| 2 different amp size breakers on one circuit I been having a circuit breaker popping if the furnace if running a long time to bring the temp up. I was just thinking may be a weak breaker and just replace it. My main panel has 2 breaker for the furnace a 60 amp and a 30 amp. When I went to get the model no off of the furnace breakers it had 2 60 amp breakers, 1 had the 6 gauge wire and the other 10 gauge wire. I have looked over the web and can only find the 60 amp breaker. They are a special breaker they have spade terminal instead of screw. Are their any danger just has long the main panel breaker is the right amp?
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Caddy |
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 alkizmo
join:2007-06-25
Pierrefonds, QC
kudos:1 | You mean your breaker panel is supplying the furnace with 1x 60A and 1x 30A, while the breakers on the furnace receiving those circuits are 2x 60A?
Well that would be your problem right? The furnace needs 2x 60A and draws too much power for the 30A breaker in your panel.
You'll need to replace the 30A with a 60A breaker and replace the 10AWG wire with 6AWG.
Make sure the two 60A breakers in your panel are on different legs. |
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| The one that keeps tripping is on the 6 gauge 60 amp on the furnace. The main breakers do not trip.
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Caddy |
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| reply to Caddyroger
Assuming this is a new problem, I would turn off the breakers and check for oxidized or corroded terminals, loose screws, or wire nuts anywhere on the circuit. Also you can check the amperage draw with an ammeter or amp clamp. |
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 KenPremium,MVM
join:2003-06-16
Markle, IN | reply to Caddyroger
What kind of furnace is this? 90 amps for a furnace is not something I have ever seen in a home. |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | reply to Caddyroger
Can you post some pics? |
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 jrs8084Premium
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC
kudos:1 | reply to Ken
Couldn't it just be electric heat and some of the elements have been disabled in the field as is commonly done? Hence a 60 and 30 in the panel, but two 60s in the heater (as prewired at factory assuming full load). |
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| reply to Ken
said by Ken:What kind of furnace is this? 90 amps for a furnace is not something I have ever seen in a home.
It is a intertherm model no e3eb-015h. The way it is wired 2 heat strips plus the blower is on the 60 amp breaker. The 30 amp is as 1 heat strip.
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Caddy |
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 John GaltForward, MarchPremium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
kudos:5 | reply to Caddyroger
Post a pic of the breakers... |
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| reply to robbin
said by robbin:Can you post some pics?
The top one is the breakers at the furnace. The second one is the main breaker panel. I could not a pic of the wire because I just got done buttoning it up. The wire are correct for the breakers.
I just wanting to know if it safe as long as their is a 30 amp at the main panel.
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Caddy |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | It looks to me like you have two 240 volt breakers in the panel which are labeled as furnace -- a 30 & a 60 amp. Do you have two different furnaces? |
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1 edit | other post
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Caddy |
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| reply to robbin
said by robbin:It looks to me like you have two 240 volt breakers in the panel which are labeled as furnace -- a 30 & a 60 amp. Do you have two different furnaces?
Only the one furnace. it is a 15000 watt furnace. Looks like 2 5000 watts heat strips and the blower is on the 60 amp breaker and the other 5000 watts is on the 30 amp breaker.
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Caddy |
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 leiboldPremium,MVM
join:2002-07-09
Sunnyvale, CA
kudos:6
 ·SONIC.NET
| reply to Caddyroger
The breakers in the main panel protect the wiring from the panel to the furnace. Because those breakers are the correct rating for the wire sizes there is no danger.
You should of course continue to investigate why one of the breakers inside the furnace keeps tripping. Possible reasons include (but are not limited to) bad heat element, bad breaker, worn insulation on any wire (check especially in areas where wires may come in contact with grounded metal).
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Got some spare cpu cycles ? Join Team Helix or Team Starfire! |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | reply to Caddyroger
You have two circuits going to the same furnace, not "2 different amp size breakers on one circuit". |
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| said by robbin:You have two circuits going to the same furnace, not "2 different amp size breakers on one circuit".
I should rephrase what said. I have 2 breakers a 60 amp and a 30 amp on the the main breaker panel. The 30 amp with 10 gauge wire goes to a 60 amp breaker on the furnace. The 60 amp with 6 gauge wire goes to a 60 amp breaker on the furnace.
They are 2 breakers on the same circuit.
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Caddy |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | The only function the breakers at the furnace serve is as a switch. |
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 whizkid3Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-21
Queens, NY
kudos:9 | said by robbin:The only function the breakers at the furnace serve is as a switch. Could be. There are devices that look exactly like circuit breakers, in circuit breaker packages; but have no logic or tripping mechanisms and are actually switches. Typically, switches in breaker packages are marked that it is 'not an OCPD' on the breaker itself; or on the wiring diagram. The OP would have to review the wiring diagram.
When a breaker trips - 99.999% of the time its not a problem with the circuit breaker - in fact its only doing its job. Quit replacing breakers and the switches in the furnace. This is not going to solve your problem.
The 60A circuit breaker in the home's load center is tripping. Its tripping because there is an overload somewhere in the circuit - most likely one of the heating elements is shorted or needs to be replaced. Best bet is to get a furnace repair company to trouble-shoot it. |
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 Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | reply to Caddyroger
What the OP has apparently is a 15 kw electric "Furnace" Could be one stage is shorted and when the sequencer turns it on it trips the breaker. My dad used to have a carrier 20 kw and I had to repair it about every month. Always something wrong with it. |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8
 ·Charter
 ·surpasshosting
 ·voip.ms
| reply to Caddyroger
The breaker is probably doing it's job. I get several service calls per week where the customer insists it's a "bad breaker". It rarely is. It's usually a good breaker that is keeping their house from burning down.
Why are you still running your furnace in May? 
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...because I care. |
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