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Our air conditioner circuit breaker marked "AC", is tripping frequently after the AC unit works for a while. Sometimes as long as an hour or more and, sometimes as short as few minutes. We were told the AC motor needs to be changed, but we decided to change the whole unit, since it has been 14 years since we bought the house. But the same problem persisted with the new system. The people who have installed the new AC, have been checking to make sure there are no blockages in the refrigerant lines. still, the problem has not gone away. What are the possible causes, remedies, and safety precautions I should consider in this situation?

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    Make sure your new AC appliance is does not require a higher amperage than your breaker. Note that appliances have a max and average amperage rating. The max amperage that uses should be lower than the breaker. Turn off the breaker and check to make sure that no other plugs / lighting is on that breaker as anything plugged into those can cause the breaker to pop.
    – deathismyfriend
    Commented May 21, 2014 at 21:38
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    Possible bad breaker, or bad junction box (the electrical box that the AC condenser connects to) connections.
    – getterdun
    Commented May 22, 2014 at 1:18

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Too small a temperature swing on the thermostat can cause this issue as well. Many electronic thermostats have an adjustable temperature swing of 0.5, 1, 2 degrees. If this value is set too low and the compressor is restarted too soon (less than 10-15 minutes) after a cycle, it can trip a breaker as the compressor struggles to start against a pressurized system. This setting is also known as differential, anticipation, or hysteresis.

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