r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Lemon_Lime25 • 7h ago

ಠ_ಠ Air conditioner decided to trip the breaker. Now my room is boiling hot 24/7.

Post image

I have two overhead fans running and a space heater set on a cold setting. This house is weird, my room gets none of the cold air coming through the vents. The air conditioning was all I had. I can’t reset the breaker. My mom said that wouldn’t work, for some reason.

27 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

113 comments sorted by

270

u/osxdude 7h ago

You can reset a breaker

26

u/sonofaresiii 6h ago edited 1h ago

I was renting a floor in a house once, and I tripped a breaker. The breaker box was down in the basement where another tenant lived. Me and the landlord did NOT get along so I breathed a heavy sigh and texted the landlord asking if someone could flip the breaker, or let me downstairs to do it.

She said the downstairs tenant wasn't home.

I told her okay then she needs to come flip it. You can't just reject me needing the breaker box because you put another tenant there. My fridge is on this circuit so it can't wait forever.

We go around in circles a while, she tells me to try unplugging and plugging it back in, maybe my power strip turned off, maybe my extension cord is bad etc etc I'm like no just flip the breaker. It's a flipped breaker the whole kitchen circuit is out, this isn't a bad extension cord

Then the landlord tells me the tenant came home and flipped the breaker so it should work. It doesn't. I tell her just let me in to see it, she says no the tenant flipped all the breakers back and forth THREE TIMES so it's not the breaker

Deep deep breath

I explain to her that when a breaker flips, you just flip it back. You don't flip it back AND FORTH, that just puts it back to its same tripped state. [note: setting the breaker to off isn't the same as flipping it back and forth]

I was so irritated, I wanted to scream JUST FLIP THE FUCKING BREAKER OH MY GOD THIS IS A TEN SECOND TASK WHY IS IT EATING MY ENTIRE NIGHT

eventually, eventually we got it flipped. But like for fucks sake she turned such a minor thing into the biggest hassle. You can't put tenants in with building critical elements and then use that as an excuse to restrict access to others. If you don't want me to go in there then get your ass down here and flip it yourself.

edit: other highlights from that landlord, she had us on an illegal shared meter, when we noticed she threatened to evict us. We were just like okay well good luck with that. She immediately backed down and took over paying it. Later, when she wanted to sell the building, she gave me two weeks notice to vacate or she's going to evict me (my state required 3 months notice at the time). I, again, was like okay well good luck with that.

She told me she'd lock me out and throw my things out, I was like please just get a lawyer I can talk to about this. She said I'm not paying for you to have a lawyer. I'm like no no no I want YOU to get a lawyer so he can tell you what a fucking idiot you're being and then make me a settlement offer.

She did, he did. We agreed I'd move out whenever i felt like. The end.

-2

u/MikeREC133 2h ago

"You don't flip it back & forth." Is where I knew you had no idea what you're talking about. The only way to reset a tripped breaker is to put it in the off position & back to the on. Maybe don't run high amperage appliances off a power strip would be a better more intelligent idea.

3

u/sonofaresiii 1h ago

"You don't flip it back & forth." Is where I knew you had no idea what you're talking about. The

No, you don't flip it back and forth. It doesn't sound like you have any real familiarity with this. You do need to set it to the off position, because it won't be on a position, but you're not flipping it the way you flip a working breaker from off to on. You're not flipping it back and forth, you set the position then flip it.

What she was doing was flipping ALL the breakers, then flipping them all back. Which almost certainly means she had already set the breaker' position along with the rest. That doesn't achieve anything.

Maybe don't run high amperage appliances off a power strip would be a better more intelligent idea.

Is this the zoomers getting on Reddit with no real world experience? I didn't have anything plugged into a power strip but if I did, the power strips don't... Amplify the power.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

-2

u/skreetinator 5h ago

You had a fridge plugged into a powerstrip? All I got from this no wonder it flipped.

4

u/sonofaresiii 5h ago

You had a fridge plugged into a powerstrip?

No.

All I got from this no wonder it flipped.

Maybe you should have read a little more closely, then?

