Do you know it is required for every air cooling system to have a size breaker? I have seen many people get confused about the size of a size breaker. Many even asked me what size breaker do I need for a 5-ton air conditioner?
An air cooling system is not just a single machine. Behind an air cooling system, many other parts work tirelessly so that its primary system can work properly, something like size breakers. It is not even a prominent part of an aircon’s component, but an air cooling system must need a size breaker. It not only protects the air cooling system only but also protects the whole house from getting into an accident.
In this article, I will help you to get an answer to your question. So without any further delays, let’s get started.
What Size Breaker Do I Need For A 5-Ton Air Conditioner?
A 5-ton air cooling system will need a breaker which is rated 45-50 A attached to an 8-10 AWG wire, which is passed with 197-253 volts. But remember, its breaker and wire size really varies on the air cooling system’s electricity usage (W).
Size breakers are an essential factor for an air cooling system. You have asked me what size breaker do I need for a 5-ton air conditioner? So here is the answer to your question-
What Is A Size Breaker?
When your air cooling system needs better safety for all kinds of extra troubles like short circuits, electrocution, hazardous fire, etc., for being overloaded, that is why a size breaker is needed. It was made so that it can prevent the electrical circuit problems which happen because of overload or short circuits.
For example- Your air cooling system uses too much electricity for a specific reason; that is where a size breaker is needed so that it can carry the load of that voltage. And then there are some changes that we might get an electrical shock or short circuit or electrocution, size breakers predict that thing, and before us knowing what just happened, it shut down all the central electrical units so that we don’t have to face that bad situation.
A breaker size comes with 125% of the amp of cable and wire.
Read more: Do You Have To Add Water To A Window Air Conditioner?
How Does It Work?
Well, the thing that is used for passing the maximum electricity between the breaker without stumbling the circuit is called a circuit breaker size.
And this is how it works. It passes electricity between the breaker by making sure it doesn’t stumble. It also makes sure that it doesn’t become the reason behind power dropping.
How Do I Know What Size Breaker To Use?
You need to do a little calculation before deciding to buy a size breaker if you don’t know which size breaker to buy.
If you want to figure out the size breaker’s size, you just need to divide the balanced watt by 240 volts to know the graded amp you might need for your subpanel.
After doing that, you will know what kind of size breaker you should use.
How Do You Size A Wire And A Breaker?
If you want to size the wire and a breaker, then you have to follow the rule of thumb.
The rule of thumb says you will need a 10-gauge wire for a 30 amp circuit breaker. You will need an 8-gauge wire for a 40 amp circuit breaker. And 12-gauge for a 20 amp circuit breaker. So you will need wire which will be size 4, for a 60 amp circuit breaker. And for a 50 amp circuit breaker, you will need a size six-wire.
So here you go. I have written the sizes of wires and breakers. I hope this will help you in the near future.
Why Is Accurate Breaker Sizing Required?
If you want to buy a new breaker, you must keep that in mind that it has to be a perfect size. A wrong breaker size can cause many troubles. Something like-
- If you buy a circuit breaker that is a bigger size, then it can easily harm your water heater or any other machines which are connected with it. It can overheat your machines and can cause fire for that reason.
- On the other hand, an undersized breaker can fall down and start again and again.
- An accurate breaker size will prevent any kind of electrocution, short circuits, hazardous fire, etc.
So, that’s why an accurate size breaker is required.
What Happens If You Use A Bigger Breaker?
When you want to replace a size breaker, always keep that in mind that you have to buy an inaccurate size breaker.
If your breaker fell down and now you want to replace it, but you have bought a bigger breaker, then let me tell you what will actually happen. First, it will expand the chances of overheating, which will cause a fire. A bigger-sized breaker will overheat the wires or the receptacles, which can create fire easily.
So that’s why you should not replace your breaker with a bigger breaker.
How Many Amps Does An Air Conditioner Use?
