Air conditioner tripping breaker

[tomschauer]

Rather than swapping wires and guessing about the breaker, consider buying or borrowing a clamp on amp meter. You should have your highest amp reading when the compressor starts. Within about 30 seconds after start the amp reading should drop and stay relatively constant. If it stays constant, and 5% or so below the circuit breaker rating and the breaker trips, the breaker needs replaced. If it spikes about five minutes into the running time and trips the breaker, your system most likely has back up electric heat. If this is the case, you either have a problem with the electric heat, or the system replaced one that didn't have electric heat and the circuit cant handle it. An even quicker check would be to look at the name plate on the unit. it should show a "minimum fuse amps" if the breaker is lower than this minimum, the unit was replaced. If this is the case, you should not just up size the breaker. You need to replace the wire between the unit and the breaker. If you want an Quick fix, disable the electric heat.

[StDuckie]

Hello Carver Mates, I need to replace 30 amp AC breaker. Will any 30 amp marine rated breaker work?

[tomschauer]

Your picture is pretty dark, so I cant see what you have. If the breaker matches your mounting in the front and connections in the back then yes, any breaker will work. It is most likely a Carling or Blue Sea Systems breaker.

[km1125]

It is a special breaker. It is a double-pole breaker, since it's the main, but it also includes the circuit for the reverse-polarity sensing. Perhaps that is what your problem is? Are you SURE that the power you're feeding it is correctly wired?

Here is some language out of the 3607 manual:

carver_breaker.jpg

[tomschauer]

I didn't think of that. When you said AC I was thinking air-conditioning breaker, my bad. I would look at the breaker. As KM shows above, it may be a double pole. Open the panel, and look at the back. If its twice as wide as other breakers and has both hot and neutral wires it is the breaker mentioned, and should be replaced in kind. If not, any breaker will work.

[km1125]

Qr Bbpost I didn't think of that. When you said AC I was thinking air-conditioning breaker, my bad. I would look at the breaker. As KM shows above, it may be a double pole. Open the panel, and look at the back. If its twice as wide as other breakers and has both hot and neutral wires it is the breaker mentioned, and should be replaced in kind. If not, any breaker will work.

Well, you were right it was an air-conditioning breaker, as all the circuits on VAC #2 are for air-conditioning!!

But his issue (I think) is the main, as it's the only 30A breaker. The rest are 15A distribution circuits for each of the three units and one for the water pump.

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost ....Will any 30 amp marine rated breaker work?....

As Tom said, you want to get the same configuration. There's a few different types and they don't all mount the same way.

[StDuckie]

Any suggestions where to get the "main" breaker, as it is connected to two breakers below? I bought what I thought would work, and it doesn't.

[bud37]

Now , maybe you have already but.....open the panel and on the bad breaker that you want to replace will be some info ( small tape tag ), regarding the name of the breaker etc, and from that you should be able to match it from a local guy or blue seas , they are quite common.......good luck and make sure it is electrically dead before any such work, that includes any inverters.

[Viper]

It's probably a Carling breaker, pretty common brand on boats. You need to open it up and get info off the breaker. If it's a Carling, it'll have a part number on it too. Or contact Carver with your hull number and they should be able to help.