Compressor, reversing valve, or something else wrong with a/c

[sailingchiro]

I have an Ocean Breeze R22,16btu, 115volt, 14 amp air conditioner with reverse heat. Recently, it ran fine for a couple of hours on heat then it blew the 30 amp breaker. I turned back on the breaker, the same thing happened.
I put an ammeter on the main breaker wire.

As it ran before start up (my fan runs all the time) it read 2.4amps, when the compressor started it was 14.1 amps. But over the next 2 minutes it slowly increased to 19 amps then compressor stopped and went back to 2.4 amps. After a few seconds the compressor tried to restart pulling 41amp before the breaker flipped. All of this was on heat mode.

After the admiral woke, I tried it on air conditioner, 14.1 amps and ran for 4-5 hours with no problems. Thoughts? Need more data?

[Sailmonkey]

Slightly low gas for heating, causing a low pressure shutdown.

Water too cold for heating causing a low pressure shutdown.

It blew the breaker because the compressor tried to start against unequal pressures after the pressure switch reset.

Is this unit equipped with digital controls or three knob?

[Coolerking]

Does it do this in cool mode?
Check every wire terminal, ring connector, start component etc for loose wire, resistive connections.
Disconnect reversing valve coil to eliminate it as a cause.
If you have a generator, try it on that to check dock power and eliminate it as a cause.

[sailingchiro]

It is the L.E.D panel. We were running on generator. Air conditioning worked really well. We are in western Florida, I wouldn't think the water is too cold. Only did it on heat mode.

[Coolerking]

When running in heat mode, you are removing heat from the seawater, so the evap becomes the condenser.
Water temps would need to be far below what Florida has to offer for it to not function in heat only.
Make sure the filter is clean.
Have you checked the breaker itself?

[Davidhoy]

Check/clean filter, check/clean raw water strainer, check through hull and hoses for marine growth. Partial obstruction may allow forward cycle to work, but not reverse. Worth checking it all.

[sailingchiro]

Originally Posted by Coolerking

When running in heat mode, you are removing heat from the seawater, so the evap becomes the condenser.
Water temps would need to be far below what Florida has to offer for it to not function in heat only.
Make sure the filter is clean.
Have you checked the breaker itself?

It was pulling 41 amps when 30 amp breaker flipped. It was working fine on the 14.1 amps up to 19 amps. When in cooling mode, it never went above the 14.1 amps. Only in heat mode did it go to 19 amps then shut down and restarted at 41 amps. I removed the filter to make sure no impediment. Cleaned and reinstalled it.
If I unhook the solenoid for the reversing valve will it only stay in cool mode? Also, can I check solenoid on reversing valve with resistance to make sure solenoid is good? I will obviously check if voltage is going to reversing valve. I will take my gauges to check gases. I also have a near full bottle of R22 purchased for $110 many years ago. Can you hear or feel the reversing valve is voltage is hooked to it. Tap with end of screwdriver?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by sailingchiro

I have an Ocean Breeze R22,16btu, 115volt, 14 amp air conditioner with reverse heat. Recently, it ran fine for a couple of hours on heat then it blew the 30 amp breaker. I turned back on the breaker, the same thing happened.
I put an ammeter on the main breaker wire.

As it ran before start up (my fan runs all the time) it read 2.4amps, when the compressor started it was 14.1 amps. But over the next 2 minutes it slowly increased to 19 amps then compressor stopped and went back to 2.4 amps. After a few seconds the compressor tried to restart pulling 41amp before the breaker flipped. All of this was on heat mode.

After the admiral woke, I tried it on air conditioner, 14.1 amps and ran for 4-5 hours with no problems. Thoughts? Need more data?

Just as a SWAG or more a WAG. Try rapping on the reversal solenoid valve. I may not be changing to heat mode entirely.

[Coolerking]

You can download the danfoss hvac tool it has a coil checker in it and it uses the magnetic field detection system in your phone to indicate that the coil is energized.
Please first turn off the breaker and confirm that the connections on the start relay and the capacitors are tight and in good condition.
This could also be a failing start relay.
How old is it?
Can you see the RLA and the LRA on the compressor label?
If so post it, or the compressor model # it will most likely look like this .....AKA2515EXE ....

[ebs001]

If your reverse cycle air is tripping a 30 amp breaker when it is drawing 19 amps then the breaker is at fault. Changing the breaker should solve your problem. The operation of the system from your description sounds like it is operating fine. A 30 amp breaker should not trip at 19 amps.

[Outlaw7]

Welcome to the world of Ocean Breeze. Joe does not put in a time delay so that pressure will equalize before it tries to restart. Hence the pulling of 41 amps. Also he probably did not use an expansion valve either just a cap tube that takes even longer to equalize. Run it on cool, stop it, wait 15 minutes and try and restart on heat. Also as some one mentioned the reversing valve maybe stuck so thunk it with the end of a large screwdriver, you won't hurt it.
It has nothing to do with water flow the water runs through the condenser the same for heat or cooling.

[Brewgyver]

Originally Posted by ebs001

If your reverse cycle air is tripping a 30 amp breaker when it is drawing 19 amps then the breaker is at fault. Changing the breaker should solve your problem. The operation of the system from your description sounds like it is operating fine. A 30 amp breaker should not trip at 19 amps.

It didn't.

If you read the initial post again, you'll see he said that when the meter climbed to 19 amps, the compressor stopped, but the fan kept running. The breaker didn't trip at 19, one of the safeties opened to stop the compressor, fan kept running, drawing 2ish amps. When the compressor tried to restart, it pulled 41 amps, tripping the breaker.

[ebs001]

Originally Posted by Brewgyver

It didn't.

If you read the initial post again, you'll see he said that when the meter climbed to 19 amps, the compressor stopped, but the fan kept running. The breaker didn't trip at 19, one of the safeties opened to stop the compressor, fan kept running, drawing 2ish amps. When the compressor tried to restart, it pulled 41 amps, tripping the breaker.

You are right. The original post said it tripped the 30 amp breaker but on rereading I see that the reason the breaker tripped the first time was the unit short cycled as it did the second time.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by ebs001

You are right. The original post said it tripped the 30 amp breaker but on rereading I see that the reason the breaker tripped the first time was the unit short cycled as it did the second time.

Yes, it short cycled.

Which is why is postulated in the second post that the refrigerant may be low, the unit tripping out in low pressure in the heat mode.

But the OP is in Florida and was using heat....so it’s possible the unit tripped on HP while heating with really warm water.

[Coolerking]

The seawater water needs to flow anytime the compressor is running.