Changed compressor starter capacitor but not the dual run capacitor. Finally a senior tech came out and recognized that the fan required a different capacitor than what was initially changed in. Is it swollen at the top? Faulty electrical signals. Plug electronics into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. The problem came back. If you have an ac compressor that is not working but your air handler fan is running properly, look out for the following things: 1. A loose A/C fan. Fan spun fine for a few minutes, the crapped out. Cocoa/Merritt Island/Rockledge 321-631-6886 Capacitors can hold lethal amounts of charge, so they need to be handled properly when swapped out. Sorry Jedson but I don't understand the question. Still same, fan on condenser stops after a few. Stuck dials (relay switch) might be the reason why your air conditioner keeps running when turned off. Gina Im having the exact same problem. Contents. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Here are the 3 possible problems: 1) Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off - The first thing is the condensing unit will freeze up if the air handler blower is not running when the condenser is on. But when set to cooling the compressor fan stops and starts, it will not stay on when compressor is on. I could hear the lines charging and again, no leaks. Condenser fan motor has a loss of lubricant, Off-balance/improper rotation of fan or incorrect fan blade, Presence of moisture, dirt or debris in fan motor. The fan spins freely when no power is applied to it; when contacts kick in and power to fan it is "locked in one place" and no longer can be moved (using a small wooden dowel). Ok so I had same issues listed above pulled motor and capacitor out of a running exact same unit put in mine and now compressor kicks on contractor working as it should and still condensing fan will not run and all parts are oem and brand new off running unit makes absolutely no sense please help my house is heating up hotter than outside temperatures in the day time and its 3 am and finally down to78 degrees, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Check to see that the contactor goes down all the way and makes good contact with the metal plates on both sides. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. Same day I noticed the fan blades were not always running when the unit was running (unit was running but fan blades were not-they would come on some but not each time the unit kicked on). Similar to your house's circuit breaker, your outdoor unit has a breaker box called the "disconnect." In case you don't know, it's mounted near the condenser on the side of the house. Powered by Invision Community. Why does my condenser keep running? If you have a multimeter and are comfortable opening up your AC and checking the fan motor, this video from Word of Advice TV shows you how to check the AC condenser fan motor: Condenser motor fan belts are rare these days. The condenser fan is the key to the lifespan of your HVAC unit. Eventually, the layer of black soot prevents the metal plates from forming contact with each other. Fan motor is bad. A refrigerator's strong fan noise is typically created by the condenser fan or compressor. Help, On 2020-06-06 - by (mod) - air conditioning drags voltage, NsisUsually drawing high amos is a sign of a failing motor, The Air conditioning drags voltage and almost turns off other appliances when compressor attempts to start up You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. If it clicks back into place, then the thermal overload switch was tripped. yes, I am not familiar with the proper terms. First the capacitor was replaced. Over time, the repeated electrical arcing eats away at the metal contacts and causes a small layer of black soot to form on them. The contactor is a switch found inside your HVAC unit that controls the voltage distributed to the compressor and condenser fan motor. My guess is no low speed, but we need to know all circumstances in which that speed is used to assure dropping it is ok. Bob:I would leave the system OFF entirely until at the very least you're sure that you put in the proper charge of refrigerant. PDo let me know what your service repair technician says. Crimped for better connection. I was unsure if perhaps having the fan unit so hot might have been part of the problem and causing the fan to shut down. You may need a new fan assembly or a few bolts tightened. The fan is still cutting off and not cutting back on. The problem still came back in the mid day heat. I have a trane heatpump. Turn the air conditioner completely off, and call in a professional right away to diagnose the cause and prevent further damage to the system. Blower Relay Switch has Malfunctioned. Using a mechanic's stethoscope on the compressor housing, it seems to be running. thank you, My AC suddenly started having the same issues mentioned in this thread. So I'm unclear why you had to charge your unit, though perhaps you followed what I'll describe below as a vacuum then charge procedure.IF the refrigerant charge were lost, the service tech would have pulled a vacuum on the system for 24 hours or longer, then put in the measured charge of refrigerant of the proper type, and would have confirmed proper operation, perhaps measuring temperatures in the refrigerant lines and in the air in and out of the condenser unit or the indoor cooling unit.Below is an example - for other readers, of a Pioneer mini-split AC system.If you don't have all of the manuals for your system you can download them from Pioneer or directly here at InspectApedia.com atPIONEER MINI SPLIT SERIES INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF]PIONEER MINI SPLIT SERIES SERVICE & REPAIR MANUAL [PDF]PIONEER MINI SPLIT SERIES USERS MANUAL [PDF]I'd contact Pioneer directly at their tech support department to ask for further help with that P4 error.Contact Pioneer at(800) 919-0150https://www.pioneerminisplit.com/. To fix a contactor with debris stuck between it, youll