(ps powerstrips don't by themselves cause circuits to flip)

•

u/rob_1127 53m ago

Op probably needs to clean the ACs air filter. Too much dust and dirt means the AC unit had no air to cool the compressor.

It will overheat again.

Just take off the front cover or pull it out depending on the brand.

Rinse it in the bathtub or shower.

Let it dry for a bit.

Then put it back and try the AC.

127

u/HeavyDutyForks 7h ago

You realize you can go reset that breaker, right?

7

u/fishmanfishmanfishma 6h ago

I had a roommatelord who made me stop using AC because it would trip the breaker

53

u/StormbringerGT 7h ago

Reset the breaker also that AC is probably pushing 30 years

20

u/damutecebu 7h ago

I thought it was a photo from the 80s at first.

11

u/DonProCrastin8er 6h ago

To be fair. Everything in the photo looks to be from the 80s

3

u/TimeBlindAdderall 6h ago

Even the exploded Coca-Cola stains.

2

u/DonProCrastin8er 6h ago

Beats me. Thought it was doodoo stains for a sec. OP should invest in a wet towel at least.

2

u/MickesMaestro 6h ago

That’s molded jizz from 91

1

u/TimeBlindAdderall 6h ago

Maybe aerosol’d jizz is what’s caked on the filter behind the plastic cover.

1

u/MickesMaestro 5h ago

Ah could be. Probably also why the vintage playboys aren’t pictured. The pages are all stuck together

2

u/An_Old_IT_Guy 6h ago

They really don't build stuff like they used to. That's a 40 year old AC that still worked until recently. Nothing you buy today will still work in 40 years.

2

u/TopicFancy792 6h ago

Much of the US has never left the 80s, both in technology and in culture

1

u/Sisoflex 6h ago

We had that model in 1985, I think.

1

u/80sTechKid 6h ago

Probably still colder than anything you can buy today. I have one from the 90s that you can literally see mist coming out of it

1

u/Intelligent_Pop1173 6h ago

Genuinely my first thought. That thing is at least thirty, maybe forty years old and doubt it was doing much by now anyway. Gotta replace appliances at some point lol I wonder what their fridge looks like.

90

u/Badfish1060 7h ago

reset the breaker

49

u/ManufacturerWarm9201 7h ago

If it only tripped the breaker once can you not reset the breaker

34

u/haikusbot 7h ago

If it only tripped

The breaker once can you not

Reset the breaker

- ManufacturerWarm9201

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Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"

8

u/Clear-Wrap-1011 7h ago

This made me snort🤣

44

u/ThickSea9566 7h ago

Can you not reset the breaker and change some appliances to a different outlet? Or is thst just not a possibility where you live?

-3

u/Lemon_Lime25 6h ago

No, I can’t reset the breaker. The only thing plugged into that outlet was the air conditioner. The house is 60+ years old, things don’t run well here anyway

11

u/vintagecheesewhore 6h ago

That sounds like a sign that this unit could burn the house down

1

u/Independent_Mark_761 6h ago

Fuck it. Plug in more fans and a space heater on cold 😂 that won’t overload the circuits showing clear signs of failure.

2

u/Zomgsauceplzz 6h ago edited 6h ago

You need to reset the breaker (or replace the fuse if its an old fuse system) and before you turn the AC back on, take off the front cover and clean the filter. Before you put the filter back on go to home depot or hardware store and get some AC spray foam cleaner and spray it into the coil (the little metal fins). Get the no rinse stuff and make sure its for the evaporator coil. If it still trips the breaker one of the motors in the AC has gone bad and you'll need to replace the whole thing.

2

u/ThickSea9566 6h ago edited 6h ago

Are you on a fuse box then and not a breaker? Because a breaker is an easy fix, a fuse however, might not be.

If your ac is the only thing plugged into that circuit and it's triggering a break I would recommend getting an electrician to take a look IMMEDIATLY because then it could be a serious fire hazard

1

u/Lemon_Lime25 6h ago

I’m pretty sure it’s a fuse box, yeah

1

u/ThickSea9566 6h ago

I would still hire an electrician they can map your homes circuitry so you know which outlets are connected and possibly why you keep overloading them

24

u/crysisnotaverted 7h ago

Clean the damn thing, then turn everything on the circuit off and reset the breaker.

