Stymied on heater, capacitor, breaker, and hvac??

[jrh590]

Hi team! I desperately need your help!
New system installed last spring. AquaCal Heat Cool Pump SQ166R
My equipment is hooked up to a subpanel in my garage and from the beginning, the electrician said it would be close to have enough power, but it would be done to power everything.

It worked great all of last year after the install. One time for a couple days the pump and heat pump (different breakers) would pop but then it resolved without me doing anything. This was in the summer last year.

My pool pump runs fine and never has a problem, but a couple weeks ago I went to turn on the heater and I came back a few hours later and noticed it popped its breaker. It did it several times that day. Fast forward to now, I go to turn on the heat pump and it pops its breaker and the main pump breaker within minutes of me turning on the heater. I thought it was a problem that my subpanel didnt have enough juice to power it (even though it did all last year), so I turned off my hvac on the same panel, and the breaker for the heater still popped within a couple minutes.

ALSO, I had a capacitor go bad on the hvac thats on the same panel as my pool a couple months ago. It was only a 4 year old unit. I dont understand electrical hardly, but what are the odds? Could my heater have a blown capacitor now? And if so, what underlying electrical problem would cause both the hvac and pool heater capacitor to blow?

Or any other theory on why every few min the heater pops?

PLEASE HELP!! THANK YOU

 

[Jimrahbe]

jrh,

The problem does not sound like the amount current your subpanel can supply.. If that was the problem, then the circuit breaker in your main panel would be popping and not the circuit breakers for the HVAC or the pool heater.

Starter caps go bad all the time, so although unusual, it is completely possible that you just have two bad caps.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

I think it was purely coincidence that a capacitor failed in your AC system and you have the breaker tripping on your Heat Pump.

For your AquaCal you need to get someone who works on AC systems to take a look at it. They can put a clamp on ampmeter on the electrical feed and see if the HP is actually pulling too many amps. HVAC folks know how to diagnose the problems. Really nothing a homeowner can service in it.

I doubt you have an electrical subpanel problem.

 

[willygee]

I use this unit for trouble shooting for automotive,HVAC, pool equipment and more.

 

[Galaxie 500]

What size breaker was installed for the heat pump circuit?

 

[jrh590]

Electricians are here now and are stumped so far. Breaker is 90 going to pool panel. Problem is right when the compressor delay ends and the heater turns on, it shoots to over 200 amps its trying to pull. So obviously that pops the breaker (and sometimes surrounding breakers) right away. Any idea what could have happened in the heater to cause this in case my electrician cant figure out an electrical cause? Something specific in the heater broke?

 

[ajw22]

You have a problem in the heater with the compressor drawing too much amps.

It could be a bad capacitor in the HP. The HP circuits need to control the startup surge of the compressor motor.

Could be refrigerant pressures too high.

Could be the compressor failed.

 

[jrh590]

You have a problem in the heater with the compressor drawing too much amps.

It could be a bad capacitor in the HP. The HP circuits need to control the startup surge of the compressor motor.

Could be refrigerant pressures too high.

Could be the compressor failed.

Thanks! Covered under warranty. Up to 2 weeks before one of their rep comes and checks it out though. Then lets hope its not some insane wait for a compressor or cap.