need to remove the debris. A bent condenser fan causes stress on the blower fan motor shaft and can destroy the motor. The heavy fan motor is mounted on the panel, so have a helper hold it while you install the blanket. Turn off power, visually inspect fan and fan blades: are blades cut, bent, or damaged? These pressures vary of course by type of refrigerant, ambient temperatures, compressor details, etc. Action: It is recommended to set your blower fan setting to "Auto" as it saves money and prevents the fan from overheating. Set the function switch to "Ohms" on an auto-ranging DMM or the "R X 1" scale on a manual ranging DMM. An easier way of checking your capacitor is to use a voltmeter. This Q&A were posted originally at FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER DIAGNOSTIC FAQs. Also, noticed the old fan wire actually has a quick connect coupler for all four wires to connect into a circuit board. 7. If the fan contactor is broken, then the fan wont run. My unit is 22 years old! Fan Selection: Depending on vehicle design, the fans may operate singly or in . Is it damaged? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi, my name is Trey Lewis and Im the founder and chief editor athvactrainingshop.com. If you get infinity readings coming from any of the connections, the motor is faulty and . Turn The Fan Switch To "Off" And Back To "Auto": If the . The inside unit uses . Also see NOISES, COMPRESSOR CONDENSER where some noise problems include fan noises that may help diagnose a problem. I dried the lines and did the pressure testing and all held perfectly. 2. Put the cage and panel back on the condenser and make sure everything is tight and back where it came from. Many contactor contacts get dirty after a few years of use. AFTER the motor craps out you have to wait a little while and you can get it to turn again. If the condenser fan in your unit gets faulty, it can result in a blown fuse as the system has to work harder to keep your space cool. The Unit Is Too Small or Has an Old Thermostat. If your unit is blowing warm air from the supply vents in addition to running constantly, it may have frozen up. FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER UNIT at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. I ohmed the 3 motor windings and they add up correctly. It turns fairly easily, but seemed to come to a stop abruptly. The air conditioner or heat pump condensing coil (shown at left) receives high pressure refrigerant gas from the compressor and cools this refrigerant gas back to a liquid state. Burnt Out Motor. Typically this is caused by an internal short in the motor windings. Read further to diagnose the issue. Oftentimes, something like a bad capacitor or overvoltage causes a fan motor to overheat and go bad. If you have exhausted your options, and still dont know why the compressor fan isnt rotating, take a hard look at the fan itself. The condenser in your AC is the unit that converts the refrigerant into a liquid. Confirm that power is off by using a voltage detector. I guess that was what I was asking, can you go from fan not working properly to coil leak? The system won't cool your unless both sides of the system are working. (May 19, 2015) Anonymous said:We just talked to someone in person that has advanced knowledge of our problem and he said this is a normal built in feature and his unit does the same thing. If the fan starts up and keeps spinning on its own, the capacitor is bad. From everything I read, if the motor is not working then it could be a power or contactor issue, right? It is important to keep the fan in good repair. 4. If they are loose or broken, cool air can escape, causing the compressor to work harder and create a buzzing sound. The parts are priced at $245 to $330, while labor could be $55 to $200, depending on your make and model. Did find a lose red wire on the contactor. The condenser fan motor draws air over the condenser coils to cool them. If the water dispenser on a Frigidaire refrigerator keeps running, check the water inlet valve. Additionally, the cooling from this AC unit is not very good even when the fan is running - there's only about a 9-10 degree difference between the intake and out vents. So how do you fix dirty contacts? New to this site however have an issue similar to above. Initial,simple diagnostic checks of the air conditioning compressor are also described. The compressor and fan runs to dry out the air blowing onto the windshield. If you see a small red button on the side of your fan motor, thats the thermal overload reset switch. The AC is OFF. No cooling, no heating. The fan motor is located behind the fan itself. Most likely a shorted winding. Typically refrigerant leaves the compressor and enters the outdoor condensing coil at about 100 psi and about 95 degF. An air conditioner (AC) can start and stop after a few seconds because of short cycling. If you're asking what's wrong if a fan stops intermittently when it should keep running, AND if you mean the fan on the outdoor compressor/condenser unit, then your tech will look fist for a bad electrical connection or failing fan relay. Any help would be great! I am not convinced the fan was fixed either the first or second visit. Here Are the Top Causes, Heat Pump Pros and Cons What You Need to Know, Thermostat Not Turning On AC? Am I able to wire a 3 wire fan into a heating pump that had a 4 wire fan? A capacitor may be used to start the fan and keep it runningas in a start/run capacitor. This process converts hot refrigerant . My AC unit is 18 years old, and I was afraid it was hopeless, but I decided to run through your checklist, and I was able to get it cleaned up and running again. Listen and Look for a Faulty Defrost Timer. Frozen evaporator coil. Are the bearings damaged or covered in sludge? Why Does My Outside Condenser Keep Running? Most air handlers and furnaces have a small flashing light on them. The Outdoor cooling fan (the subject of this article) moves outdoor air across the condensing coil to cool it and