Hi everyone! My dad passed away last September, and with the weather heating up, my mom and I want to turn on the central air conditioning. My dad always took care of this, so I'm not exactly sure how to manage the circuit breaker. In our basement, there's a label showing separate options for the heater and AC. Do I need to turn on both breakers, or just the one for the AC? I remember finding something online before, but I can't seem to track it down now. I really don't want to mess anything up or waste energy! Thanks for any help!
2 Answers
It sounds like you need to turn on the AC breaker only. Usually, if you have a split system (with an outdoor condensing unit and an indoor air handler), they have separate breakers. The AC breaker is typically a double-pole breaker and might be higher amps, like between 30 and 60. The heater would usually have its own, smaller breaker. You can check if those are labeled as you mentioned.
It's great that you're trying to get the AC running! Normally, only the AC breaker should need to be switched on. Just make sure neither of the breakers are off. Also, remember to adjust your thermostat to cool mode and set the temperature you want. That should do the trick!
That makes sense! Sounds like you might just need to switch over the thermostat from heat to cool and set your desired temperature. Most setups don’t require you to flip both breakers.