As a career electrician I've tried to explain this over the phone to countless people trying to save them a service call. Some get it, some don't. One of the things I'll tell them is that the tripped one will feel like a loose tooth.
Also, about 99 times out of 100 when a circuit breaker trips the circuit breaker itself is blamed. I'll guess that about 99 out of 100 circuit breakers that get replaced didn't need replacing.
The same goes for GFCIs, folks just have a hard time resetting them. When we would go to a tripped GFCI call we would always give them a new one with a tripped indicator light. The customer always feels much better paying for a service call when they get something new installed vs. just pushing a button for them.
It gets challenging when I try to explain to a consumer how a thermal/magnet breaker trips from a thermal overload or shorted faults. And when I show them circuit breaker trip curves they look at me like I’m nuts!
Beg to differ on when circuit breakers may need changing. I've replaced non-working circuit breakers on both helicopters in Vietnam and also on my parents 50 year old house breaker panel. Both, I suspect, were because of corrosion on the internal contacts. In Vietnam, it was the high humidity and heat. In my parents house, I suspected the same thing and also due to simple age. After 50 years, all of the breakers on the panel were tipping out with no apparent reason, just old and corroded. I replaced all of them and had no problems of tripping out from then on. Just saying that just turning them off and back on again sometimes does not solve the problem.
The question I'd have is what caused it to trip in the first place, especially since this is a dedicated circuit! I'd be concerned that this might have been a low voltage condition where the AC is pulling more amps to compensate. Or maybe there's some other problem with the AC unit, especially if they indicate it's tripping repeatedly. (Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician.)
Low campground voltage (105 volts) can increase A/C amperage up to 130% of nominal current at high ambient temperatures. It’s even higher current at 100 volts in 100 degree heat. That’s a deadly combo for A/C compressors.
When I read the question by the lady with the circuit breaker issue, I took it to mean she had reset the circuit breaker several times and it continued to trip. If she had just pushed it from the tripped position, it would not have reset and would not have had power to the A/C.
Good info on how to reset a circuit breaker, though. Keep up the good work!
She had never successfully reset the circuit breaker to on. She kept trying but couldn’t understand why the power wouldn’t come back on. As soon as someone on the group told her to push it hard OFF and ON everything worked.
That was later down in the comments of that group post. I put her initial question here to show how confused you can get over something as simple as a tripped breaker.
Yes, she kept pushing the breaker ON from the tripped position, but it never was really back on. That’s why she thought it kept tripping and needed to be replaced.
Mike,
As a career electrician I've tried to explain this over the phone to countless people trying to save them a service call. Some get it, some don't. One of the things I'll tell them is that the tripped one will feel like a loose tooth.
Also, about 99 times out of 100 when a circuit breaker trips the circuit breaker itself is blamed. I'll guess that about 99 out of 100 circuit breakers that get replaced didn't need replacing.
The same goes for GFCIs, folks just have a hard time resetting them. When we would go to a tripped GFCI call we would always give them a new one with a tripped indicator light. The customer always feels much better paying for a service call when they get something new installed vs. just pushing a button for them.
It gets challenging when I try to explain to a consumer how a thermal/magnet breaker trips from a thermal overload or shorted faults. And when I show them circuit breaker trip curves they look at me like I’m nuts!
Thanks much Mike...I needed to know that!!
Mike,
Beg to differ on when circuit breakers may need changing. I've replaced non-working circuit breakers on both helicopters in Vietnam and also on my parents 50 year old house breaker panel. Both, I suspect, were because of corrosion on the internal contacts. In Vietnam, it was the high humidity and heat. In my parents house, I suspected the same thing and also due to simple age. After 50 years, all of the breakers on the panel were tipping out with no apparent reason, just old and corroded. I replaced all of them and had no problems of tripping out from then on. Just saying that just turning them off and back on again sometimes does not solve the problem.
The question I'd have is what caused it to trip in the first place, especially since this is a dedicated circuit! I'd be concerned that this might have been a low voltage condition where the AC is pulling more amps to compensate. Or maybe there's some other problem with the AC unit, especially if they indicate it's tripping repeatedly. (Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician.)
Low campground voltage (105 volts) can increase A/C amperage up to 130% of nominal current at high ambient temperatures. It’s even higher current at 100 volts in 100 degree heat. That’s a deadly combo for A/C compressors.
Where do you find a double pole breaker with 15 amp on one half and 20 amp on the other half? And why? What am I missing?
That’s not a double pole breaker, it’s a single-pole, 15/20-amp tandem breaker available nearly everywhere.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Siemens-15-20-Amp-Tandem-Single-Pole-Type-QT-Circuit-Breaker-Q1520U/100098482
Thank you! Learned something new today.
Mike,
When I read the question by the lady with the circuit breaker issue, I took it to mean she had reset the circuit breaker several times and it continued to trip. If she had just pushed it from the tripped position, it would not have reset and would not have had power to the A/C.
Good info on how to reset a circuit breaker, though. Keep up the good work!
Max
She had never successfully reset the circuit breaker to on. She kept trying but couldn’t understand why the power wouldn’t come back on. As soon as someone on the group told her to push it hard OFF and ON everything worked.
Okay, I didn't see that i her email. Thanks!
That was later down in the comments of that group post. I put her initial question here to show how confused you can get over something as simple as a tripped breaker.
Yes, she kept pushing the breaker ON from the tripped position, but it never was really back on. That’s why she thought it kept tripping and needed to be replaced.