Resetting AC indoor breaker; and what's wrong with my AC.

mm · 2010-06-28T04:36:22+00:00

I would google but my house is so hot, opening the browser again makesthe computer overheat. Someone posted that he feared resetting a high current breaker whenthe device it powered was on, was bad for the breaker, because ofarcing.I think there was only modest agreement with him, but still, if I'mresetting the indoor double breaker for my AC, and the outdoor doublebreaker is ON, and the temp of the house calls for cooling, could Istop the load on the indoor breaker by turning off the indoor singlebreaker that controls my oil furance, which in turn controls the AC?Normally I wouldn't care, but the indoor double breaker for the ACseemed to make a strange noise when being reset, like a few littlemetal blades from a tiny metal fan hitting something, like a Chinesefan that a woman carries, which I feared was actually the noise ofarcing. And the breaker would NOT reset! So this moise made me feelI was damaging or further damaging it. But the bigger question is what's wrong with my AC? We have had 5 or7 days above 90 degrees**, so I broke down and started using it 3 daysago. Normally it turns off after about 4 hours, even when firstturned on, but this time it ran many hours, maybe 3 solid days,without stopping, even though the house was cool enough for me afterless than a day, and eventually too cold. (I coudn't see and had setthe thermostat too low.)Did running for 3 days damage the breaker?Or do you think there's a bigger problem?If there were a short in the compressor, it woudln't reset either.Will turning off the outside double breaker and trying to reset theinside double breaker prove that the problem is the inside breaker ifI still can't reset it. Naybe writing this post got me to my nextstep. But I still wonder if running constantly for 3 days would damage abreaker, or a compressor?Thanks a lot. (For a while I thought it was the radio control by the power company,but that was before I looked at the inside breaker.)**Already labeled maybe the hottest summer...

Jun 28, 2010 22 Replies

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mm 16 years ago

It may be a good thing. I was flirting with only replacing the furnace, since I use the AC so little. But I'll do both.

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HeyBub 16 years ago

As little as you use the A/C, consider a used compressor - no more than three years old. You can save 3-4,000 bucks.

I see 'em often on Craigslist.

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mm 16 years ago

Yeah, that might happen to me too. I've noticed once I turn it on, I want to use it the rest of the summer, even if it gets cooler.

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