CriticalCheeze
Well-Known Member
Talk to an electrician. fiqure your options. (unless you are in an illegal state of course
)Otherwise leave it alone.
air conditioner flipping breaker
- Thread starter sunandsky
- Start date
Talk to an electrician. fiqure your options. (unless you are in an illegal state of course
)Otherwise leave it alone.
CriticalCheeze
Well-Known Member
Electricity isn't like carpentry. You can't start over if you fuck up
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
happens all the time.go try tightening a breaker screw thats holding a 12 or 14 gauge wire ro the breaker.youll get a turn on it guaranteed if its an older panel.
TacoMac
Well-Known Member
Watts has nothing to do with it. It's the amps.
The typical AC unit that size will draw 10 amps continuous. They spike up to 12 when they first start up because of the oil in the compressor being thicker from not running...so running it on a 15 amp breaker isn't a really good idea.
So the odds are good you're overloading that circuit. That's why the breaker flips: if more amps are pulled than the circuit is rated for, it's engineered to turn off.
The thing to do is get EVERYTHING off that circuit except for the AC unit. With that breaker off, find out what else isn't working. A TV? Radio? Light? Get all of that on to another circuit. Run an extension cord if you have to.
The only other option is to run a heavy duty extension cord to the washer receptacle. Typically, Washer/Dryer's are always on their own isolated circuit, so if you run a quality extension cord to that you can use the AC round the clock with no issues...just unplug it when you go to do your laundry and plug it back in when you're done.
In an apartment, you have very few options. In a house, you could simply upgrade the breaker if the wiring is sufficient to handle it.
The typical AC unit that size will draw 10 amps continuous. They spike up to 12 when they first start up because of the oil in the compressor being thicker from not running...so running it on a 15 amp breaker isn't a really good idea.
So the odds are good you're overloading that circuit. That's why the breaker flips: if more amps are pulled than the circuit is rated for, it's engineered to turn off.
The thing to do is get EVERYTHING off that circuit except for the AC unit. With that breaker off, find out what else isn't working. A TV? Radio? Light? Get all of that on to another circuit. Run an extension cord if you have to.
The only other option is to run a heavy duty extension cord to the washer receptacle. Typically, Washer/Dryer's are always on their own isolated circuit, so if you run a quality extension cord to that you can use the AC round the clock with no issues...just unplug it when you go to do your laundry and plug it back in when you're done.
In an apartment, you have very few options. In a house, you could simply upgrade the breaker if the wiring is sufficient to handle it.
brewbeer
Well-Known Member
Lol, so true.
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
Op,youre a bit sol,id say.youve had a few members comment on that panel being dangerous.enough said.if you didnt have a grow going on you could tell your landlord your main kept tripping and maybe he'd replace the whole panel.doesnt sound like an option.if its true that this panel has had known problems,i wouldnt even run extension cords.too dangerous,electricity is a silent killer,fires start and its too late..i'd find an alternative to the ac and run your lights at night like members have mentioned.gl
combatvet2009
Member
I agree
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
as a base analogy for someone without even the most rudimentary grasp on electricity the analogy is a valid one.
water pressure is supplied voltage
water flow is current or amperage
diameter of the pipe represents resistance
- The Voltage is what ‘pushes’ the electricity around the circuit.
- The Amperage is the ‘volume’ of electricity travelling around the circuit.
- The Resistance is what ‘restricts’ the flow of electricity around the circuit.
