It is not a good sign when your AC keeps tripping breakers. When you turn on your air conditioning and it causes your breaker to trip shortly after it has been turned on, this is usually caused by some underlying problem. This occurs when your AC unit pulls in more power (amps) than the breaker is designed to handle. If you have a heavy-duty air-conditioning unit pulling in more amps than your breaker is rated for, your breaker will trip to prevent a short circuit that could potentially cause damage to your equipment and home. It is critical to address an AC unit that continues to trip the breaker because recurring tripping of the breaker can eventually lead to equipment failure and a potential fire. 

Common Cause Why AC Causes Breakers to Trip

There are several common reasons that an AC might be causing your breaker to trip. The following items should be looked into to check for any problems:

Dirty Air Filter

AC units pull in air any time they are in use and the air needs to be scrubbed to ensure that particulates don’t clog the AC system. All of that air gets pulled in through an air filter that will accumulate dirt, dust, and debris over time. If the air filter is too dirty it will cause the AC unit to work harder to circulate air through your home, causing the unit to draw more power and trip the breaker.

Solution: Change or clean the air filter.

Dirty Outside Unit

Each AC unit has 2 separate components. The interior unit pulls air and absorbs heat using a refrigerant which then pushes the hot air to be pushed outside though the exterior unit. The problem with this setup that sometimes causes breakers to trip, is when the outside unit gets too dirty and cannot disperse the heat properly. The dirt and debris will block the fins that allow air to escape which causes the AC to run harder until the breaker is tripped.

Solution: Clean exterior AC unit and all components of dirt and debris; Professional help is recommended because inexperience and improper cleaning without the proper tools and cleaners can damage the exterior unit.

Dirty Condenser Coils

Condenser coils connect the inside and outside units and transfers the refrigerant which absorbs heat from the inside and then disperses it outside. When the coils are dirty, they are less efficient at energy transfer which prevents the refrigerant from transferring heat. This makes the AC unit work extra hard to cool the air which can trip the breaker.

Solution: Keep condenser coils clean; Professional help is recommended to minimize the potential of damaging the condenser coils.

Refrigerant Leaks

AC units that have not been well maintained may experience cracks, holes, and corrosion that can cause refrigerants to leak. If refrigerant levels are low, the AC unit will work overtime trying to transfer heat outside which will trip the breakers. This is extremely common when there is a slow decline in an AC unit’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Solution: A licensed technician will need to be brought in to replace the refrigerant due to the refrigerant being a regulated chemical that requires EPA training. While they are replacing your refrigerant, they should also find and fix the source of the leak.

Motor Shorted Out

One of the hardest working components of your AC unit is the motor. This component usually runs for hours and over time, the wiring insulation will wear and cause unexpected electrical connections. These connections can cause wires to overheat as they accept more electricity than they can handle which starts fires. Before they reach this point, the overdraw of power will cause a breaker to trip to prevent the fire.

Solution: Have a licensed AC repair technician identify the source of the short and repair electrical components. 

Compressor Problems

The compressor is another critical component of the AC unit that pulls a lot of energy to start. This component wears with use and eventually has trouble starting which can pull too much energy and cause a breaker to trip.

Solution: A licensed AC technician can either install a “hard start kit” which is a capacitor to help support the existing compressor with enough energy to function properly or replace the compressor all together.

Grounded Compressor

A “grounded compressor” indicates that the electrical components inside of the compressor have connected causing a direct short to ground. This destroys the entire compressor and ruins the refrigerant through the entire air conditioning unit. This short circuit causes a power surge that causes the breakers to trip.

Solution: A licensed AC technician will have to replace the compressor and clean the refrigerant lines. The cost of repair may exceed the cost of replacing the exterior unit so replacement may be a better solution than repair.

Loose Wiring & Aging Parts

As an AC unit ages, the components and wiring will also experience wear and tear. Wiring will start to get loose and wiring insulation may wear thin and connect causing short circuits. Electrical components may have transistors that burn out and other elements that may need to be repaired or replaced with time.

Solution: Most wiring and aging parts should be maintained with regular tune-ups and maintenance to help them run longer. That said, depending on the age of the AC unit and the type of wear and tear, it may be time for a new AC unit.

Issue w/ Circuit Breaker

Your circuit breaker is designed to protect your home from surges and short circuits. Over time, the breaker can start to break down as well which could mean that your AC unit might be tripping because of a problem with the circuit breaker and not the AC unit. Check for:

-       Loose / damaged wiring

-       Hot circuit breaker

-       Smell of burning

-       Burn marks

Solution: Have an electrician tighten your breaker connections and replace any old / broken circuit breakers. 

Understanding Your AC Circuit Breaker

While there are several components in your AC unit that could be prompting the breaker to trip, it could also be prompted by your circuit breaker too. Understanding circuit breakers will give you a much better understanding of why it might trip.

• Purpose: Circuit breakers are designed to control how much electricity flows to an appliance.
• Secondary Purpose: If the electrical draw from an appliance becomes too strong or a short circuit occurs causing a power surge, the breaker will trip shutting off the power.

The circuit breaker is designed to cut power when there is an irregularity in electricity flow that could lead to electrical fires or damaged appliances. To return power, just reset the breakers and turn appliances back on. However, if the AC tripping breakers continues, do not keep resetting the breaker as this is a sign that the electrical draw from the AC system is too high. Continuing to reset the breaker under these circumstances could lead to further damage. In this case, it is best to call a licensed AC unit maintenance technician. 

What to Do When Breaker Trips from AC?

Follow these steps when the AC unit causes a circuit breaker trip.

1. Turn AC unit off at the thermostat
2. Reset the AC unit circuit breaker back to ON
3. Wait for 30 minutes to allow your AC unit internal breaker to reset before turning the thermostat back to cool

If there are no major problems, this should resolve the issue and your AC unit should start to cool your home. However, as mentioned before, if the AC unit trips the breaker again or the AC unit is not working at 100%, there is likely a larger problem. Unless this problem is being caused by a dirty air filter, it will likely need to be diagnosed and repaired by a licensed AC repair technician. 

AC Breaker FAQs