Key takeaways
Which switch dropped, and when, tells you whether the problem is the aircon or your home's wiring.
Reset once. If it drops again, stop and get it checked.
If it trips only when the aircon runs, call an aircon technician. Wiring and the electrical panel need an electrician.
If you notice a burning smell, sparks or a tingle when you touch something, stop using it and call for help.
Table of contents
Why a breaker trips
Breaker keeps tripping: which switch, and when
Causes inside the aircon
What you can safely do, and what to avoid
Find out whether the aircon is the cause
1. Why a breaker trips
Your home's electricity is split into separate lines, each with its own switch in the electrical panel. Each line is called a circuit. The switches are breakers: they cut the power by themselves when a line draws too much or a wire is damaged, and Midea explains that a breaker cutting out because too much is running at once is the system working as it should.
Many homes also have a safety switch. It cuts the power the moment electricity starts escaping where it shouldn't, such as into the metal case of a damp aircon. It's there to protect you from electric shocks. In the panel it's usually labelled as an earth-leakage breaker, and Schneider Electric explains how it works.
2. Breaker keeps tripping: which switch, and when
Note which switch dropped and when, then check this table.
Switch that dropped | When | Likely cause | Who to call |
|---|---|---|---|
The aircon's own breaker | As the aircon starts, or after it has run a while | A fault in the aircon | Aircon technician |
The main breaker | When the aircon runs alongside other high-power appliances | The circuit is overloaded | Electrician |
The safety switch | Only when the aircon runs | Electricity leaking from the aircon or its supply cable | Aircon technician first, electrician if the unit is fine |
Any of the three switches above | Straight away, even with everything unplugged | The wiring or the breaker | Electrician |
The safety switch can also trip with nothing wrong, for example when many appliances share it, as Schneider Electric notes.
3. Causes inside the aircon
Dirty filters. A dusty unit has to work harder to cool the room, which means drawing more power, so it's worth ruling out first. LG recommends keeping the filters and the cold metal fins inside clean.
Worn electrical parts. Parts inside the unit wear with age, and LG recommends a technician checks them.
Too much on one line. In most homes, several sockets share one set of wires and one breaker. If the aircon shares with a water heater or kettle, running them together can be more than that breaker allows. Midea recommends each aircon has its own breaker.
4. What you can safely do, and what to avoid
Safe to do:
Switch the aircon off and reset the breaker once.
Note which switch dropped, when, and what else was running.
Clean the filters regularly. Here's how often to clean your aircon.
If the breaker trips and won't go back up, switch the aircon off, unplug everything else that went off at the same time and try once more. If it still drops, Midea advises calling an electrician.
If the aircon cuts out and won't work once the power is back, wait 3 to 5 minutes before switching it on. If it still won't start or smells of burning, call an aircon technician.
Avoid:
Resetting again and again.
Fitting a bigger breaker or changing breakers yourself.
Adjusting or bypassing the safety switch.
Opening the aircon or the electrical panel.
A burning smell, sparks or a tingle when you touch something means stop and get help.
5. Find out whether the aircon is the cause
An aircon technician will measure the power the unit draws and check the filters, fins, electrical parts and connections inside. By the end of the visit you'll know whether the aircon is the cause. If it is, the technician will fix it. If it isn't, you'll know to call an electrician instead of paying for aircon repairs you don't need.
Post an aircon repair task on gigit, name a budget or leave it open to offers from gigit heroes in your area, then pick the offer that fits. You pay through gigit's Safe Payment System, backed by Kasikorn Bank. Before long you'll be back in a cool room, without the power cutting out.