2 Door Display Cooler Tripping Breaker!

[SurreyStevo]

Hello,
Had a service call today, a 2 Door Display Cooler had been tripping the breaker. I took an amp reading and found it to be drawing 12.5 amps, the name plate rating is 11.1 amps. The unit cools and everything seems mechanically sound except it trips the breaker every few days. The customer had the breaker replaced but it still happens. Any suggestions? I hate intermittent problems!

[caheiman30]

Sounds like a ice machine we have at one of the stores, it would run fine for a while then trip the breaker, we replaced the compressor and the problem went away

Hello,
Had a service call today, a 2 Door Display Cooler had been tripping the breaker. I took an amp reading and found it to be drawing 12.5 amps, the name plate rating is 11.1 amps. The unit cools and everything seems mechanically sound except it trips the breaker every few days. The customer had the breaker replaced but it still happens. Any suggestions? I hate intermittent problems!

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[timebuilder]

Hello,
Had a service call today, a 2 Door Display Cooler had been tripping the breaker. I took an amp reading and found it to be drawing 12.5 amps, the name plate rating is 11.1 amps. The unit cools and everything seems mechanically sound except it trips the breaker every few days. The customer had the breaker replaced but it still happens. Any suggestions? I hate intermittent problems!

My first thought is to check the start components, particularly the relay contacts. You may not be getting full assist on a restart under load.

Second, what size breaker are we talking about? You can only load a breaker to 80% of its nameplate rating, so a 15 amp breaker can only take a continuous load of 12 amps, 16 amps for a 20 amp breaker.

[2sac]

A display cooler may also have issues with lighting and door heaters

[Mike19]

Any chance there is somthing else on the same circuit? If you have somthing else pulling amps, and the compressor goes to start it could make it trip.

I also agree with the others. The compressor could have a hard time starting once in a while. Especially if it shuts off and tries to come back on again without time to equalize. If so equipped, does the plug and receptacle look ok? Plug could be coming loose in outlet and making compressor rapidly short cycle.

[craig1]

check the flexible wires going to the doors.

check that none of the wiring for the fans or controls is melted to the defrost heaters.

I have seen weak start capacitors cause random tripping.

[SurreyStevo]

I think I figured it out. After burning my arm on the liquid line, yeah the liquid line, I figured that there could be non-condensables in the condenser. I pulled the charge, brazed in an access on the high side and put in some fresh R-134A. The amps dropped from 12.5 down to 10.6. I haven't heard back from the customer......yet. Thanks for the suggestions guys!

[coolerguy]

mullion heaters ?

[ClimateCntlJohn]

Yeah, intermittent problems suck but its most likely tripping for a reason. Had any problems since you pulled charge? Either way I would do like the others said and check your starting components...check run and start cap and make sure the start cap isn't staying in the circuit for too long due to the relay sticking closed. Check the inrush current on the compressor when it starts too. Any history on what was done last? Probably not cause no one seems to know anything when you need the information most hahaha

[Capz]

I think I figured it out. After burning my arm on the liquid line, yeah the liquid line, I figured that there could be non-condensables in the condenser. I pulled the charge, brazed in an access on the high side and put in some fresh R-134A. The amps dropped from 12.5 down to 10.6. I haven't heard back from the customer......yet. Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Was this a closed system with no gauge ports?

[SurreyStevo]

The circuit was on a 15 amp breaker, which isn't ideal for this unit. It only had a port on the suction side. Another thing I'd forgot to mention, the compressor's external overload started to trip once it ran for while and got hot. After evacuating the system, it ran a lot cooler.

[coolerik]

Was this a closed system with no gauge ports?

Yah, doubt non condesables on a factory sealed sys..

[IceVicious]

you gotta wonder with all the China crap coming out

[timebuilder]

you gotta wonder with all the China crap coming out

They're probably stuffing our worthless Treasury bills into those compressors to make them run more quietly.