Need Opinion ( electrical )

Jul 10, 2006 5 Replies

Our mobile home is in a park.



There's distribution post out back with a meter and a 100amp ckt breaker. It feeds the ckt breaker panel in our home.



A few weeks ago, the A/C was ON, the electric dryer was running, and the 100a ckt breaker tripped.



It happened again last week.



This is a new problem. I figure the dryer pulls about 30a the A/C shouldn't draw much more. There's the usual "current sippers" around the house.....



Do I have a "tired" main ckt breaker or do A/C's pull more current when something $$$ is getting bad.....



???


There's distribution post out back

I think it's a good bet that the breaker needs replacement. Go buy another one and give it a try or if necessary get in touch with the property manager.

Many homes these days have a 200 amp main service. Might want to call an electrician and see what your best or least expensive option is. A possible option is to install a 200 amp main panel "out back" with a 100 amp breaker to your home and a new/separate breaker and line from there to your air conditioner unit.

If there is only a 100 amp line to the panel out back, then this could get to be quite expensive depending on the situation with who owns what in the park.

The least expensive option is to not run the dryer when the air conditioning is running. Like in the morning.

The short answer is yes. The only way to know for sure is to have it checked. If the AC guy doesn't have a clamp on amp meter send him packing. He is a hack.

either possibility is fairly common. switching out breaker quickly deals with the first one (if the breaker style is still available) ordinary ammeter will quickly determine the second.

Bill

I think you got a bad breaker. Something would be burning if you are really drawing that much current. Its real common for breakers used like this to go bad. I think it has to do with them being out in the weather.

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