Why Is Your Heat Pump Flipping Your Circuit Breaker?

It’s never a good thing to have an appliance trip your circuit breaker, but having your heat pump cause complications that affect your home comfort is on Three Rivers Heating and Cooling’s list of “Bad Things.” If your heat pump is tripping your circuit breaker, it could mean you need a heat pump repair. Three Rivers Heating and Cooling can help you find out what the exact problem is, but here are a few things we commonly see: overworked heat pumps, short circuits, wiring problems, fan obstructions and compressor malfunctions. Regardless what is going on with your heat pump, if your circuit breaker is tripping, you need to call in a professional.

Overworked Heat Pump
Heat pumps become overworked for a number of reasons, but they’re usually preventable. Dirty air filters or outside units and blocked or closed vents are often responsible—and those problems can be easily identified and resolved during a preventive maintenance visit. If those aren’t the reason for your heat pump trouble, Three Rivers Heating and Cooling can help you out by doing a heat pump repair.

Short Circuits
If you have a short circuit in your heat pump, it will trip the breaker promptly when you turn it on. If you suspect you have a short circuit in your heat pump, reach out to Three Rivers Heating and Cooling right away for a heat pump repair. Short circuits can be very dangerous, causing fires or other serious damages.

Wiring Problems
Faulty installation or loose connections can cause your heat pump to short circuit and trip your circuit breaker. Regardless of how they got that way, loose wires can trigger your heat pump to overheat and trip your circuit. Your Three Rivers Heating and Cooling expert can find and tighten any loose connections and keep your heat pump operating safely.

Fan Damage
If the fan motor of your outdoor unit locks up, it could trip your circuit breaker. Sometimes this fan, which circulates air over refrigerant coils, will become blocked or malfunction and may cause your circuit breaker to trip.

Compressor Malfunctions
If your compressor is older or starts to malfunction, it could trip your circuit breaker. This happens when the compressor tries to pull in too much current to start itself up.

If your circuit breaker is tripping, give Three Rivers Heating and Cooling a call at (503) 739-5400 right away. You want to keep your Portland home and family safe and comfortable.