressor
A grounded compressor is the worst possible cause of a tripping AC circuit breaker. That refers to a compressor that suffers internal damage and allows its coil to touch its metal housing. When that happens, the compressor is well beyond repair.
If yours is a relatively new AC system, replacing its compressor may be an expensive but justifiable solution. Otherwise, your best option is to replace your air conditioner entirely. Sometimes, the compressor replacement cost would exceed the price of a new AC installation.
If the AC system in your Mountain City, GA, home keeps tripping its circuit breaker, don’t ignore the problem. Call Radlee Heating and Cooling today so we can send a service technician to perform an AC repair immediately.
Image provided by iStock