If your air cooling system is centralized, or you can say it is a central cooling system, then its components will need 208/240 volts. The wires will be hard-wired, and they will have a specific circuit.
On the other hand, its components will need 15-60 amps which will rely on the tons of your air cooling system. Remember 1ton= 12000 Btu.
Does Aircon Need Its Own Breaker?
People often ask me this question which states that does the aircon need its own breaker? It is an excellent question to ask.
Well, every air cooling system needs its own breaker. So you can say I am very much positive that you will also need a different breaker if you want to install an air cooling system. PEC even declared that the load capacity of your breaker must be 30A.
So, if your breaker can take more than one powerful machine, then you may not need a new breaker, but if it doesn’t, then you must need a new breaker for your air cooling system.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace AC Breaker?
You want to replace your old breaker but don’t know what the price will be of a new breaker, and then I have got your back. So today, I will reveal the price of a new breaker.
You can get a new breaker, but the prices will vary depending on the brand and its features. You can get it from $208.88 to $249.06, which also includes the labour charges.
So it really depends on you which one you need and which one you want to buy.
Can You Replace A Breaker Yourself?
Do you know you actually can replace a breaker by yourself if you want to save the extra costs?
You need to follow some steps if you want to replace your breaker. They are-
- First, switch off the branch breakers, then switch off the main one. Recheck if it’s actually turned off or not by rechecking the adjacent breakers.
- Now remove the cover of the panel. You will find the branch breakers.
- Now detach the wires of faulty breakers and remove them from your way.
- Look for the defective breaker. Write down how it was installed in the panel and how it was put in its position. It will get easier for you if you do so.
- After removing the defective one, now you can fit the new one.
- Now check if there are any loose wires in your branch breaker. Fix it. Then close the panel cover.
- Now switch on the main breaker first, then switch on the branch breakers one by one. Now test if it is working correctly or not.
What Is The Life Expectancy Of A Circuit Breaker?
CPSC or you can say Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that the durability of a breaker is almost 30 to 40 years. But still, it depends on the model, its quality, electricity problems, etc. These are the reasons why a breaker can get damaged before its fixed time.
What Causes A Circuit Breaker To Go Bad?
There are many reasons why a breaker can go wrong. But these are the common reasons why a breaker can get damaged so soon. They are-
- A short circuit or power surge can cause a circuit breaker to go bad.
- Spikes.
- An overloaded breaker can cause damage.
- Poor quality breaker.
- Conduit system with grounded wires. Etc.
How Many Times Can A Breaker Trips Before It Should Be Replaced?
It is usual for a breaker to trip during short circuits. But there is a limit to that. A breaker should not be tripped not more than 4 or 5 times. After that, it should be replaced immediately at that moment.
How Many Times Can You Reset A Breaker?
Do you know how many times it is allowed to reset your breaker? Well, the answer is, you can reset your breaker only once.
If you plug in many other electrical devices into one breaker, which is more than 15 Amps, you can decrease the load of that breaker by resetting it only once.
Here Is My Personal Review
I have recently bought a new 3 ton Daikin air cooling system. My room is not spacious, so I have decided a 3-ton aircon will be perfect for me. A 60-ampere size breaker is needed for that. Fifteen amperes is spent on the blower and the rest spent behind the heating elements.
Apart from that, the Daikin air cooling system is the best when it is time to cool down the room. It can cool down the room very fast. It comes with high-grade features and also durable units. It’s quality, and after observing the overall factors, I am highly satisfied as a customer.
But it is a bit costly. At first, I was thinking of buying a Carrier AC. Still, after calculating everything, I have concluded that even though Daikin is a bit costly, its overall service is fantastic. It is reliable, its effectiveness, its build quality, its service, everything is top-notch.
Conclusion
What size breaker do I need for a 5-ton air conditioner? I guess you have got your answer by now.
By reading this article now, I hope you know what a size breaker is and how it works. I guess now you know what kind of size breaker you will need for your 5-ton air cooling system.
