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Would a short circuit in one room cause the A/C capacitor to blow?

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  homerb 
#1 ·
When I was gone for the weekend, the A/C quit working in my house.

When I got home last night and checked the A/C, I saw that the capacitor had failed. The top and bottom of the capacitor was bowed out like there was too much pressure inside. After I fixed the A/C, my roommate also mentioned that the breaker for his room was also tripping and the lights were flickering. I was gone for the weekend, so I don't know which one failed first.

A few hours after I got that fixed, the ceiling fan and light in his room started to act up again. I tried to flip the breaker on but it tripped instantly. When that happens, I know NEVER to hold down the breaker because it can cause fires.. There's obviously something that's tripping it. So when I was up in his room looking for the problem, HE was down in the garage and held the breaker ON like a putz without me telling him to do so. As a shower of sparks came out from the ceiling fan motor (inside the fan, not the wiring connections to the fixture), and after I finished yelling at him, I instantly knew exactly what the problem was. That ceiling fan was old, and it was the only fixture that I didn't replace when I bought the house.

So, the question I have is: Could a failure in a 15 amp bedroom circuit cause damage to the A/C capacitor on an entirely different circuit? Normally, the circuit breaker would prevent damage, but could this failure occur because he held on the breaker? Or is it purely coincidental that the A/C capacitor failed around the same time as the ceiling fan in his bedroom? Keep in mind that all the other sensitive electronics in my house are un-damaged.

I just want to know if it's his own stupidity that caused the problem that he was complaining about all weekend for me to fix as if it were my fault. If that is the case, I'll take it out of his security deposit,

Thanks!
Homer
 
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#2 ·
I know NEVER to hold down the breaker because it can cause fires..
1

So, the question I have is: Could a failure in a 15 amp bedroom circuit cause damage to the A/C capacitor on an entirely different circuit?
2

Normally, the circuit breaker would prevent damage, but could this failure occur because he held on the breaker?
3

Or is it purely coincidental
4
1 Nah; all breakers nowadays are 'trip-free' unless this internal mechanism has failed.
2 I don't see how.
3 Nah.
4 Yes, both were on the verge of failing.
 
#6 ·
Haha, I'm not from there, but my putz roommate is from Philly and talks like he's from Dirtay Jersay. That's why I call him a putz.. Because he does stupid things like leaves the window open and closes the A/C vent and tells me he's not "using" the A/C. But when the A/C doesn't work for a day, he won't shut up about it.. I told him, "What's the matter, I thought you weren't "using the A/C"?!

Homer
 
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