I've got a dumb question...

[luvmyglockfou]

So here it is..don't laugh.

When I am running my air compressor (little 5HP 20 Gal I believe), and I turn on my air conditioner (portable Sharp roll-around unit), the breaker trips. That's a pain because then I have to switch the breaker back on, and turn the items back on again. WHY is this happening? The breaker must just not be enough amps or whatever? How do I fix it?

I feel sufficiently dumb now....

 

[HOTFR8]

Sounds to me like to have to much load on the one breaker / fuse / circuit. Why not run a new circuit and power point just for the air compressor or one just for the Air Con unit ? That would be what I would do.

Oh I would not feel dumb about it. I would feel dumb about resetting every thing every time you trip that breaker.

 

[luvmyglockfou]

We meet again hotfr8..

I am not so sure that I am capable of hooking that up myself. I would have to hire it out. Yikes. Sounds expensive.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

Yep, sounds like you're overloading the breaker. To fix that you'll need to install another breaker and run a new circuit to plug into.

 

[HOTFR8]

We meet again hotfr8..

I am not so sure that I am capable of hooking that up myself. I would have to hire it out. Yikes. Sounds expensive.

Have we met before No doubt on another topic

It should not be that expensive.

Yep, sounds like you're overloading the breaker. To fix that you'll need to install another breaker and run a new circuit to plug into.

See another offering the same advice and I think the best answer to your problem.

 

[sberry]

This is not unusual, happens all the time wit these little comps. If its doing it right at start for giggles add 25 ft of cord, on occasion it keeps them from tripping but they really need a dedicated circuit so the breaker can be tailored if there are issues. They are designed to be mathematically code and nema compliant for a 20A circuit but it doesn't leave any room for error and they can be fussy.

 

[pattenp]

Do you have more than one circuit you can use?

 

[aka Larry]

Don't feel dumb.

I have a Lincoln 140A welder that I used in my attached garage for 2 years. Sometimes I could weld 10-15 seconds before the breaker would trip, sometimes it would trip immediately. I didn't weld that often so I would just reset the breaker, rinse and repeat. I figured it was likely the GFCI circuit that caused the problem until one day I actually looked at the label on the welder that read "20A". The breaker on that circuit was a 15A...duh! Finally I had another breaker and outlet installed that was rated for 20A dedicated for just the welder and of course it hasn't tripped since.

 

[RECox286]

What is the brand, amp rating and how old is the breaker in question ?

If he stated loads of both the air compressor and a/c are less than the

c/b rating, then there should be no problem. Of course age matters as

sometimes motor loads increase as well as the c/b may get weaker.

I have noted that some brands of 20A breakers will hold our compressor,

while other specific brands, new or old, won't. What you need to do is

measure the amperage at the breaker in the panel while using each

item separately, and then together. Next thing is to feel the breaker

while in use to see if it is heating up. Of course, the wise thing to do,

would be to split the loads. That would mean some rewiring and the

addition of a new c/b in the panel.

Good hunting

Uncle Bob

 

[Steevo]

In my old house garage, I had one 20A circuit that I could run my Lincoln 140A wire welder from reliably. Except when the septic pump turned on.
Shared circuits are a pain when you have multiple high-load devices to run.

 

[luvmyglockfou]

In my old house garage, I had one 20A circuit that I could run my Lincoln 140A wire welder from reliably. Except when the septic pump turned on.
Shared circuits are a pain when you have multiple high-load devices to run.

Yeah I have got the A/C Unit, a welder, and a compressor, as well as multiple saws. I have been able to run the welder and the A/C at the same time before, but not the compressor and the A/C. Anyways, I am looking into running some more breakers and such now. I am thinking that I'll probably be moving the compressor to the attic for noise reduction and space savings, so that one shouldn't be too hard to do.

 

[Gary S]

My Wife says that even a girl can figure out your problem. Think about it.

 

[luvmyglockfou]

My Wife says that even a girl can figure out your problem. Think about it.

Awesome. That was totally helpful. Maybe she can come wire it up for me too. :/

 

[Gary S]

Awesome. That was totally helpful. Maybe she can come wire it up for me too. :/

Sorry, she is too busy here wiring up my garage.