Can a 13000 btu airconditioner run on 15 amp breaker?

Answer 1

13,000 Btu/hr is 3,809 watts. At 120 volts that is 31 amps. At 240 volts it is still 16 amps, which is why the MINIMUM circuit you would need is 20A at 240V. This gives you the necessary "de-rating" of the circuit (80 percent) for full load bring run constantly.

In other words, you could run 20A x 240V, or 4,800 watts, on a 20A circuit, but that would be the maximum load. Electrical code requires "de-rating" by 20 percent for constant loads. Reducing 4,800 by 960 watts gives you, coincidentally, 3,840 watts, which exceeds the 3,809 of the 13,000 Btu/hr.

Note that A/C units are not 100-percent efficient, so the 13,000 Btu/hr will actually draw MORE than 3,809 watts. The unit will have a label telling you how many amps it requires.

Answer 2

A 13000 BTU air conditioner typically requires a minimum of 15 amps to run. It is recommended to have a dedicated circuit with a 15-20 amp breaker to avoid overloading the circuit. It's important to consult the air conditioner manual for specific electrical requirements.