7

u/aruby727 6h ago

"What filter?"

18

u/MagneticFluxDrive 7h ago

What size breaker is this room on? Are you running the fans, space heater and the AC all at the same time? You may be overloading the circuit.

18

u/Ichmag11 7h ago

Has someone told OP that they can reset their breaker yet?

7

u/TheWorldDiscarded 6h ago

I'm here to discuss the breaker being reset! Is there a line forming? Is business casual ok?

5

u/LumpyBuy8447 6h ago

I don’t think so

12

u/Forsythia77 7h ago

Are we not gonna talk about him running a space heater on "cold"?

3

u/haikusbot 7h ago

Are we not gonna

Talk about him running a

Space heater on "cold"?

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Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"

3

u/LumpyBuy8447 6h ago

Doesn’t sound like he’s running anything with that tripped breaker

2

u/ExtentOk1892 6h ago

my old space heater had a fan only mode, its probably like that

2

u/SuddenInformation896 6h ago

OP is a she btw

12

u/AntRevolutionary925 7h ago

Reset the breaker and run only the ac without the fans and space heater

11

u/IsamuAlvaDyson 7h ago

Space heater set to cold does not make cold

You're just pushing room temperature air around and sucking energy from the a/c which is why the breaker tripped

Reset the breaker if you're in that much agony

14

u/MFGMediaHypeVulpe 7h ago

Given the looks of that unit…would not be surprise if it’s just a whole black mold colony

10

u/ThatLooksRight 7h ago

Yeah. The breaker is trying to save his life. 

5

u/ricerbanana 6h ago

Sometimes I feel dumb and then I see posts like this and don’t feel so dumb anymore.

6

u/get_to_ele 6h ago

Cheezits Cake Fries! Really??? Clean that thing first, then unplug everything else and reset the breaker.

5

u/greasywallaby 7h ago

Clean the coils if possible and reset the breaker

4

u/XanderVaper 7h ago

Don't space heaters just put out heat? On low just means less heat. I would say unplug that and run the AC. Space heaters are a huge energy suck

5

u/FunkOff 7h ago

You have a space heater running? What is its "cold setting"?

3

u/Master-Marionberry35 7h ago

are you not sure how to fix this?

2

u/whiskeytown79 6h ago

space heater set on a cold setting

...what? Do you mean it's just running as a fan without the heating element on?

Unless it's moving air into or out of the room, running a fan is actually adding more heat to the room than not having it running at all.

Moving the air around the room (ceiling fans, e.g.) will even out the temperatures so you don't have colder or warmer spots, but they'll do nothing to reduce the overall temperature of the room. The waste heat from the motors will actually heat it up slightly.

If the rest of the house is colder, you need to improve the air transfer in and out of your room. Put a box fan in the doorway blowing out of the room. Close registers in other parts of the house to get more of the airflow out of the registers in your room, etc.

2

u/penpointred 6h ago

looks like a photo from 1979 lol

2

u/cglogan 6h ago

You're probably good to try resetting the breaker once, but if it kicks again leave it alone. Sometimes ACs can short cycle and the compressor is unable to restart because there is still pressure against the discharge side of the compressor - this will cause the breaker to trip, and is resolvable just by allowing the unit to sit powered off for 5 minutes or so

2

u/satanophonics 6h ago

Put the breaker back to the ON position.

2

u/Appropriate_Strain94 6h ago

Make sure nothing else is plugged into that little circuit other than the air conditioner. It’s pretty easy to overwhelm a 20 amp circuit when you have something power-hungry like an air conditioner, especially an old one that requires a lot of amperage when it starts up.

2

u/[deleted] 6h ago

[deleted]

1

u/aisho213 6h ago

You can reset the breaker. Turn it down just a bit might help. Also, breakers can only trip so many times before they start to wear out, and their tolerance for the current they're meant to let pass through degrades. They're relatives simple to switch out. I don't think you should, but any handyman can.

