Air Conditioning Tripping the Electrics
The RCD or breaker trips when the system starts, or after it has been running for a while..
The RCD or breaker trips when the system starts, or after it has been running for a while.
What is actually going on
The RCD or breaker trips when the system starts, or after it has been running for a while.
The realistic causes, in order
Moisture ingress into the outdoor unit's electrical compartment A compressor or fan motor with degraded insulation drawing an earth leakage current A supply cable or isolator damaged by weather or physical impact
What we test on site
Insulation resistance on the compressor and fan windings Isolator and cable gland condition outdoors Whether the trip is instant or occurs only under load, which narrows the cause
Questions we get asked
Why is an air conditioning unit tripping the electrics happening on an air conditioning system?
Moisture ingress into the outdoor unit's electrical compartment
What normally puts an air conditioning unit tripping the electrics right?
Testing identifies whether it's moisture, a motor or the supply, so the right part is replaced first time.
Is it safe to keep using the system with an air conditioning unit tripping the electrics?
An RCD trip indicates an earth leakage path. Repeatedly resetting it defeats a protective device that is there to prevent electric shock.