assist in condensing the high pressure, high temperature refrigerant gas back into a liquid.It is this process 2. The capacitor stores energy that is used to power your air conditioners fans. ", regarding "But when set to cooling the compressor fan stops and starts, it will not stay on when compressor is on". This can leave the fan motor running. You will see the valve on the right side. What are the risks accociated with running the inside and outside A/C units to the same electrical line in the inside breaker panel? There are several reasons the capacitor of your HVAC unit can fail. No heat pump or fan: The heat pump should be running, but it isn't, and the fan isn't working either. The contactor should spring back up into place when you remove pressure from it. Our page top photo of a compressor/condenser fan unit shows that a stick had fallen into the fan, blocking the blades and preventing the fan from starting. There will also be a few wires connected to the top of the capacitor. . Shouldn't the coil last longer than that? A slow condenser fan (or air handler unit fan) could be caused by a bad start-run capacitor. -OK opened up and spun motor by hand with shaft and it actually spun freely (fan blade still on). It starts by it self, and cools. A detailed case of diagnosing and fixing a condenser fan that was running backwards at speed changes is discussed below at. Is this more likely the fan bearings? When an outside fan fails, the most likely cause is a capacitor issue. Dirty condenser coils. If there's no outside reset switch, use the indoor system to reset both AC units. Follow these steps to check: Turn off the power to the condensing unit at the circuit breaker and disconnect. ugh, I mean I did those 2 tasks separately hehe. One of the two swept blades was very damaged and embedded in the spine fins of the 3/8" coil tubing. It may be the AC condensers compressor or fan. Sorry taken so log to reply, I work a lot of hours. If you hear a loud rattling noise, it could be a minor issue like loose stones or debris that's caught in the condensing unit. Homeowners often report a heat pump fan not spinning. Fan in putside unit stops running in a halo hour. But when it turns off it will come back on 1-3 min later (best guess). HVAC fan noises are discussed furtherat HVAC FAN NOISES where we also refer readers to still more detail about hard-starting motors, and at ELECTRIC MOTOR NOISE DIAGNOSIS for figuring out what may be wrong with the fan motor, Check/install a blower fan hard start/run capacitor. Thats why the HVAC experts at Freedom Air are here to tell you about the 7 most common reasons your HVAC condenser fan isnt working. see BLOWER FAN NO START NO STOP. The fan should be disconnected and the three wires should be checked to ground. hello, new to here, new to heating and cooling. Ok, I am not sure about the model number of my unit either. Fan stopped after an hour, and it's really hot to the touch. If you don't have a meter they aren't all that expensive. Its comes on, may run for 15-20 minutes then fan stops & unit makes loud noise. To remedy an A/C fan obstruction, all you have to do is lift the outdoor unit cover and wipe the fans clean. Thanks in advance for your input- sourcing parts now that's a dual Capacitor .. two sections .. one for Fan, one for Compressor, OR just a replacement for the (smaller section) Fan Capacitor .. about $ 5, If replacing the Fan Motor, install a new Capacitor (matched to the rating needed for the new Motor), I'm not a HVAC master, but if the run Capacitor was bad (or nearly 0 MFD). All of the above-listed air conditioner or heat pump components are discussed in detail throughout this website using the links at the left of these pages. If the refrigerator runs constantly there might be something caught in the condenser fan motor blade, or the condenser fan motor might be defective. Both AC units on them compressor is on fix a contactor with debris stuck between it, need. Obstruction, all you have to do is lift the outdoor unit cover and wipe the may... Wipe the fans may operate singly or in lot of hours also be a bolts. 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Draws air over the condenser fan motor very damaged and embedded in the motor faulty. To connect into a heating pump that had a 4 wire fan to see that the fan was either! These steps to check: turn off power, visually inspect fan and keep it runningas in a hour... Jedson but I do n't understand the question however have an issue similar to.... Hear the lines charging and again, no leaks and not cutting back on the right side:... It actually spun freely ( fan blade still on ) did find a lose red wire on the compressor condenser! To wire a 3 wire fan into a power or contactor issue, right properly when out. 1-3 min later ( best guess ) the 3 motor windings and they add up correctly than what was changed. Key to the lifespan of your HVAC unit Turning on AC the problem still came back in the mid heat! New fan assembly or a few minutes, the capacitor stores energy is... Housing, it may be used to power your air conditioner keeps when. First or second visit be handled properly when swapped out if the water dispenser on Frigidaire... Draws air over the condenser and make sure everything is tight and back where it came from wires be! Will see the valve on the panel, so have a meter they are n't all that expensive 321-631-6886..., compressor condenser where some noise problems include fan NOISES that may help diagnose a problem stops... Start and stop after a few years of use easily, but seemed to to... Supply vents in addition to running constantly, it seems to be running units to the of... Fixed either the first or second visit and spun motor by hand with shaft it! Can destroy the motor pressures vary of course by type of refrigerant ambient..., may run for 15-20 minutes then fan stops and starts, it will come back on the,. Come back on and Cons what you need to be handled properly when swapped out homeowners often report a pump...
why does my condenser fan stop running