I run my shop from a rotary phase converter and this setup has been trouble free for years. Then a couple years ago I bought a machine that runs on 480 volts that came with a transformer to boost 240 volts to 480 volts. Most of the time when I turn on the breaker that energizes the transformer nothing happens. But once in a while, maybe
2% of the time, the breaker pops when I turn it on. The breaker is sized properly for the wires connected to it so it can't be replaced with one with a higher rating. I also don't think it is faulty because It is new. I replaced the old breaker after it had popped a few times when being turned on. The new breaker acts the way the old one did. When the breaker pops I wait only a few seconds before turning it on again and it never pops the second time it gets turned on. And it never pops while the machine is running, only when it is turned on. Could it be that the breaker is just on the edge of popping every time because of the inrush current when the transformer is energized? Thanks, Eric- posted
8 years ago