Every time I shut off my air compressor the breaker "pops".:confused:

It runs fine, but if I turn it off the breaker "trips". I tried just pulling the plug, same thing. I pulled the plug to see if maybe my switch is bad on the compressor. Probably not a smart thing to do.:D

Is my compressor just too much for the circuit?

I am obviously not an electrician.:D

I'm not an electrician either, but several years ago my compressor was doing the same thing. My brother-in-law, who is somewhat electrically minded, said the breaker might be worn out. I never heard of breakers "wearing out." But we went to Home Depot, a new breaker was only a couple of bucks, he installed it, and I have never had that problem since.

In the elevator trade we deal with that problem once in a while. Breakers do go soft. If it doesn't trip while running, thats probably your issue. Replace your breaker and more than likely that will solve your problem. If you want to check what your compressor is doing, get an clamp on amp probe and see what it does on start up, and while it's running.




Rocky

My AC also trips the breaker. My brother is in the HVAC industry and came over to take a look. My system is shot, high head pressure on compressor, air in lines, unit is 20 yrs old, etc.

You really need to put a set of gages and amp meter to see what the system is doing. Then again, if a breaker is cheap and readily available, it would be worth a shot?

Breakers do wear out especially if you are using them as a switch. That's where it pays to use better grade breakers (like Square D QO instead of Homeline).

Breakers do wear out especially if you are using them as a switch. That's where it pays to use better grade breakers (like Square D QO instead of Homeline).

You should always use ONLY the type breaker listed for the panel.
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HOW are you turning it off?
flipping the breaker off?

Breakers are not really made to be used as a switch.

My AC also trips the breaker. My brother is in the HVAC industry and came over to take a look. My system is shot, high head pressure on compressor, air in lines, unit is 20 yrs old, etc.

You really need to put a set of gages and amp meter to see what the system is doing. Then again, if a breaker is cheap and readily available, it would be worth a shot?

I think he means his air compressor for power tools, not his A/C compressor.

Breakers do wear out especially if you are using them as a switch. That's where it pays to use better grade breakers (like Square D QO instead of Homeline).
maybe I'm missing something here but the way I took the original post is that he is using the switch on the compressor. although it will work you're not suppose to use breakers as switches. especially on a motor. there is an inrush current on start up.
anyhow I wonder what size compressor this is and what size wire is feeding it and what size breaker. I never heard of a breaker tripping when you turn something off. But Rocky should know since he deals with motors on a frequent basis. I'm not doubting just never seen it.

I thought the big amp draw was when the compressor started. Does shutting it off give a surge that is tripping the breaker??

I think he means his air compressor for power tools, not his A/C compressor.


haha...your are right. What the hell was I thinking:D

I asked the owner of the company I work for, he's an electrical engineer, he seems to think that beings you have a capacitor start motor, that the hi start switch is stuck in the on position and does not disengage when motor is at full speed, and when you turn your switch off the capacitor discharges and trips your breaker.



Rocky

This is an air compressor for my air tools.

I am using the switch on the air compressor to turn it off. The breaker feeds the master bath room and few outlets in the house.

My girl would be a little upset if I used the breaker to turn off my compressor.:D She likes to use lights in the bathroom.

I am assuming maybe the breaker is going "soft", I turned on the light switch to the bathroom, the light flickered and went off. The breaker had tripped.

I had no idea breakers could go soft.

Strange, I don't think I ever heard of a breaker tripping when it's load stopped.

If a motor's centrifugal start switch sticks on it causes the start windings to stay energized and it won't run more than 30 seconds before the internal thermal overload turns off it's power.

rocks66ss theory seems the most plausible at this point to me.... does it happen every time you switch it off? or intermittent? i would consider replacing the switch first, is this a switched outlet or the actually switch on the compressor? perhaps there is some current leakage/arc from the switch that trips the breaker... you could just swap the breaker with another from your panel to test...

ak

Breakers do go soft, they work by heating up to a point that it trips after doing this several times the metal will break down and it will do it more often. I'm thinking the reason it trips when it shuts off is the compreesor runs until it hits the set pressure (such as 100lbs) at the time it gets to this pressure the motor is working the hardest and the harder the motor works the more amps its going to require which will cause the breaker to trip. I suggest you get a electrician to replace the breaker and have them get a amp reading.
A flickering light could be a loose netrual wire or a grounding issue.

rocks66ss theory seems the most plausible at this point to me.... does it happen every time you switch it off? or intermittent? i would consider replacing the switch first, is this a switched outlet or the actually switch on the compressor? perhaps there is some current leakage/arc from the switch that trips the breaker... you could just swap the breaker with another from your panel to test...

ak


I agree, check the switch first.

I am thinking a "soft" breaker, because the light switch in the bathroom tripped it.

I was just using my compressor right now. Usually I turn it off before its full, this time I let it cycle off and the breaker didn't trip.

So maybe the the breaker is "soft" and the switch on the compressor is bad or going bad?

He said it trips when he shuts off the compressor, not when it cycles off on it's pressure switch.
Sounds like a short in the bathroom now.
I would put the air compressor on it's own dedicated circuit if it were me.

If on the same circuit as the bathroom, you are most likely on a 15 amp circuit.
Most compressors will pull up to 14-15 amps on start-up.
And on top of that---it may be going thru a GFI outlet which SHOULD be in the bathroom. Dragging all that heat thru a GFI is not really a good thing either, as these things do weird crap as well.

A dedicated 20amp circuit with 12ga wire will help to keep the circuit breakers and house wiring cooler.

Could be an outlet anywhere-----I have a bedroom light switch that flashes when the touch lamp shuts off----weird.

As overloading any circuit will create some heat-----might be you have some wirenuts in the switches that have loosened up and have created an extra draw on the breaker.

And, yep----breakers will go soft.

I would have a close look at the compressor switch as well----might be arcing to 'ground' when you flip the switch off-----carbon coated contacts.

No GFCI.:(

Not sure why?:confused:

The compressor cycled a few times today no problems.

It was filling when I was cleaning up, turned off the switch on the compressor and the breaker popped.:D

And yes it is a 15 amp, with 2 switches(double pull?) on it.

It is marked outside outlets and master bath, plus one outlet in the other bathroom. No GFCI there either.

Outside outlets and bathrooms should be GFCI, garages should be as well.

Try plugging it into a different outlet

Outside outlets and bathrooms should be GFCI, garages should be as well.

Try plugging it into a different outlet

Only one outlet near me.:(

I have it on a 15 foot extension cord, its one of those thick cords. It just reaches.:D

I agree about GFCI's on all outside outlets.

Funny thing, my girlfriends dad is a retired electrician. It's his house. Not sure why he bought a house w/o any GFCI's.

We get along great, but I don't like to ask for help from him or tell him about problems with the house.

I just fix them out of my own pocket. I let my girlfriend tell him after I fixed the broken stuff.:D