Why Is My HVAC Tripping the Circuit Breaker?

At some point in time, many of us have had our home HVAC systems trip the circuit breaker. In this blog post, Thomas J. Fannon & Sons explores the various causes of your HVAC tripping the circuit breaker and explains the troubleshooting steps. 

Reasons Your HVAC Keeps Tripping the Circuit Breaker

There are several possible causes for your circuit breaker tripping when your HVAC system is running. The most common cause of this issue is an overloaded circuit. If too many electronics or appliances use the same power source simultaneously, it can cause a surge in electricity and trip the circuit. Faulty wiring may also cause your circuit breaker to trip, leading to inefficient current flow and excess electrical current passing through a wire that inevitably trips the switch. Finally, if you find these other two issues to not be culprits, then likely what has occurred is an internal fault within the HVAC unit itself. 

Troubleshooting Steps

To determine which of the mentioned causes is causing your HVAC to trip the circuit breaker, you will need to systematically troubleshoot each one. Here are the steps you can take:

• Check the circuit breaker and make sure it’s not tripped due to an overloaded electrical device or other appliance on that same line. If this is the case, your issue can be fixed by simply redistributing everything plugged into outlets evenly along different circuits in your home.
• Look at any exposed wiring behind your HVAC unit and ensure all wires are correctly connected and there are no visible signs of wear or tear.
• If these two steps don’t resolve your issue, call HVAC repair professionals to inspect and repair any faults within the internal components of your HVAC system. 

We hope this post explains why your circuit breaker might be tripping when the HVAC system is running. If you’re having difficulty troubleshooting or need further assistance resolving this issue, rely on Thomas J. Fannon & Sons. Call (703) 549-5700 or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation. We also offer fuel oil delivery and water heater installation.