Why Is Your Heat Pump Tripping the Circuit Breaker?
While your heat pump draws a lot of power, it shouldn’t trip the circuit breaker under normal conditions. Use this guide to discover why your heat pump in Yuba City, CA, could be tripping your home’s circuit breaker.
Problems With Your Outdoor Fan
The outside fan is susceptible to falling debris that can prevent it from spinning. When the fan motor experiences resistance, it’ll draw more power to start spinning again. This can draw enough extra current to trip the circuit breaker.
Restricted Condenser Coil
The system relies on air moving through the condensing coil to vent the heat that the refrigerant absorbed inside. Airflow restrictions at the coil can cause the fan motor and condenser to draw more power while attempting to vent the heat. Common causes of these restrictions include dirt, dust, weeds and flattened coil fans.
Dirty Air Filter
Your heat pump’s filter helps prevent airflow restrictions within the system. However, ignoring the filter too long will also cause restrictions, leading the circulating fan motor to draw too much power. Simply change or clean the filter every 30 to 90 days as the manufacturer recommends.
Loose Electrical Connections
Heat pumps produce vibration as they run, especially at the fan motors and the compressor. Loose electrical connections increase resistance, causing the system to draw more power and trip your breaker. A service technician checks and tightens these connections during routine heat pump maintenance.
Faulty Heat Pump Compressor
The heat pump compressor is one of the largest power draw components in the entire system. Some faults with the compressor may cause it to draw additional power, often exceeding the limits of the breaker. A faulty compressor often means that it’s time to replace the entire HVAC system.
Ignoring an issue that continues making your heat pump trip the circuit breaker poses the risks of raising your cooling costs and damaging your system. Call Beaver Heating & Air to schedule an heat pump repair with one of our expert service technicians.
Image provided by iStock