I have a Heil 5000 central air unit. The compressor or the unit it outside keeps tripping the breaker. If I let it set for a few hours, then I can reset the breaker and it will run just fine and cool the house. But after a while, a few hours I'm guessing, it will trip the breaker. Although I have not had the time to sit around and babysit it to see actually when the breaker is tripping, I have a hunch when it is. Now I am not very familiar with AC units, I am rather mechanically and electrically inclined. If I am correct these compressor work with the same principle as a regular air compressor, when they start a pressure relief valve is activated so that the motor can start and come up to full running speed before the compression actually starts. I did a little research and discovered that this compressor requires a minimum circuit ampacity of 25.5 amps. The wiring and circuit breaker was 10 awg on a 30 amp breaker. Now if you take into consideration the rules of electrical theory, you are required to be about the circuit ampacity by 20%. Whichc would mean that 10 AWG and a 30 amp breaker is not sufficient. Now let me state that the compressor is requires 90 feet of conductor to get from the breaker panel to the compressor disconnect. I believe that I may have an issues with what I believe should be the pressure relief valve for start. Like I said, if I let it set for a while, I can reset the breaker and it will run fine. I believe that letting it set for a while allows the pressure to bleed of the high pressure side allowing it to start much easier and run properly.

Ok so that was a quick version of my issue. I welcome all and any input.

Thanks

You can't relieve pressure without releasing Freon.
Many AC Techs or systems will have a delay so the compressor doesn't try to start with high head pressure, the delay helps.
I would use an Amprobe to see the current, could be a bad breaker or loose connections on the breaker or breaker buss.

Ok so I forgot to mention that since I believe according to electrical theory that the conductor and bresker are too small I did replace the conductor and breaker. There is now new 6awg aluminum range cable for the conductor and a new 40 amp breaker and it still trips. I did use an amprobe bef

Anmprobe and before I replaced the conductor and breaker it was pulling 110amps for the first 5 seconds and then would drop to it's normal running which was 15 to 16 amps. But that was only after I let it set for a while

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Originally Posted by Buckslayer9000

Anmprobe and before I replaced the conductor and breaker it was pulling 110amps for the first 5 seconds and then would drop to it's normal running which was 15 to 16 amps. But that was only after I let it set for a while

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Put a hard start kit on it and while you are at it check the run capacitor for the proper value. Many times a run capacitor will become weak from use or age and the run capacitor can be a cause of your type of problems.

Likely a Compressor problem, you may get lucky and have bad connections or a bad capacitor.

Ok awesome input. I have been pondering capacitor issues but I'm not sure what the value of these capacitors should be. I'm well aware of how to test them. But like I said, I just don't know what the value should be. Could you point me in that direction?

Oh yeah definitely not a connection issues... I have checked that like 10 times because I keep questioning myself

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Originally Posted by Buckslayer9000

Oh yeah definitely not a connection issues...... I have checked that like 10 times because I keep questioning myself

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On the Compressor itself?

On every connection even related to the compressor