Unit about one year old. The unit trips a 20 amp breaker every once in awhile. Cause unknown. Company noted 78 amps once when starting. Company who installed the unit place a hard start kit on th unit. The unit is mounted about 15 feet from inside unit. Inside unit down flow GR28K7-PFV-270.
20 AMP Circuit, huh? More on this below.
The tech probably didn't put a hard start kit on, but if he did, I hope he added the resistor to the start capacitor, or you could have a problem in the future. He probably put a soft start on it, a 2 wire device which looks like a capacitor. But only you will know for sure (or he.). As for warranty, manufacturers don't care about soft or hard start kits. In fact, they like 'em, because they extend the life of the compressor, which keeps them from having to pay for a new one.
I would be concerned with a 20 AMP circuit for anything higher than 2 tons. Take a look at the nameplate rating on the side of the condensor and tell me how many Running Load Amps (RLA) this unit is supposed to pull.
Also need to know your line voltage at the condensor, with the unit running.
Short cycling of the compressor can be an inconsistent cause of a breaker overload. It happens when the compressor start winding is "jolted" into operation several times over a short period this can happen when there is a loose power or control wire connection that is broken from the vibration at start up of the compressor or by the occasional "jiggling" of the mercury in older analog thermostats. I suggest that all electrical connections are checked and that you use a newer model thermostat, if its not already that has a built in start delay circuit.
Hope this helps you if your still having trouble with this issue.
I would contact the manufacture, if it is actually needing the hard start capacitor to start every time then the equipment has not been installed correctly or it is defective and will shorten the life of the compressor. The hard start capacitor reduces the load on the start windings but does nothing for a high amperage draw on the run windings of the compressor. A high amperage draw can be caused by loose line voltage connections or wiring of to small a gauge to accommodate the current it is carrying to the compressor which causes undue strain on the windings not to mention it making your unit expensive to operate. In any case a hard start capacitor is a patch not a repair.
Good luck.
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The entire system is new. They wired new service 20 amp to the out side unit. The 20 amp trips infrequently no know cause. Will the hard start kit reduce the expect life of the compressor. I'm worried about the warranty. Would the manufacturer void the warranty 10 year if a hard start kit had been installed.
Which circuit breaker trips? The one on the furnace, or the one for the outdoor unit?
78 Amps on start is not unheard of. You can check that by looking for a value indicated in the LRA section of the compressor electrical label.
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