Why Is My HVAC Tripping the Breaker?

Reasons Why Your Air Conditioning Unit Is Overheating

HVAC maintenance

Reasons Why Your Air Conditioning Unit Is Overheating

Woman looking up with glasses under the word "WHY?" on a chalkboard, symbolizing confusion about HVAC issues like tripping breakers.

An HVAC issue that's frustrating is when the HVAC continuously trips its breaker when it switches on. Fortunately, this is an issue that can usually be detected quickly and also fixed. Learn more about some of the reasons why your HVAC breaker may be tripping, and what you need to do to get it running efficiently again by reading below.

What Creates a Tripped Breaker?

Your residence's breakers help by protecting your wiring and appliances from overheating by automatically turning off the electrical supply to an electrical outlet that is drawing way too many amps from the circuit. This indicates that an HVAC that trips the breaker is beginning to overheat.


Your first step must be to ensure that it is actually your HVAC and not another appliance using the same electrical outlet that's causing the breaker to trip. If you're running electrical energy to an additional appliance from the exact same electrical outlet, the combination of this appliance's draw with your HVAC's electrical energy usage can shut the breaker down.


What Causes Your HVAC To Overheat?

When you have discovered that your HVAC is the problem, your next step is to figure out exactly why it is overheating. The first things you need to check for are the following:

  • Filthy air filter: A dirty and clogged air filter can hinder airflow and also cause the HVAC to run until it gets too hot.
  • Unclean condenser coils: Dirty condenser coils can prevent the fan's air from reaching the cooling agent needed to accomplish a low temperature. Similar to an unclean air filter, filthy condenser coils can cause the HVAC to keep running until it overheats from using too much power and energy.
  • Refrigerant leak: A refrigerant leak stops the HVAC from achieving the thermostat temperature. Unless the thermostat is turned up, the HVAC will continue to run until it is shut down by the breaker.
  • Broken or damaged condenser coil fan: Without a follower to circulate air over the condenser coils, the HVAC will be incapable of cooling down the air streaming through the device. Not only will this lead to warm air flowing out of the vents, but it will also require the HVAC to keep turning on and off as the thermostat requires for it to minimize the temperature.

Whether you need a brand-new air filter, a cooling agent refill, or a replacement condenser coil fan, the team at Best Owner Direct HVAC can assist. Our experienced, specialist service technicians can swiftly check your HVAC system and get to the bottom of the problem you're encountering. Call us today to find out more regarding the solutions we offer or to arrange a consultation.

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Customer Testimonials

See what our happy customers have to say about their experience with Best Owner Direct HVAC & Electrical and why they continue to choose us for their home comfort needs.

    Been using them for years after the owner Kevin showed up so fast when our furnace went out one year. Been a fan since! Now, Danny is so great to work with, also. So friendly, knowledgable, fast. You guys are the best!

    Jessie M.

    Danny came out on a Saturday to diagnosis and fix my mom’s hvac unit.   He was able to quickly determine what the problem was and had all the parts to complete the repair right then.  His communication was clear and did a really good job helping us understand what caused the issue.  I would definitely recommend him and will be calling his company with any needs in the future. Thanks again!

    Michael R.

    Fantastic customer service! I had a furnace issue, called late morning and they fit me in for diagnostic right away. Technician was extremely knowledgable, walked me thru everything he found - unfortunately needed a new furnace (was 24 years old anyways), got it scheduled and installed within 24 hours as everything was in the warehouse (probably got lucky on what we needed). Overall excellent customer service, from scheduling to diagnostic, to installation. Highly recommend.

    Brad D.

    WOW! So impressed with so many aspects of this company. We had an animal die under the house in and could smell it coming out of the vents. When I called around, pest control was weeks out and Best Owner Direct was able to come the next day. Our technician, Danny was absolutely INCREDIBLE! Very professional, kind and made sure we had the problem taken care of the same day so we could breathe again! I look forward to continuing to work with them in the future for our HVAC needs.

    Todd & Tiffany F.

    Daniel was excellent, attentive to detail and committed to completing all tasks other installers overlooked. He worked tirelessly into the evening making sure everything was working properly with a water heather install, and he had a great attitude all along.

    Alma H.

    Excellent customer service, great communications answering all of our questions, left the site clean, and very respectful of our space within the house. Arranged to have someone come from the office later in the week to explain how the thermostat works.

    Vinod S.

    BOD is fast, efficient and affordable life save for my client who is purchasing a home with an old HVAC. Best Owner came quickly to help her asses the cost to replace it, and I will continue to recommend their services!

    Laurel A.