A/C runs for 5 minutes then pops breaker in 110 degree heat?

If both A/C units use the same amperage of breaker, you could try swapping the breakers (or hot wires) from one to the other and see if you have a weak breaker. If you don't know what you're doing, DON'T DO THAT!

Check the voltage under load. Motor loads like an A/C will draw more current at lower voltage trying to produce the rated power of the motor. You might be experiencing brownout conditions, at least locally.

tatest wrote:
You might be experiencing brownout conditions, at least locally.

Yes, and they're plugged in at home, as opposed to a CG which would be a nightmare.

Check your voltage. You may be better off with the generator.

Hoover Dam is working very hard this week.

Remove the top cover on the roof. Check that the condenser coils are clean and fins are straight. Rinse coils with a water hose. Dirty coils cause high head pressure which results in high amperage draw on the compressor .

I would guess you have one of a few possible problems 1) low voltage under load 2) bad breaker3) loose wire at AC

First check the incoming AC voltage if it's less than 117 VAC it can cause problems. Next check the wiring at the AC control box at the AC. The installer may have used wire nuts or a wiring block, regardless make sure the connection is good. If you have a high impeadance connection it will cause the breaker to trip due to high current draw. Finally check the breaker if it turns off and on "easily " you may have a bad breaker.

I had a breaker doing that. Turned out to be a weak breaker. Replaced it and no more tripping. Pretty easy and inexpensive to try.

I agree with checking the voltage under load. It is unlikely that you have low voltage at your home. Most homes have a 200 amp service, and the RV receptacle is within 100 feet of the main meter, while a campground the distance and voltage drop is always greater.

But still you might have a weak 50 amp receptacle (rare but always possible). It is most common for the 30 amp receptacles to overheat and cause problems, due to it's much smaller size. See if the plug end is warm or not while under load.

Check the run capacitor. Normally once they fail, then the compressor will not run at all, but anything is possible, and I have been replacing a lot of run capacitors lately.

I have run my A/C at 108 volts, and it still worked great. At 110, it is a "Nominal" voltage, or what the line voltage is rated at. 120 is "Bonus voltage" above the minimum required.

Fred.

Thanks everyone for the help. I needed up pulling the breaker to see if it was bad and as I pulled it the wire fell out. I reinstalled and tightened and now it runs like a champ again. So glad it was an easy fix like this loose wire.

lacofdfireman wrote:
Thanks everyone for the help. I needed up pulling the breaker to see if it was bad and as I pulled it the wire fell out. I reinstalled and tightened and now it runs like a champ again. So glad it was an easy fix like this loose wire.

Go back and check all your wiring, hot, neutral, ground, and 12 volt. I checked mine a year after I bought it new and found many wires that were not tight.

My vote is bad breaker because it runs for 5 minutes... Probably as things get a bit warmer it is popping. But it MAY be a bad wire and also if there is crud in the fins it could cause it to run excessively.