Any Sparkies on here?

[Troll]

Quick Q, just been in the garage to fire up my compresor, it ran for a while and then tripped out the circuit breaker.

Checked the CB and its only 16A, my CB is a crabtree starbreaker with mini MCB's. Q is can I swap out the 16A MCB for a 30A one and if so can I just pull it out without powering down the whole unit?

Thanks,
Mark

[sidney]

Whats the motor amps, has comp been running ok before, is it tripping out on start up. could be you need a motor rated breaker.

[Dave1800BDA]

mark, the obvious person is on your doorstep

[Troll]

Sidney, it has done this before in a previous garage that had a CB fitted, the compressor is fine.

Dave, I don't know anyone on my doorstep, who did u have in mind?

[mk1gaz]

If swopping the breaker to 30A you will need 4mm cable installed to the compressor as a 16A circuit will normally be in 2.5mm cable . The breaker is tripping as there's a fault on the circuit or too much load from the appliance (compressor in this case) .
Compressors draw a higher current when 1st fired up and this surge can trip a "B" type circuit breaker so you could fit a "C" type breaker instead but you need to know the load of the compressor 1st to be sure .

[fast eddie]

i know a guy from dorset whos sh*t hot with electrics (literary!)

[s17yde]

If your compressor got a 13amp plug on it it should run fine on 16amp,your 16 amp mcb is protecting the cable supplying your sockets you need to know what size cable and whether its a radial or ring main circuit before fitting larger mcb

[Gordy]

Are you shore the compressor isnt trying to start under load ie compressor fault not motor

[Troll]

UMM ITS ALL VERY COMPLICATED...

The sockets in my house are all on a 30A MCB so I could run an extension lead into the garage and see if that works as I don't want to risk anything.

Just read compressor manual, it only mentions 3 phase compressors must be connected to a 16A 3 pin plug.

It ran fine for about 10 mins then tripped whenthe compressor motor restarted to refill the tank.

thanks for all yr answers.

<M>

[rs new boy]

UMM ITS ALL VERY COMPLICATED...

The sockets in my house are all on a 30A MCB so I could run an extension lead into the garage and see if that works as I don't want to risk anything.

Just read compressor manual, it only mentions 3 phase compressors must be connected to a 16A 3 pin plug.

It ran fine for about 10 mins then tripped whenthe compressor motor restarted to refill the tank.

thanks for all yr answers.

<M>

3 PHASE are you sure you have ran this compressor on a 3 pin house hold plug 3 phase is industrial

[Troll]

3 PHASE are you sure you have ran this compressor on a 3 pin house hold plug 3 phase is industrial

lol mine isn't 3 phase, the manual says if the compressor is a 3 phase one......

worked fine in the old house but that was on old fuse wire not CB's.

I will have a play tomorrow, as doing a bit of googling it could be the check valve.

bang goes my 2 days of working on the car

[Paulk RS1800]

As Garry mk1GAZ said change to a type C circuit breaker (mcb) 20A should be fine if it came fitted with a 16A plug top. Its just power surge on start up.

[grum]

mark, the obvious person is on your doorstep

i know a guy from dorset whos sh*t hot with electrics (literary!)

Dave, Mark aint Dorset anymore, and Ed, you're a funny guy

[Troll]

update,

Checked compressor this morning and it does state 16A, so thats why the CB was tripping.

so workaround, plug ext lead into kitchen from garage and power compressor/welder lights of that.. easy... but a PINA.

thanks for yr replies, think I might try a 61C20 MCB when I find one.

<M>

[grum]

Mark, surely trying the 61C20 MCB bypassing the dc current of the compressor will negate the ac surge being experienced via a 30A MCB in the board when drawing on 16A through the single phase unit until the motor 'canny take anymore Jim'