Said It Here

Why does my AC keep tripping the breaker?

When an AC unit suddenly keeps tripping the breaker as soon as the outside unit turns on, you can test the system by unplugging the compressor. Doing this reveals whether the breaker stops tripping and allows the fan to stay on.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Unplugging the compressor harness to see if the breaker still trips when the unit turns on.
  2. 2
    Considering having friends install the hard start kit
  3. 3
    Contacting the original installation company or manufacturer for warranty service or support

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/hvacadvice2 people · September 2026

“It was tripping the breaker as soon as the outside unit turned on.”source ↗

Icy_Necessary7315 · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

“Yes, with the compressor unplugged the fan stays on and the breaker doesn't trip.”source ↗

Icy_Necessary7315 · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

“Have a 3 year old unit and all of a sudden it keeps tripping the breaker.”source ↗

“Are these worth it? I know a couple friends that would probably feel comfortable installing it if need be.”source ↗

Drunken_CPA · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised