Aircons Problem Or Electric Wire Problem?

[Kesmond 0]

Hi all,

I have just bought a resale flat in jurong. There are currently 3 aircons in my house (Daikin Inverter), 1 in the living room and 2 in my rooms. I have decided to remove the living room aircon and install it in the room.

I have engaged a aircon serviceman to do the relocation and servicing of my 3 aircons. However when he turn on the 3 aircons, after a while the power will trip. He told me that he had check all e 3 aircons and is working fine and suspected is the electrical wiring problems and/or insulator problems.

I spoke to my electrician and he went down to clear up those unwanted wiring, etc. But however when he turn on the 3 aircons, the power does not trip. But after around 15 mins, when the compressor starts to kick in, the power will trip again. And he suspect that the compressor IC board or the motor got problems that cause this problems.

Now i in a dilema, who to believe? E aircon man say no problem with the aircons but is due to electrical wire problem and my electrician say that it is the compressor problem.

So i really dun know what to do? E aircon man want to charge me $300 for the rewiring of my room, but i already engage my electrician to do my house. So how do i go about it and test who is at fault? thanks

[yoongf 11]

Encountered same problem before, and is the wiring problem.

To confirm.. u on all the aircon to max.. hoping to get a trip. When trip.. u go feel the wire or the MCB. Chances are.. it will feel hot. Could be wire, or it come be MCB.

Inverter if got problem.. it simply wun work upfront. The fan move the moment is started. not 15min later. But after 15min.. it tries to achieve max output.. resulting in trip.

Anyway.. even if really dunno.. troubleshoot by elimination.. is to change wiring first.. is cheapest ting to start

[Kesmond 0]

Encountered same problem before, and is the wiring problem.

To confirm.. u on all the aircon to max.. hoping to get a trip. When trip.. u go feel the wire or the MCB. Chances are.. it will feel hot. Could be wire, or it come be MCB.

Inverter if got problem.. it simply wun work upfront. The fan move the moment is started. not 15min later. But after 15min.. it tries to achieve max output.. resulting in trip.

Anyway.. even if really dunno.. troubleshoot by elimination.. is to change wiring first.. is cheapest ting to start

btw what is MCB? I heard that if mcb trip then is overload and if the elcb trip then is aircon problem.. what is elcb and what is mcb?

but which location do i feel the wire and where is the MCB? sorry for my ignorance....

My electrician told me before that although he fixed up all the wires, but after around 15 mins later, it will trip....

But how you solve ur problems? If you say, change wiring what do you mean by that? change wire for the aircon or e bedroom wire? thanks... Really a novice on all these... hope you can help me.. thanks

[hihihi 0]

give u some quick answers first before moderator yoongf comes back to answer your queries.

MCB (Main Circuit Breaker), that's the box located near to your main door. It trips when it detects a short or over current.

I also agrees this sounds like a wiring problem.

You can do this test. If u ON all your aircon units to lowest temp 18degC, most likely the compressor will kick into full throttle mode, and it should trip immediately or very soon. (maybe the invertor thingy will cause some delay.. not too sure)

wire also have different types, usually thicker ones are used for high current hungry applicances. Aircon and water heaters are such candidates. maybe u can check this as well.

[Kesmond 0]

give u some quick answers first before moderator yoongf comes back to answer your queries.

MCB (Main Circuit Breaker), that's the box located near to your main door. It trips when it detects a short or over current.

I also agrees this sounds like a wiring problem.

You can do this test. If u ON all your aircon units to lowest temp 18degC, most likely the compressor will kick into full throttle mode, and it should trip immediately or very soon. (maybe the invertor thingy will cause some delay.. not too sure)

wire also have different types, usually thicker ones are used for high current hungry applicances. Aircon and water heaters are such candidates. maybe u can check this as well.

hi man, thanks for ur help... but there r mcb and elcb... what does each do?

I will test out it tomolo morning and reply here... so if mcb trip when i turn all the aircon to lowest temp 18 degree... so does that means it over load? or it had something to do with the insulator wiring?

[yoongf 11]

http://www.nancyquek.com/mcb_rcd.html

MCB actually stands for miniture circuit breaker.

Above link got some info on their purposes.

[Kesmond 0]

Hi All, just went over to the new house to do some testing on e aircon... i on 1 aircon first to around 18 degree then after around 10 to 15 mins. The MCB power trip....

Then one more thing that i find out, when i turn off all the aircon, and just on e power point that is located outside the balcony for the compressor, e mcb also trip after around 10 mins. So what does that means? compressor problem or wire problem?

Anyway, i find out that there are no sound from the compressor when the aircon is working. As what my electrician told me that the compressor motor is not moving when the aircon is on and when the aircon is not cold and the compressor kick in, the power will trip.

So what does it means? thanks

[Kesmond 0]

anybody can help me? thanks

[Kesmond 0]

anybody can help me with this>? thanks

[Kesmond 0]

anybody can help me ? thanks

[frankman 5]

Hi All, just went over to the new house to do some testing on e aircon... i on 1 aircon first to around 18 degree then after around 10 to 15 mins. The MCB power trip....

Then one more thing that i find out, when i turn off all the aircon, and just on e power point that is located outside the balcony for the compressor, e mcb also trip after around 10 mins. So what does that means? compressor problem or wire problem?

Anyway, i find out that there are no sound from the compressor when the aircon is working. As what my electrician told me that the compressor motor is not moving when the aircon is on and when the aircon is not cold and the compressor kick in, the power will trip.

So what does it means? thanks

Hi,

1. question, when you bought this resale flat, have you check all the aircon are working ok for more than 15min?

2. question, did your elect. contractor do any wiring works in the DB (DB mean the box that contain many small mcb) after or before your aircon relocation and servicing?

3. question, as you say your aircon contractor do servicing for your aircon system and did your aircon contrator open up the 'BIG' top cover of your CU (compressor)? Not the small side cover at the side of the pipes connection on your CU.

One thing you have to know is if the power trip there are two kind of faulty one is equipment faulty and the other is overload.

To check the faulty it's cause by power overload, turn 'on' your aircon until it trip and immediately go to DB, then touch the surface of each small mcb to feel it is very hot on one of them. If one is very hot then it's confirm power overload. If equipment faulty all the mcb surface is cool (normal) or warm.

But I do not understand one explainment from you:

Then one more thing that i find out, when i turn off all the aircon, and just on e power point that is located outside the balcony for the compressor, e mcb also trip after around 10 mins.

Because the power point outside the balcony is alway 'turn on' position for your compressor and technically speaking your compressor is ok because the power is alway supply to the compressor (power on standby) if no power trip.

4. Did your aircon contractor 'turn on' back the power supply to compressor after the aircon servicing and test run the aircon system for you to see? If no, I suggest something wrong or the power point is alway at 'On' position but never trip until starting aircon for 10 to 15min.

One more test is to turn 'on' the other two fcu (fan coil units) one by one and not the one you relocated into your room. See whether it trip or not.

Please answer the question & test and we will know the faulty.

Edited November 10, 2008 by frankman

[Kesmond 0]

Hi,

1. question, when you bought this resale flat, have you check all the aircon are working ok for more than 15min?

2. question, did your elect. contractor do any wiring works in the DB (DB mean the box that contain many small mcb) after or before your aircon relocation and servicing?

3. question, as you say your aircon contractor do servicing for your aircon system and did your aircon contrator open up the 'BIG' top cover of your CU (compressor)? Not the small side cover at the side of the pipes connection on your CU.

One thing you have to know is if the power trip there are two kind of faulty one is equipment faulty and the other is overload.

To check the faulty it's cause by power overload, turn 'on' your aircon until it trip and immediately go to DB, then touch the surface of each small mcb to feel it is very hot on one of them. If one is very hot then it's confirm power overload. If equipment faulty all the mcb surface is cool (normal) or warm.

But I do not understand one explainment from you:

Then one more thing that i find out, when i turn off all the aircon, and just on e power point that is located outside the balcony for the compressor, e mcb also trip after around 10 mins.

Because the power point outside the balcony is alway 'turn on' position for your compressor and technically speaking your compressor is ok because the power is alway supply to the compressor (power on standby) if no power trip.

4. Did your aircon contractor 'turn on' back the power supply to compressor after the aircon servicing and test run the aircon system for you to see? If no, I suggest something wrong or the power point is alway at 'On' position but never trip until starting aircon for 10 to 15min.

One more test is to turn 'on' the other two fcu (fan coil units) one by one and not the one you relocated into your room. See whether it trip or not.

Please answer the question & test and we will know the faulty.

Q1 When you bought this resale flat, have you check all the aircon are working ok for more than 15min?

Q1. Ans: I have not test out the aircons when i bought the flat.. cause is my first time buyin a flat so not sure what to check also.

Q2. Did your elect. contractor do any wiring works in the DB (DB mean the box that contain many small mcb) after or before your aircon relocation and servicing?

Q2. Ans: My aircon man came and test first and found the fault, so he did not do any relocation yet. As for my electrician, before the aircon man came, he have not start work on e electrical yet.

Q3. As you say your aircon contractor do servicing for your aircon system and did your aircon contrator open up the 'BIG' top cover of your CU (compressor)? Not the small side cover at the side of the pipes connection on your CU.

Q3. Ans: Not sure whether did he open up the Big top cover of my CU as i was working when he came my house. But he told me that everything is ok and e problems lies with the wiring.

4. Did your aircon contractor 'turn on' back the power supply to compressor after the aircon servicing and test run the aircon system for you to see? If no, I suggest something wrong or the power point is alway at 'On' position but never trip until starting aircon for 10 to 15min.

Q4. Ans: As i mentioned, he have not done any servicing yet as he found out that the power trip when he on e aircons.

Last but not least, would like to let you know that e previous owner had already turn e powerpoint outside the balcony off for a couple of months as they do not used it. And nw when i try to turn e powerpoint on outside the balcony, e MCB will tripped after around 10 mins even though i did not on any aircons or electrical appliances....

[frankman 5]

Q1 When you bought this resale flat, have you check all the aircon are working ok for more than 15min?

Q1. Ans: I have not test out the aircons when i bought the flat.. cause is my first time buyin a flat so not sure what to check also.

Q2. Did your elect. contractor do any wiring works in the DB (DB mean the box that contain many small mcb) after or before your aircon relocation and servicing?

Q2. Ans: My aircon man came and test first and found the fault, so he did not do any relocation yet. As for my electrician, before the aircon man came, he have not start work on e electrical yet.

Q3. As you say your aircon contractor do servicing for your aircon system and did your aircon contrator open up the 'BIG' top cover of your CU (compressor)? Not the small side cover at the side of the pipes connection on your CU.

Q3. Ans: Not sure whether did he open up the Big top cover of my CU as i was working when he came my house. But he told me that everything is ok and e problems lies with the wiring.

4. Did your aircon contractor 'turn on' back the power supply to compressor after the aircon servicing and test run the aircon system for you to see? If no, I suggest something wrong or the power point is alway at 'On' position but never trip until starting aircon for 10 to 15min.

Q4. Ans: As i mentioned, he have not done any servicing yet as he found out that the power trip when he on e aircons.

Last but not least, would like to let you know that e previous owner had already turn e powerpoint outside the balcony off for a couple of months as they do not used it. And nw when i try to turn e powerpoint on outside the balcony, e MCB will tripped after around 10 mins even though i did not on any aircons or electrical appliances....

Thanks for your reply,

After reading through your reply, it don't look like wiring problem to me this seldom happen because your ex-owner had used it for quite a while or somehow they may had used it for once or twin. Unless it look totally brand new.

Now the problem sound to me more like 'equipment faulty' and it's maybe faulty before you bought this flat.

Your reply confirm the faulty come the aircon equipment.

"And nw when i try to turn e powerpoint on outside the balcony, e MCB will tripped after around 10 mins even though i did not on any aircons or electrical appliances...."

1. Scenario one, your ex-owner continue to stay in his flat knowing that aircon is faulty by 'turning off' powerpoint outside the balcony.

2. Scenario two, your ex-owner had already shifted out from his flat for months and 'turning off' all the power supply to his flat that may cause this faulty especially to old equipment. (After using it for along time then stop using it for a long period of time)

It is alway recommended to 'turn on' the power to compressor at all time or once a while for other equipments to keep electrical running inside the electronic components especially those equipment outside your house under weather condition.

Rule of thumb before buying a resale flat:

1. First appointment (house visit) look throught all equipments in that house like aircon, water heater, oven, cooker, hood. If you are really interested to buy that flat and decide to reuse some of this equipments. The mention equipments normally have faulty if they are not used for a long period of time, especially the oven hardly used for some of us and please check if you decide to reuse it. You will surprised if it trip your whole house when it is 'turn on'. (Very Common)

2. Before your second appointment with the seller, asked your agent to inform the seller's agent to ask the owner to 'turn on' all the aircon for you to see and feel the coolness. For other equipment check on the spot during your visit and normally the seller is ok to do so, if their equipment is working fine.

Edited November 11, 2008 by frankman