Air Conditioner plug trips

[MitchB]

Anyone ever had issues with the plug on the side mounted Frigidaire AC units popping?  Out of nowhere my plug breaker (the one physically on the plug not the outlet) will not stay set.  As soon as I plug it in it pops regardless of whether the unit is turned on or not.  The unit has run for less than 30 minutes so I doubt it's the unit, I've removed covers and wires look fine.  A multimeter test seems to indicate everything is normal.  I'd guess the breaker part of the plug has gone bad but is there any way to check that?  Thanks

Mitch

[DavidM]

So, the end of the cord that plugs into an outlet has a breaker inside it? And the breaker in the camper that feeds that circuit doesn't trip but the one in the plug does? That is kind of strange. The only way to confirm that that is the problem is to open up the outlet so you can get to the hot- black wire feeding it and put a clamp on meter to check its current draw. If it is near the manufacturer's rated amperage then the internal breaker in the plug is bad.

If so, then you could just cut off the plug and wire a new one that you can get from any hardware store. That means you would rely on the camper's breaker to protect that circuit and that bothers me a little bit because maybe the plug breaker is protecting the A/C unit itself. That is unusual but maybe???

Update:

I did a little Google research and I think that the plug has a GFCI in it, not a simple circuit breaker. Why??? Someone opened it up and a little water drained out, maybe from sitting outside. Then it worked.

A GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) looks for a current difference in the hot and neutral wire which indicates a fault to ground. This can be caused by water in the plug or wet wiring in the A/C.

I can't imagine why an A/C unit needs a dedicated GFCI. I would just cut it off and wire a hardware store plug in its place.

David

[MitchB]

Yes to both, the plug has a breaker built in that is popping and the breaker in the camper that feeds that outlet does not pop. Apparently nowadays window air conditioners come with what's called an LCDI (leakage current detection interrupter)  which is similar to but not quite the same as the GFCI we are all familiar with.  So my LCDI is popping.  I thought about cutting it off and replacing it with a standard plug as you suggested (relying upon the camper breaker) but I just couldn't quite bring myself to bypass what someone somewhere decided was a good safety feature.   Subsequent to my first post I was looking at the plug and I noticed it there was a small amount of water leakage coming from the plug itself.  I can only surmise that water leaked into the air conditioner space (this can happen on the side mounted models) and managed to run along the wire and into the plug.  It does plug in so that prongs face up. Overall it's very odd and perhaps being unplugged and hanging down the water will leak back out.  If not I can replace the cord assembly and see if that really is the issue.  Barring that I guess I'd have to replace the entire AC unit although I can't see how the unit is fastened into the space.  It's not just sitting in there. 

[DavidM]

Try opening that plug. It has "tamper proof" screws according to my Google search but it is probably uses a star screw driver or at worse one with a tip that needs a driver with a hole in it. These are available at your hardware store. Then drain any water out. One user said that that did the job.

Crazy that it is designed so condensate can run down the cord and &%$# up the LCDI.

I do appreciate your concern about cutting the end off. At worst replace the cord, not the unit. I will bet that they are available.

David

[Chappy133]

Zip tie a loop in the cord and the water will drip at the loop vs going into the plug.

[MitchB]

David, I'll try to get the cover off of the plug, it is some goofyass screw. I'll have to see what will work with it, when I did a quick try nothing worked (#1 square or small hex).  The loop idea for the cord is a good idea too Chappy.  Thanks Fellas.

Mitch

[FastEddieB]

Since I've been plagued with the problem...

If I'm understanding the situation properly, is it possible the GFCI circuit in the plug is detecting an actual, possibly intermittent, ground fault and doing what it's supposed to do?

Have you checked for continuity between your ground and neutral circuits? With shore power disconnected, of course.

[MitchB]

Hi Eddie, it's possible,but I think unlikely that there is actually a current issue caused by wiring or bad parts. If there is an issue I think it would be a problem with the plug on the cord itself because the plug trips even when the unit isn't turned on. Continuity checks didn't show any problems. As I mentioned, somehow there was moisture in the plug, if I can find a tool that will open the security screws that seal the plug unit and I can dry it out it might be repairable, if not I can replace the cord and then I'd know for sure if the issue is with the cord or actual air conditioner unit itself. 

[Diversteve]

I agree with Eddie.
The fact that the unit trips even if the AC is off, points to a ground fault.
The button on the plug is typically not a breaker but a reset for the GFCI.

[MitchB]

I checked continuity of the cord not the trailer plug. I kind of assumed that if there was a problem with the trailer receptacle the breaker would pop.  In addition it doesn't matter what trailer outlet I use, the plug pops anyway.  Another check, I'll run an extension from a house plug to the AC unit to see if the plug still pops.  That would take the trailer wiring out of the loop completely 

Update:
On an extension from the house the plug still pops. Must be the plug.