Compressor trips the on- compressor circuit breaker

by Richard Bianco
(Singapore)

Hello,

I have a 2HP Puma Air compressor Model A002. The original circuit breaker body was cracked so I had it replaced with a similar one, 10-16 Amps. I am operating on a 230V 50hz environment with a 13Amp fuse housed in the 3 pin plug.

Each time I turned the compressor on, the circuit breaker on the compressor would trip within a minute of turning it on. I had the coil and capacitor checked by an electrician and it was certified o.k.

After having reviewed your comments to other writers, do you think the fault lies in the pressure switch?

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Bill says...

That the motor starts suggests, as you have found out, that the starter / capacitor are OK.

That it blows within a minute suggest either the load is increasing to the point the circuit breaker can't handle the increased amperage, or that what you perceive to be a circuit breaker is actually a thermal overload shut off, and the motor is heating to the shut off point, again, pointing to increasing load.

What pressure does your tank get to during that short run? Anywhere near cut off?

If the compressor starts OK each time, it won't be the pressure switch failing on start up. If the pressure in the tank doesn't reach cut out, then it won't be the pressure switch failing on cut out.

Motor failing, mechanical load issue, check valve into the tank being blocked... these could all cause an increasing amp load leading to motor breaker / thermal overload cut out.

Cheers,

Bill