- The Ground is the electricity overflow, so we can control the path of leaking electricity.
sure plumbing and electricity are different but for a rudimentary grasp on it, I say the analogy is helpful.
inductance, capacitance, etc are superfluous to know in a basic indoor grow.
besides.. sooo yea.. i'm sure the extra 375 to 425 KWH a month will be fine..
the MOST obvious sign that the OP should abandon this is the sheer fact that electricity is INCLUDED in the rent... so that means the landlord gets the bill.. and meanwhile every other tenant is a fifth of his energy bill, sure, that won't get noticed.
cuz you know.. landlords aren't cheap-ass penny-pinching motherfuckers, are they?
i'm sure a 250 dollar energy bill will be fine
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Xcoregamerskillz
Well-Known Member
Talk to a real electrician, dude. As soon as you start adding ballasts and motors you gotta understand how things affect the power curve. Again dude, base analogies go out the window she. Basically ever circuit in a modern house is a combination RLC circuit.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
ahh ya gotta love it when people get disrespectful for no reason.
alright man, you're totally right. Nobody would ever, ever make that analogy.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/watcir.html
http://www.creativeoutdoorlighting.com/electrical-plumbing-analogy/
https://evseupgrade.com/electricity/
http://sound.education/electric-plumbing-analogy-static-electricity/
I'm not arguing with you, and i'm ASE certified in electronics, so i'd say i'm qualified to argue, just don't feel like it.
if you think the analogy isn't valid then fine, don't use it.
the general population disagrees with you. Dude.
side note-
maybe i'm coming off aggressive, so i'll add a nice comment
you have a damn cute pit in you avatar
I used to teach classes for adopted pitbulls at the SPCA
Xcoregamerskillz
Well-Known Member
I'm just saying, those analogies are for first years with no clue. And electronics and electricians are different. RLC affects the power curve which affects actual power consumption, which can flip breakers. This dude needs a new panel. Those old Fed Pacifics cause fires.
Yeah, love my dog. Got her at 6 weeks. She was abandoned.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
i feel ya man
all I was saying is that the OP, has ZERO clue
and to start would be a good understanding of the principles, ohms law in particular.
my dog was found in a river with 4 of her siblings, all dead, their heads were smashed in, she had a bad head wound too but she lived.
Fucked up world we live in..
and to a degree yea, electronics for a auto/truck is obviously DC, but the analogies and rules are the same of course.
either way, we are in agreement, he should do some research or pay a professional.
WeedFreak78
Well-Known Member
I agree. Plumbing, pneumatics, hydraulics, electrical. It's all the same base principals. Transmission lines controlled by some sort of flow control devices and switches. It's how I learned it all. Anyone with some basic mechanical aptitude should be able to understand it.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
precisely, and I understand what he is saying, they are TOTALLY different entities (obviously), but the base analogy is extremely useful when trying to grasp it initially.
he is right, but at the detriment of overlooking the basics.
And I defer to him on the knowledge an electrician must accumulate over time, nothing replaces experience. Especially in the skilled-trade professions.
I just disagree on it being a very valid tool for learning the basic understanding and principles behind it.
No matter anyway, he has a bully-dog, so I gotta love him for that.
Xcoregamerskillz
Well-Known Member
Not really overlooking the basics, just pointing out that once you start adding ballasts and motors to the A.C. circuit, the simple pressure, control, flow analogy isn't very useful because you start changing the power curve.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Grease is right = first year explanations are just right for the OP. He's not got the understanding..
They do, your right! But it's not the OP's home! Now try and get a landlord to shell out money for something that has lasted him 40 - 50+ years! Just because it can cause fires, he won't give a shit - it's insured.....There's no law that say's he has to either.
You know you can still get new breakers for those panels all over! Makes you think don't it!
Xcoregamerskillz
Well-Known Member
You're definitely right. In America he'd likely be found liable in a lawsuit if anything did happen, not sure about Canada. Also, I think those things might be under recall. Me, personally, I'd give the info to all my neighbors about those things as soon as my grow was done and get the panels changed out. Call me crazy, but is rather be safe than crispy.
Lurrabq
Well-Known Member
Yeah, had some OG 18 before I made that comment. Forgot he was renting. My bad.
Those Fed-Pacific breakers are bad news though....
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Ya know what? You made me look.....Nope! No recall.....they thought about it years ago but, didn't do it....