How To Determine If Your AC Unit’s Air Conditioning Fuse Is Blown

You are most likely to have a system breakdown when the summer heat is at its worst and you most need your air conditioner. This is due to the fact that AC systems rely on fuses to function, and fuses are more prone to blowing out in high temperatures.

Proper HVAC equipment ownership includes being aware of fuse blows on air conditioners. Understanding the cause of your AC system’s issue will help you plan ahead for cooling service requirements and prevent more expensive repairs in the future.

What Sort Of Fuse Is Used In An Air Conditioner?

The condenser is shielded from excessive current by air conditioner fuses. Fuse blows if additional amperage comes through to prevent the condenser from overheating. Fuses are made to take a certain amount of amperage based on the maximum amount the device is rated for.

For safe system operation, AC systems often employ “TR”-type fuses. However, you can use a fuse rated for a lower amperage than the system is allowed for if you need to change a fuse fast and are in a bind.

The condenser could malfunction or your appliance could sustain permanent damage if you use a fuse that can tolerate more amperage.

Why Do Fuses Keep Blowing In My AC System?

Air conditioners can blow fuses for a number of reasons in addition to severe heat, such as:

• Circuit malfunction: Your circuit, fuse box, or power supply could be the source of a bigger issue. Your systems can’t handle the amount of current in the power line if your breakers constantly trip and your fuses frequently blow.
• Faulty capacitor: Your condenser’s capacitor, which helps control electrical current, is malfunctioning. When this breaks down, your fuse can blow and your appliance might fail.
• Filters that are unclean: If your appliance works harder than it should due to a dirty filter, it may overheat and blow a fuse. To prevent the system from overheating during summer, always keep your air filters clean.
• Electrical parts that are loose: Your air conditioner may have electrical parts that are loose. A blown fuse or other system failure may occur when electrical components become loose due to high heat.

Blown fuses in your air conditioner can also be caused by broken condenser fans, broken compressors, insufficient refrigerant levels, and aging.

How Do I Check For A Blown Fuse In An Air Conditioner?

The outdoor air conditioning unit won’t work, which is the first indication that your air conditioner may have blown a fuse. A voltmeter is the ideal tool to use when looking for blown fuses. Beware: When troubleshooting your system, you should proceed with extreme caution because you are working with live energy.

Having stated that, let’s get started on the procedures you need to follow to utilize the voltmeter to check for blown fuses:

• Find your disconnect: The outside condenser unit of your home is typically next to a gray box that is mounted there. Your disconnect is at hand.
• Open the disconnect: This can be done by lifting or swinging the lid of the disconnect to the open position.
• Expose the wiring: Once the disconnect has been opened, the wiring should be covered by another cover inside. Pull this apart to reveal the wire underneath.
• Find the wires: Once the wires are visible, find the incoming and outgoing wires by locating the labels “line” (incoming) and “load” (outgoing) (outgoing). 110 volts are carried by both lines.
• Set your meter: Make sure your voltmeter is set to the voltage (V) setting and that the display indicates “0” volts before continuing.
• The leads should be positioned as follows: Take the wires (leads) from your voltmeter and attach them to the lugs (screws) of your disconnect, putting the red lead on the lug of the black “line” wire and the black lead on the lug of the white “line” wire.
• Check the voltage: It should read between 220 and 240. If you notice this, it signifies that your fuses are receiving electricity at the disconnect. If there is no reading, there might be a problem with the breaker panel, which your neighborhood electrician will have to fix.
• Check the load: Run the same test on the “load” side of the fuses if you noticed a voltage reading in the previous step. Once more, you ought to observe a reading of between 220 and 240. You have a blown fuse if you observe a voltage reading on the “line” side but not the “load” side.

What Happens If I Lack A Voltmeter?

You may always change the fuses on your air conditioner by visiting a nearby hardware store and purchasing the required size if you don’t have a voltmeter to test the fuses. This is normally the “TR”-type of fuse, as was described.

Although changing your fuses is a very straightforward procedure, it’s strongly advised that you seek help from an expert in air conditioning repair if you don’t feel confident doing so.

Follow these instructions to replace the fuses in your air conditioning unit:

1. Some fuses are completely exposed and located near the wiring, while the fuses for other disconnects are located inside the handle. Before moving on to the following step, you must remove the “T” handle, which may contain your disconnects, in order to find the fuses.
2. In either case, pull out the lever to turn off the power to the fuses and swap them out. To guarantee maximum safety, it is recommended to turn off your AC unit’s breaker because this does not halt the passage of electricity to the disconnector fuses on the line side.
3. Finally, remove the fuses by gripping them with a set of pliers with insulated handles or by popping them out with your hands if they are inside the handle. Never operate with electricity while holding handles made of bare metal.

When Should I Get In Touch With A Technician For Air Conditioning?

If all of this seems too hard, you can simply get in touch with a reputable HVAC expert in your area who can provide the durable AC repair service required to fix your system.