Air Conditioner A/C blowing breakers

[Ctsearay]

Hey guys,

I'm scratching my head over this one. The A/C runs fine but the first few times we cranked it up while on Shore Power it would blow the shore power breaker after an hour or so. I had a tech recharge the system and its blowing cold air. I had the tech do a amperage draw test and it runs at 10-20 amp draw. But once in a while it spikes to 60 amps. So I was cycling it on and off for a few days and now it will stay un tripped for over 24 hrs and run fine. So I thought I just worked out the bugs. Well I was on the hook and ran it off the genny, the same thing started happening, but it blows the breaker on the panel. So I get back to the marina and run it off shore power and it tripped the shore power breaker again.

:huh: Any ideas?

Cruisair 1.5 ton unit in a 2002 360DA

Thanks in advance

 

[magstang1]

Pinched wire somewhere causing intermittent shorts?

Failing bearing causing the load to occasionally spike?

Fan blade hanging up on the housing or dirty?

 

[Old Vet]

Worked on many A/C systems in my day....but never one of these.

However.....I'm curious what your "tech" said about that amperage draw?

What's it supposed to draw?

You're supposed to get a momentary amperage spike when it starts and then it drops down to running amperage.

Find the data plate on the unit somewhere. Usually shows.....on most systems anyway......LRA...Locked Rotor Amperage".....and FLA...."Full Load Amperage". What are they and how do they compare to your tech's readings?

I'm leaning towards a possible compressor issue but hard to say without seeing it.

Good luck.

 

[Ctsearay]

here is the info tag,



I haven't heard a bearing and watched it closely,
I wouldn't lean towards a wire, but possibly a connection (it sat on land for 2 yrs)

The compressor doesn't sound labored at all

 

[Boatingnut]

Had a start capacitor that went bad and it acted like that. That would be an easy fix, if it is the issue.

 

[Ctsearay]

I ordered a new one, that little black one bout the size of a quarter.



For now its wired direct and still having the problem

 

[Old Vet]

That little round thing looks like a thermal overload. Was it by chance clipped to the side of the compressor? Has a little disc on the flat side that heats up and bends and breaks the circuit until it cools down...straightens back out....and makes the circuit again. High amperage draw trips it.

 

[Ctsearay]

Yes that is it, we wired it direct until the new one shows up.

 

[BOATER JOHN]

That is an overload protector. Hook it back up, that is NOT the capacitor for the compressor that could be bad. Running with out overload could cause problem to compressor

 

[Ctsearay]

As soon as it comes in I will. Its been 2 weeks already, and should be this week.

 

[Old Vet]

"we wired it direct until the new one shows up."

And then what? Has it been running without that overload? If so.....not a good idea. That overload protector is there to protect your compressor. If there's something drawing a high amperage the breaker should still be popping.

Oh.....I just saw this:

"For now its wired direct and still having the problem"

I presume you are popping the breaker on initial start up of the system.....is that correct?

If you're not sure what the capacitor is I'd suggest getting another tech over to diagnose your problem. Hopefully it's just a bad capacitor and not a compressor issue.

Good luck.

 

[carterchapman]

Your tag says amps 15, max amps 70...that was in line with the draw test, wasn't it? It could be your breaker is bad...

 

[Ctsearay]

Hi Guys,


the max draw we got was 60 amps. It ran average around 18 amps. The breaker doesn't blow on startup or shortly after. Typically it lasts for at least an hour or two before it pops.

When I'm on shore power the port side shore power breaker out back in the aft locker trips, when I'm on the genny the main breaker on the panel trips.

I really appreciate all the help. Its driving me nuts

 

[njsr2002]

I assume when you're testing the Air Cond have all other A/C appliances off ? The electric water heater is definitely off ??

 

[Ctsearay]

Yes, its usually on all by itself

 

[H2ONUT]

Try replacing the breaker. Also make sure your shore power connections are tight. When the breaker trips, see if the end of your shore power cord is warm.

Try using a different outlet on the dock also.


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[Ctsearay]

Hi Mark,

I grabbed a new shore power breaker that I'll change. But when I'm on the hook with the Genny it pops the breaker on the main panel. Its weird.

 

[H2ONUT]

There has to be a bad connection on the power panel. Check all the bonding ground locations also. I think your ac is fine.


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[Ctsearay]

Thanks Mark, I'll let you know how I make out.

 

[H2ONUT]

Did you ever figure this out?