Air Conditioning blows breaker

[dfischer]

Hello everyone. I am having a problem with my heat pump. This year I changed the thermostat to a programmable one because I thought that the old one had quit working. The heat seemed to work fine over the winter but now that it is getting warmer out I switched it to the sir conditioning. The system did not seem to be blowing cool air so I checked the breaker and noticed that it had popped off. I flipped it back on and it instantly popped back off.

Does anyone have any ideas why this might happen? Could it be that I have the thermostat wired incorrectly? Any other ideas?

Thank you very much for any information.

[roger g]

Try running it on heat again and see what happens. I'm sure there has been at least a month since the heating part was used.
When you say the breaker had popped. Which breaker? the air handler breaker or the breaker which controls the outside part?


roger

[rabadger]

You said it did not seam to be blowing cold air. Was it blowing any air? I would follow rager g's suggestions.

[dfischer]

Well, I turnned the heat on and then flipped the breaker back on but it popped off instantly again. I think that the breaker is just for the part outside but I am not sure. The breaker is labeled Heat Pump / Air Conditioner. I just bought the house last September, it was built in 1990, and the air conditioning was working after we moved in. The only thing that I changed was the thermostat, that's why I thought maybe that was it. I threw away the old one, so I am not able to switch back to see if that is the problem.

Thank you.

[dfischer]

rabadger, sorry I forgot to answer your question. Yes is does blow air.

[Sparks]

Could be a bad compressor shorted to ground. I'm doubtful that miswiring a stat would cause this. I've never seen a thermostat problem cause a breaker to trip, well maybe a 3.2a low voltage breaker, but not a line voltage breaker. Sounds like you need to call a competent contractor.

[dfischer]

I will do that. It is definetly WAY to hot out to wait any longer.

Thank you to all for you replys.

Please let me know if anyone has any other ideas.

[rabadger]

Sounds like another comperessor bit the dust.

[Sparks]

Umm, buy a cheap window unit for the time being. :)

[dfischer]

Anyone have a guess at what a compressor costs or any specifics for a Trane model XL1200 Weather Tron Heat Pump?

[rabadger]

How old is it? It could still be in warranty. I don't remember when trane started the 10 year warranty thing.

If your compressor is considered a burn out and not just suffering from locked rotor the repair is more involved and costly.

If it is a locked rotor, I have seen locked up compressors pop breakers and then have hard start kits installed. not very offen but it has happened.

[dfischer]

It is about 15 years old. The house was built in 1990 and I am pretty sure that it was put it when the house was built.

[rabadger]

15 years? Sorry, I think your out of luck. By any chance did this start happening after a lighting strike close by?

[dfischer]

I suppose that is a possibility. By out of luck, do you mean that it is out of warranty or that you don't think that it can be fixed? Is it better to replace the compressor or get a whole new system?

Thanks.

[rabadger]

out of warranty

[Sparks]

Just my 2 cents on hard start kits permanently solving a problem like this, don't do it. You may get the compressor freed up and pumping but it's almost certain to fail again. The bearings usually are damaged. You can also free a compressor by hitting it with a higher voltage as well as running it backwards, neither of which I would recommend the average homeowner to attempt himself. Usually though, the compressor will eventually lock-up again in the near future.

[rabadger]

Your right sparks, but in my area contractors will give it a try and if it works they will leave it on while quoting the new unit.

[roger g]

I still want to know WHAT breaker switch has popped. There would be a breaker switch that operates the air handler and a separate breaker switch that operates the outside unit. Of course I've seen some heat pumps where the compressor is really inside and the condensing coil and fan are outdside.
I'm guessing that the compressor unit part is causing it. Could be lots of things. Some cheap and some not so cheap.



roger

[rabadger]

roger g,

In one of his posts he stated tht he does get air blowing out of the registers. This leads me to the outdoor unit breaker.

[roger g]

Thanks badger. Still wondering if it runs on heat. Betcha it doesn't.



roger

[rabadger]

Nope, I won't bet on that one.