Ye old switch-a-roo


  #1  
Old 07-30-05, 04:03 PM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: metro detroit
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Ye old switch-a-roo

Granny's duplex, circa 1983, has no place for an AC. Bought her one of them new fangled portable ones . . . the built in GFI, after a month keeps tripping after about 10 minutes.

Checked the circuit breaker panel, where it is at is a 15 amp . . .

. . . question, can I just plop in a 20 amp?
 
  #2  
Old 07-30-05, 04:17 PM
R
Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
No. No. No. No.
 
  #3  
Old 07-30-05, 05:49 PM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States
Posts: 17,733
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Not unless you intend to burn Granny out.

You might be able to find a more lightly loaded circuit, but don't run an extension cord to use it. The better solution is to have an electrician install a new dedicated 20-amp circuit for the A/C.
 
  #4  
Old 07-30-05, 06:43 PM
W
WFO
WFO is offline
Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: usa
Posts: 226
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The breaker is sized to protect the wire, not the appliance. If you put a 20 amp breaker on a wire designed to safely carry only 15 amps, then the appliance will run until the insulation melts off the wire and the house burns down.

If the wire on the breaker is #12 AWG, then a 20 is OK. But it is probably #14 AWG and will overheat at 20 amps.

What is the nameplate FLA (Full load amps) of the unit?
 
  #5  
Old 07-30-05, 07:35 PM
5
Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: CA
Posts: 1,913
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
If the "GFI" you mention is on the cord of the AC, you might ask the manufacturer to replace that cord. There have been some reports of "over-sensitive" units in the field.
 
  #6  
Old 07-30-05, 08:16 PM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States
Posts: 17,733
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
594, I think you read that post better than I did. I thought he meant that the breaker was tripping, but your interpretation that the GFCI was tripping seems more likely correct. So not only would changing the breaker to 20 amps be dangerous, it also would not help a bit with the GFCI tripping.
 
  #7  
Old 07-31-05, 04:38 AM
Hellrazor's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 948
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I think he is talking about the GFCI too. If thats the case it doesn't matter what the breaker size is, sounds like the AC is faulty.

Before the AC trips, does it cool at all? You could have a few different things wrong. It could be the cord or it also could be the compressor/coolant charge issue.
 
  #8  
Old 07-31-05, 06:30 AM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: metro detroit
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Tripping GCFI

The GCFI is on the cord and it will blow out cold air before it trips...sounds like the cord?
 
  #9  
Old 07-31-05, 08:38 AM
R
Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Is it the GFCI that trips, or the circuit breaker in the panel?
 
  #10  
Old 07-31-05, 12:06 PM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: metro detroit
Posts: 56
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Cord or Panel . . that is the question

bob, that would be on the cord
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: