The compressor and fan runs to dry out the air blowing onto the windshield. It's free turning when I turn it with a screwdriver (not bound). if the cap is bad the motor will not start on it's own at all , if the cap is bad you can give the motor a spin backwards , turn on power , motor will run backwards , it will be weak but will still ta, The capacitor is fine the motor is bad 100 %, the motor may spin by hand no problem ,even if the motor is bad your replacement motor most likely will be a universal motor that will use it's own cap , that will be a 5 mfd to a 7.5 mfd . Compressor still running. Sometimes it will stay on longer than other times. Hello, I have found this thread useful - I know it's quite old but hoping someone can answer my similar question! 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. Changed compressor starter capacitor but not the dual run capacitor. I had a HVAC Repair company come out over 5 times trying to fix it. Welcome to the forums. Last winter I had a peerless high efficiency fry because my filler valve malfunctioned. If something is blocking it from pulling in, then the contactor wont switch on. You have a bad condensor fan. Heres What to Do. There is more than one possible cause of a noisy air conditioner. Over time, the contactor switch gets worn, and will stop providing voltage to the condenser fan. in SPLIT SYSTEM AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS designs may mount the fan in a vertical position blowing out of the side of the compressor unit rather than out of the compressor top shown in our sketch. The compressor is depending on the fan to move air across the condensing coil to convert high pressure, high temperature gas back to a liquid refrigerant. 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). 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. Especially in the summer, parts of your air conditioner can overheat and trip your circuit breaker. When an outside fan fails, the most likely cause is a capacitor issue. The unit is 8 years old. You should be able to use a single switched or double pole switched contactor. Check the air filter to see if it needs to be replaced. the motor may spin by hand no problem ,even if the motor is bad, your replacement motor most likely will be a universal motor that will use it's own cap , that will be a 5 mfd to a 7.5 mfd . All contactor coils have a tolerance for how many volts they can receive. 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. I then went online and bought a new fan for $22.00 and installed it. Unfortunately, most contactors today arent made to be easily cleaned. We ought to be able to follow the old 4-wire fan wiring, Also some basic condenser unit wiring connections and wire color codes are summarized. (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. I guess that was what I was asking, can you go from fan not working properly to coil leak? Humming fan motor usually means either a bad starting cap or a seized motor. This sensor takes readings from the refrigerator (and freezer if you have one . Many contactor contacts get dirty after a few years of use. Gina Im having the exact same problem. Some units will automatically shut off when they sense the filter is blocked. Why does a condenser motor fan break? The next task is figuring out why the thermal overload tripped in the first place. I have a trane heatpump. The line sets didn't even get cold or hot by even a degree difference. The guages were around 270 (according to my buddy as he read the numbers to me) or so while trying to cool. The movement of outdoor air across the condensing coil transfers heat to outdoor air and allows high pressure/high temperature refrigerant inside the condensing coil to condense from a gas back to a liquid refrigerant. Capacitor is brand new. Replace a faulty evaporator fan motor. This fan blows building air across the evaporator coil (or cooling coil) to cool and dehumidify indoor building air. I really appreciate your help!!! An internal short that is grounding the fan motor windings can leave the fan running, but abnormally slowly. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Next, press the thermal overload reset button. Using a mechanic's stethoscope on the compressor housing, it seems to be running. Check the freezer's compressor. The inside unit uses . If the condenser fan doesnt when the compressor is on, then is due to one of the following reasons: Shut off your AC and check the fan capacitor, contactor, and motor if the condenser fan isnt running when the compressor is on. Remove the top of the unit with the fan, disconnect it, and lift it clear. if you go. I use a multimeter to measure the resistance ac. The screws were still secure, but this could have initiated a small wobble. This fan is usually called the condenser fan. One of the most common reasons fans stop spinning is because of a dead capacitor. Rapid fan on-off cycling certainly is likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth investigating. 