How To Fix Lights Dimming When Portable Air Conditioner Turns On?
I have a 8,000 BTU portable air conditioner, and when the compressor turns on all the lights dim. I looked in the circuit breaker and its on a 15a fuse, which for some reason is wired into the kitchen lights/fans, as well as one of the bedrooms lights/outlets and half the outlets in a second bedroom. lots of computers, tv's, and other equipment are plugged into these outlets so it would be difficult to get the air conditioner on its own circuit. Is there anything else I can do?
Answer:
Have an electrician run you a couple of new circuits. The one you describe is WAY overloaded. USA The only things you can do beside adding a circuit for the air conditioner are to: 1. Put up with it 2. Make sure everything else is turned off when you turn the AC on. The compressor takes a LOT of power for the first few hundredths of a second when it first turns on. That is the nature of motors. Because the unit takes a lot of current to start, it sucks the power from the whole circuit. by code (in Canada) you may put a maximum of twelve lights or fixtures on one circuit, best idea is see if you have a free spot on your panel put a 20 amp breaker and plug your air in to its own circuit or turn off as much lights and things in other rooms while its on ....sorry probably not what you wanted to hear but ....