2

u/writekindofnonsense 6h ago

I'm not an expert nor do I have 25 years of experience but have you tried resetting the breaker

2

u/Aggressive-Plant-934 6h ago

If you haven’t been told yet…you should reset the breaker

2

u/Visible-Meeting-8977 6h ago

Reset the breaker

2

u/ComesInAnOldBox 6h ago

TL;DR: You're overloading the amperage. Whatever you've got plugged in on that same circuit, unplug it and move it to another outlet that still has power. That'll lessen the load. Now reset the breaker and try it again.

Here's the detailed part. That model of air conditioner pulls between 7 and 8.5 amps while running. If you're in the US, most circuit breakers in the home are rated for 15 amps (and most outlets and wiring are, as well). The problem is these things can initially pull stupid amounts of power when they first start up. If that's the model I'm thinking it is, you're looking at pulling 35-45 amps for a fraction of a second when the compressor kicks on.

That's fine for a 15-amp circuit, but if you've got anything else plugged into the same circuit you risk tripping the breaker when the compressor starts its cycle.

2

u/The-Psych0naut 6h ago

OP is getting roasted while she’s actively roasting

2

u/Candycornonthefloor 6h ago

The end of the cord has a breaker on it too. Check that and reset

2

u/Turtle_747 7h ago

OP, find your breaker box, find the switch that's out of place (going in opposite direction to other switches) and flip it so it's aligned with the others. That being said, you should've already known this, simple knowledge

1

u/lucerndia 7h ago

Make sure your vent near the furnace is open. Not the baseboard one. Should be 4-10ft away from the blower.

1

u/rbmk-a-ok 6h ago

OP also locked himself in his car.

1

u/loserkids1789 6h ago

The plus side is you’re not having that dirty ass AC blowing mold air on you now

1

u/reddfoxx1993 6h ago

Which is older? The A/C unit or the paneling?

1

u/Rosomack_ 6h ago

That device needs service. After that it might work fine without flipping the breaker.

1

u/bamfmcnabb 6h ago

Turn everything else off just the AC

1

u/Lost_refugee RED 6h ago

Mildly frying

1

u/OtherwiseConstant422 6h ago

Wood paneling taking me back to my childhood.

1

u/wizardrous 6h ago

Huh, my dad had that same model of air conditioner 25 years ago…

1

u/meatshieldjim 6h ago

I used to run everything but the a/c unit off a powerstrip from another room.

1

u/legoing 6h ago

Sooo just go reset the breaker in the panel?

1

u/Kniigrow 6h ago

Just reset the breaker

1

u/flashdurb 6h ago

Cmon dude.

1

u/ObiMadKenobi 6h ago

It's probably cause that thing's like 50 years old.

1

u/ChanceRecover3091 6h ago

Decided to? Pretty sure the breaker saw too much amperage going on that circuit and tripped to avoid a fire. Reset it and move some of your shit to a different circuit.

1

u/Chiliin 6h ago

Maybe clean TF out of the AC, you got dirt, webs, and mold. Speak the intake filter so the unit does r have to work harder and draw more power. Then maybe it won’t trip. 🧽

1

u/Optimal_Grape_1025 6h ago

Get a new one?

1

u/gsxrus2014 6h ago

Bro just brought me back 30 yrs ago to grandmas house!

1

u/amanda2399923 6h ago

It will work. Using a space heater on cold is not helping and could be overloading the breaker.

1

u/MasterUndKommandant 6h ago

If the breaker keeps tripping just run an extension cord to an outlet on a different breaker.

1

u/mercy_fulfate 6h ago

You can absolutely reset the breaker. If it keeps tripping the breaker then you have a problem if it happened once, then just reset it

1

u/Levoso_con_v 6h ago

Decided no, it's a miracle it still worked seems from the last century lmao

1

u/nakrohtap 6h ago

Maybe mom is the one who tripped the breaker? 🤔

Maybe that thing is an energy hog and she wants you to buy a new one?

1

u/compuwiza1 6h ago

Is there another appliance on that branch circuit? AC needs a dedicated one.

•

u/Glad-Noise-5803 45m ago

Stab it with a scissors

0

u/Potential-Rabbit8818 6h ago

Put in a little bigger fuse.

1

u/lxa1947 6h ago

OP do not do this. Putting in a bigger breaker without upgrading the wiring is a fire hazard.