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. Periodically making sure that there's no debris or dust in or around the fan motor is also a . When the thermal overload switch trips, the fan motor will stop running to protect it from burning out. Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. Broken or stuck condenser fan. Fan spun fine for a few minutes, the crapped out. About the time it got really hot the motor shut down.. -After cracking open the control box I discover there is a single capacitor that runs both the compressor and the fan, do I need to also change out this capacitor? Is the fan blade assembly secured to the fan motor shaft? Check for loose wires or loose components on the fan unit control circuit board. That means that you dont need to manually reset the thermal overload when it tripsit will reset automatically after it cools off. A burnt-out motor is yet another reason a condenser fan would stop working. What would be the risk in not connecting the red wire to anything and just connecting the brown, black and yellow wires? DeniseThere is probably something here that we don't understand. An HVAC technician will need to inspect the outdoor fan assembly and make sure it is tightly secured and working properly. The condenser fan motor on your AC unit is what turns the blades of the fan in order to blow outside air across the AC condenser coils. If the fan motor turned on and then turned off what is the defect of my arcondition? Fan Only Switch. The air flow is driven by a large fan (the "blower") inside the home. The condenser fan motor is located underneath the refrigerator near the back. A couple days ago the fan stopped while I was out in my pool next to it. Any suggestions? Naturally, this will cause the condenser fan to fail. Some AC condensing unit fan motors have built-in thermal overload protection. A bent condenser fan causes stress on the blower fan motor shaft and can destroy the motor. So, I ordered a new motor and cap. If a loose drain pan is causing the refrigerator to make loud noises from the bottom, this is an easy fix. So how do you know if your condensing units fan capacitor is bad? The average AC condenser fan replacement cost is between $300 and $425. I then opened the service valve port to charge the line set with freon (whatever the new stuff is called). Fan belts are components that wear down over time. In looking at the posts it seems like folks are being pointed in direction of capacitor or fan motor. A simple problem like this can also burn out a fan motor. 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 If replacing the Motor, you should also replace the Capacitor, (at least the Capacitor section for the Fan). (May 20, 2015) Aubrey said:Correct. Is the drive separate from the compressor? Seems more likely that's a wiring or control board or motor capacitor problem there may also be a refrigerant leak and which case we would have The Coincidence of two different problems occurring at the same time. so everything will be fine. So is there an easy way to test to see if the fan motor needs replacement? Giving them a good clean should solve the problem. Turn the air conditioner completely off, and call in a professional right away to diagnose the cause and prevent further damage to the system. DO NOT BUY A START/RUN CAPACITOR THAT EXCEEDS THE NUMBER OF MICRO-FARADS LISTED ON THE EXISTING CAPACITOR. Why does my condenser fan stop running? October 4, 2012 in DIY Appliance Repair Help. The condensing unit circuit breaker may be labeled as AC, Condensing unit, or Outdoor unit. I don't want to spend the money if it is a capacitor. Jim, thanks so much for the very nice feedback - that's just super. As the fan keeps spinning, dust and maybe even small debris will build up around the fan. Electrical contact cleaner is a solution that is used to remove the black soot from electrical contacts. Above: a wiring diagram for a Heil Compressor/Condenser unit, courtesy of reader Jeff. Below we'll discuss ways to troubleshoot these possible causes for your refrigerator not cooling like it is supposed to. Does this seem reasonable? Step 1 - Turned off the circuit breaker at the main panel. Titusville/Mims 321-264-7255 If the fan motor is OK one or more allen screws set into the center bushing of the blower fan itself may need to be tightened to secure the blower fan to the motor shaft. The air passing through the cracks will make whistling noises. 