HVAC systems use a great deal of power when they cycle on and off. A telltale sign something is wrong is when the central heating or air conditioning cycles on and off more often. Sometimes circuit breakers can trip, fuses can blow, or the HVAC unit will shut down completely. Let’s discuss some of the reasons this happens:
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Exposed Wiring?
Exposed wiring occurs when the insulated casing gets damaged in some way causing it to fall off leaving bare wire. This may be a little area or a whole wire depending on the situation. If the wire is rubbing against something sharp it can not only expose the wire, but it could sever the wires as well. Dry rot can also case casing to fall off of wires leaving them exposed.
Most central heating and cooling units are split where part of the unit is inside the home and the other is outside. Both units will have wiring coming from the main unit going into the wall and eventually the circuit breaker. Frayed or exposed wires need immediate repair in case of an electrical fire.
Does Your HVAC System Stop Working Intermittently?
HVAC units are designed with safety features built in that will shut the unit off if it senses danger. The outdoor fan make trigger off once it reaches a certain speed, because the electrical current is too high. Even though these safety features are well warranted, triggering them isn’t good for the overall health of the ac unit. It’s important to have any irregular operations, starts or stops check by a professional.
My circuit breakers keep tripping every time my AC unit comes on, what’s going on?
Circuit breakers are the components that the main electrical feed to the home uses to distribute power. As a safety feature, circuit breakers are designed to “break” or “trip” when too much power is being pulled. Simply resetting the breaking is addressing the symptom, but not the problem. A tripped circuit breaker can be warning to home owners of faulty wiring, blocked airflow, dirty ac coils, blocked registers or vents, or unreasonable demands on the HVAC system. Without this automatic shut-down, your home would be susceptible to fire or damage due to faulty wiring.
Why is my thermostat not working?
In the age of Nest, and connected appliances not to mention DIY YouTube or TikTok channels, many try to tackle upgrading thermostats themselves. When we get the call about a DIY installed thermostat we often see things like: barley touching wires, missing insulated casing on wires, broken or pinched wires. It’s important that wires all along the path from the thermostat to the indoor unit be inspected to ensure they weren’t inadvertently damaged. Sometimes, that one nail that didn’t seat in the stud correctly can poke out and snag a wire that is being pulled by.
Faulty wiring is often one of the hardest issues to troubleshoot with HVAC, ac units, central ac units, furnaces, window units or whole home heating and cooling systems. It is important that home owners know their system, pay attention to changes and address any issues immediately. Visually checking the unit can help find the faulty wiring before any issues take place. This can be part of the monthly checks done when you check/change your filter. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, your local air conditioner fixer!
