Air compressor is setting off my breaker

I have a compressor in my garage. It's a small 20 gallon, 120 volt. When I start it up the lights dim in the garage. Then when I use it and it starts up again it really slowly starts up and finally either starts up or it blows a breaker. It really aggrivates me while working. Is my breaker too small? The garage breaker is also connected to my bedroom. Should I turn everything off in the bedroom when I use my compressor? Or should I change the breaker to a larger rating?

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Bill says...

Has it always done this, or is this recent?

If it's always done this, then yes, you may be pulling too much voltage out of the circuit before power gets to your compressor motor, and this added draw may pop the breaker.

However, my first thought is that your start capacitor is failing, and this means that your compressor will always draw too much power when it tries to start, and this will pop the breaker too.

Take the motor and starter to a motor rebuild shop, and they will test and advise.

If the breaker has enough amps in it for the demand of the compressor, then I wouldn't necessarily upsize the breaker.

One more thing. When your compressor runs, and gets to the cut out tank pressure, and the motor stops, does the compressor unload? If it doesn't this could be your problem, as if it's not unloaded, then the current inrush to start the motor against that additional load, may be enough to pop the breaker too.

Cheers,

Bill