Window AC unit problems, Please assist if you can!

Boscy

Hello all, this is my first post on these forums.
Well, I have a window ac unit in my house. It is a fairly old house with no central ac, and probobly pretty old wiring.

The problem is that every once and a while the AC will "trip", and i have to press the reset button, then the test button (same as the ones on a hair dryer). Sometimes it wont reset for a while and I do not know why. The main issue though, is that I do not know what is causing this. Can anyone tell me what it is? Is there a work-around for it, or some kind of solution. I have it plugged straight into a three prong outlet.(one of the few three pluggers in the house) Any and all help is greatley appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Josh-

BTW i thought maybe it was surging, bad ground, overheating, but i dont know, and I am not good with home improvment stuff to begin with

Teetorbilt

First of all, you should have a dedicated curcuit to the unit. It sounds as if you are plugged in to a GCFI protected circuit, there are multiple reasons for failure here. I would suggest that you consult a local electrician and get it done properly. House fires bite!