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. Fan is brand new. This will cut power to the condenser fan. This is usually the case for air conditioners with rotary dial thermostats. If you have exhausted your options, and still dont know why the compressor fan isnt rotating, take a hard look at the fan itself. Heres What to Do, AC Contactor Not Pulling In? Or more likely the fan motor? Lack of maintenance: This is probably the most common reason that causes condenser fan motors to overheat and shut off. Are the bearings damaged or covered in sludge? My unit is 22 years old! New motor has same specs as old motor (TradePro TP-C16-1SP2 6-wire motor) except old motor was rated at 1.2 A. Keep wires connected and move the circuit board out of the way. AC started back up, and it repeated the same issue. That identifies what each of the wires are. Step 4. Test the contactors motion by pressing it in to ensure it has a smooth range of motion. The fan contactor is the switch that turns the condenser fan on and off. Defrost or break down any ice buildup. Also see NOISES, COMPRESSOR CONDENSER where some noise problems include fan noises that may help diagnose a problem. Replace a malfunctioning condenser fan motor. If your unit has shut off, check your circuit breaker. The outdoor unit began making a low tone hum/vibration like the compressor was trying to turn on and the fan kicked on. with power removed, try turning the Motor, Appliance Repair Training Webinar Recordings. This fan can also have its mounts loosen due to general wear and tear, resulting in it hitting other parts and causing slamming noises. Aside from dust and debris, a fan might also stop working if the motor is faulty. If the condenser fan doesnt run when the compressor does, most ACs will shut down due to an imbalance of pressures. If it is a heat pump check for a heat pump breaker trip and reset it. Dirty condenser coils. Typically this is caused by an internal short in the motor windings. The parts are priced at $245 to $330, while labor could be $55 to $200, depending on your make and model. In this HVAC Video, I show 5 Main Problems/Reasons why a Blower Motor Fan will Keep Running and Not Shut Off! Thank you for your response. Dirty condenser coils. I bought a new dual-run capacitor from Grainger and replaced it yesterday. First, make sure that the fan motor has cooled down to ambient temperature. I am not convinced the fan was fixed either the first or second visit. Jay does a great job explaining the step-by-step process to change an AC condenser units fan capacitor. Minisplit ac condenser unit. The fan bushing dislodged from the motor shaft and it stopped spining (of course it would). The brand of the Unit is Heil with a GE motor. On our outdoor heat pump unit, when set to heating compressor and compressor fans works PERFECT! Posted on Sep 25, 2014. Be sure that nothing is rubbing or hitting. 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/. Any idea what this could be? If the AC unit fan is not spinning, the first thing to check is the circuit breaker. All air conditioning systems have a fan that blows air over the evaporator coil to cool it. An easier way of checking your capacitor is to use a voltmeter. When it stops, feel the Motor to see if it's hot. Just sharing this info for others. " Unfortunately this condition could indicate a burned-out A/C or heat pump compressor motor. Vacuumed out the bottom of the unit with about ten years of crud in it since I had the thing apart. This is to check for continuity. So it seems to cool very slowly. The reversing valve must be working (im guessing) because when i call for heat, the fan will come to a stop, pause and then reverse direction. (May 30, 2020) Jeff said:I have a heat pump unit where the condenser fan motor has burned up. If the condenser unit fan won't start at all, check for power to the unit and to the fan motor and that all of the controls are calling for cooling (or heat pump operation); check for loose, disconnected wires; Check for a frozen fan motor (motor won't turn manually when power is off). You will see the valve on the right side. Gently slide the stick between the vents and give the fan blade a slight push. 3. Step 3 - Removed the access panel on the . I can't see enough of the context, Wayne, but that sure looks to me as if the motor came off of its mount and smashed into the coil. Or see FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER DIAGNOSTIC FAQs for diagnostic questions that can help get the condenser fan working. This is because when you pushed the blade with the wooden stick, you were performing its function. Meanwhile, I installed the old cap and the motor was cooled. Take a look at the circuit breaker associated with . Call FREEDOM AIR! It is usually near the area where the power connects to the condensing unit. Dodge Master. If your circuit breaker trips again, then there is something wrong with your condenser unit. If the fan spins on the motor shaft and the motor shaft won't turn the motor may be seized and need replacement. I can hear the coil from the tinny fan control circuit board turning the fan off and then back on during this problem. Insert the test probes in the connector on the fan motor leads . 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. Ensure power to the unit is turned off. I ended up replacing with a navian high efficiency boiler. ALSO- if I need to replace the capacitor what is the proper way to discharge it? Shouldn't the coil last longer than that? 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