Possible problem with the new house (which is still going pretty smoothly and still scheduled for closing on the 22nd but our broker said don't count that day as gospel cause it could be a day or two later and why did we bother specifying an exact date on the legal documents if it's subject to change based on stuff we have no control over anyway but that's not what this post is about so I'll drop it for now). The current air conditioner isn't the original air conditioner. That's not a problem at all. Newer is generally better and in this case it's a very nice air conditioner. The problem is that the original fuse and breaker are 40 amps and they weren't changed when this new unit was put in. This unit is rated at 30 amps. More modern, more efficient, pulls less juice.
Is this a problem? We made changing out the breaker for a 30 amp breaker one of our requirements but the sellers have been advised that it's a no-use change (no reason to do it, in other words) so they don't want to do it.
Is there a real problem if the cutouts are rated at 40 amps and the unit is rated at 30 amps?
In my non-professional non-electrician opinion, yeah, that's a problem. If, for some reason, the current should surge to 35+ amps, or stay above 30 amps for an extended period, the breaker won't open and the air conditioner could be damaged.
What did your inspector say? Are you willing to split the cost with them, as a way of meeting them halfway?
Turns out there's another reason for the difference between service amps and appliance rating. The wiring is aluminum. Can't legally install aluminum service components here in Georgia so if the breaker or fuse are brought down to 30amp it will be with copper service components. Copper and aluminum mix poorly - dissimilar metal corrosion, component movement, increased heat. Rewiring the service is right out. He's got no problem with putting in a 30amp breaker but recommends not doing so because of the aluminum/copper problem.
The plan now is to look for an old but serviceable 30 amp aluminum breaker and install it on the sly.