PipeDown wrote:
So you tripped the main but not the breaker to the branch circuit. Lets say
you have 100A service (an apartment might be lower, anyway it is marked on
the switch) and all the branches are 20A. Usually there are maybe ten 20A
curcuits. Obviously running them all at 12A would require 120A which would
not trip any branch curcuit breakers but certainly will trip the main.

This means your new A/C is "the straw that broke the camel's back" so to
speak. Your total load in the apartement exceeds the breaker panels
capacity. You either need to upgrade the electrical service (good luck
convincing the landloard) or turn off a substantial load or two when using
the A/C.
The landlord has to make this buliding habitable he is not I already
paid my rent for this month.

Since it took 30 minutes to 4 hours to trip, I suspect it is boarderline
(requiring you to turn off only a few things) or it is associated with
another load like an electric water heater, toaster oven, refridgerator,
stove or some combination of the items you weren't aware you were adding
them up.

My bet is on an electric water heater as they use lots of current and cycle
on and off without warning or notice. You may want to turn off the breaker
to that (WH) while you run the A/C. A bit inconvenient but less so than
resetting all the clocks and missing the best part of the game on TV while
you reset the main breaker.



"Travis Jordan" wrote in message
...
skarsan wrote:
I bought a 10,000 btu air conditioner I ran it for 4 hours yesterday
and shut the power to my apartment so I reset the circut breaker and
it did the same thing a half hour later. Is is supposed to shut the
power off to my apartment?

Yes.