An air conditioner is an expensive machine. But do you know that your air conditioner can be damaged due to fluctuations in the voltage & current supply?
The only way to protect it is by using a circuit breaker. The right size of circuit breaker!
In this article, we will be talking about air conditioning circuit breaker sizes. We will help you protect your air conditioner by using the right size circuit breaker. Lets’ go.
Does the aircon need a circuit breaker
Yes, the aircon needs a circuit breaker.
We strongly recommend you have a separate circuit breaker for your air conditioner.
The reason is that a circuit breaker is very important for the safety of you, your house, and your air conditioner. It helps prevent housefires and also saves your electrical appliances from serious damages.
Whenever there is a fluctuation in the voltage, the circuit breaker breaks the circuit and stops the current from entering your home. This way you get saved from potential housefire and other damages.
That’s why experts always recommend that you MUST have a circuit breaker for your air conditioner unit.
Why does the aircon need a circuit breaker
You must be looking for more convincing and logical reasons why your aircon needs a circuit breaker.
Here is a detailed explanation that will help you understand why you need a circuit breaker for your air conditioner:
Here’s why you need a circuit breaker for your AC
Well, your air conditioners have very high energy demands. AC units have high amperage.
What is amperage? It is the measure of the strength of electric current (the number of electrons that are flowing through a circuit).
More amperage means more heat will be produced.
Your AC is vulnerable to damage in case of any voltage fluctuation.
Voltage and amperage are inversely proportional to each other. If voltage will drops then amperage will increase. When amperage will increase, then the heat will increase. If there is no circuit breaker in place then the heat will keep increasing and eventually lead to an electrical fire. It can lead to potential loss of life, equipment, and serious damage to the house.
How circuit breaker will save?
Now on the other hand, if you will have a circuit breaker installed, then it will save you from electrical fires.
The circuit breaker is attached to your electrical circuit. When it is closed, it allows the electric current to flow. When it is open, it stops the flow of electric current.
Whenever your circuit breaker will detect a dangerous fluctuation in voltage, it will break the circuit and stop the further flow of electric current. This way your house will be protected from electrical fires or any other serious damage.
This is why we will always recommend you to have a good quality circuit breaker installed for your air conditioner unit.
Circuit breaker sizing for air conditioner
When you are installing a circuit breaker for your air conditioner, you need to make sure that it’s of the right size.
It will provide you with better protection.
But how do you find out which size of the circuit breaker is best for your AC unit? Well, we are making it easier for you to determine that.
What size breaker for a 3-ton AC unit?
Do you have a 3-ton air conditioner unit but don’t know what size breaker is best for you?
Well, experts recommend that a 60-ampere circuit breaker can be very effective for an air conditioner for 3 tons.
What size wire for 3.5-ton AC?
Do you have a 3.5-ton air conditioner unit but don’t know which wire or circuit breaker you should use for it?
Well, the experts suggest that you can use a 30-60-ampere circuit breaker and an an8-10 AWG wire.
You should also try getting a quote from your air conditioner company or even any local professional to have an even better idea.
What size breaker do I need for a 5-ton air conditioner?
Are you looking for the right size breaker for your 5-ton air conditioner unit?
Well, according to the experts you will need a 40-60-ampere circuit breaker and a wire of 8 to 10 AWG considering a voltage supply of 200 to 250 volts.
The inefficient and older AC units draw more power and that’s why they need a higher rated circuit breaker as compared to the new efficient units.
But in general, the exact size of the wire & breaker depends upon the amount of power that is consumed by the air conditioner unit.
What size wire for 220v ac unit
If you have a 220 to 230 volts air conditioner then the right size of circuit breaker for it would be a 30 ampere that is connected by using a 10/2 wire.
How to check the circuit breaker for AC
If your air conditioner unit is continuously tripping and you don’t know how to check it then keep reading.
We will guide you with every step.
Step #1 – Turn off your air conditioner unit at the thermostat.
Step #2 – Now switch ON the circuit breaker of your air conditioner.
Step #3 – Keep your AC & thermostat off and wait for 30 minutes. It will help your AC’s internal circuit breaker to reset. If your AC & thermostat are ON then it won’t happen so keep them OFF, please.
Step #4 – After 30 minutes, you can turn ON the AC unit and set it to cooling mode.
Now if you are lucky, your AC unit will start working without any problem.
However, if the circuit breaker again starts tripping immediately then it means there is some problem.
It can be anything like a refrigerant leak, compressor failure, clogged filters, power surge, short circuit, loose wire, or any other electrical component, etc.
Therefore, you can call an expert and get it checked thoroughly.
How to install a circuit breaker for the aircon
Installing the circuit breaker of an air conditioner is the job of a professional.
It needs to be done extremely carefully as there is a risk of getting electrocuted if not done properly.
Therefore, if you have no technical expertise then we recommend you call a professional electrician for installing the circuit breaker of your air conditioner unit.
Do i need a separate circuit breaker for my ac to work
Yes, we recommend you should have a separate circuit breaker for your AC unit.
It will provide you with better safety, protection, and also prevent frequent unnecessary tripping.
Another benefit of a separate circuit breaker is that if it trips down, only your AC will turn off and the rest of the house will have an uninterrupted power supply.
