The flashing codes are different for every HVAC unit, so youll need to consult your instruction manual to decipher the code. Broken or stuck condenser fan. Also see NOISES, COMPRESSOR CONDENSER where some noise problems include fan noises that may help diagnose a problem. If it is set to "On" it means it is running constantly while if it is on "Auto" it will stop when the heat pump stops. Follow these four steps to troubleshoot these common causes of a faulty air conditioner fan. If your circuit breaker trips again, then there is something wrong with your condenser unit. If the compressor won't start and if the unit trips a breaker or blows a fuse as soon as it tries to turn on, the motor is burned out and shorted. Other compressor units such as those used. The fan motor and capacitor have been replaced. The fan does not stay off for a "long" time. Please advice on what to do, thank you. It's free turning when I turn it with a screwdriver (not bound). Fan Selection: Depending on vehicle design, the fans may operate singly or in . On our outdoor heat pump unit, when set to heating compressor and compressor fans works PERFECT! Everything seems to run fine (cool air/no odd noise) when both units run simultaneously. The fan contactor is the switch that turns the condenser fan on and off. Most of the time they both end up turning on and off together when the temperature is reached but sometimes the . Problems With Power You can check the fan setting on your thermostat. There will also be a few wires connected to the top of the capacitor. 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 The fan is still cutting off and not cutting back on. How do you check if a fan motor is bad? 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. my condenser fan is a trane fan03652 or replacement fan04690. Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. Call FREEDOM AIR! Note that blower fans found in the indoor air handler unit of air conditioning and heat pump systems often support two or even more run speeds, but the outdoor compressor/condenser fan unit usually runs only at a single (high) speed so low speed on the outdoor fan would be unusual. Already read about discharging the capacitor for safety. If you see that the fan starts spinning, this means the problem is probably with the start capacitor. Cleaning the air filters regularly will prevent this issue in the future. Heres What to Do. Anything else make it shut down like that? Sebastian/Vero Beach 772-778-2272. 2. Think this could be the fan motor itself? Here Are the Top Causes, Heat Pump Pros and Cons What You Need to Know, Thermostat Not Turning On AC? Over an extended period, that will cause the fan to stop working. The purpose of the indicator light is to indicate the status of the HVAC system. Or more likely the fan motor? 2. In order for both the compressor and the air handler to turn on, I have to flip the thermostat to "fan on" which turns on the air handler then to "cool" which turns on the outside compressor. Occasionally the fan stops altogether and just hums, but starts when assisted. Heres What to Do, AC Contactor Not Pulling In? See COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER INSPECTION CHECKLIST for a simple checklist for the outdoor compressor/condenser unit. Insert the test probes in the connector on the fan motor leads . If it is leaking, you will know by a pool of . This is because when you pushed the blade with the wooden stick, you were performing its function. There is more than one possible cause of a noisy air conditioner. Why it fails: The most common reason that a condenser fan stops working is dust. 1. Shouldn't the coil last longer than that? So it seems to cool very slowly. What is your Model number? FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER UNIT at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. Am I barking up the wrong tree and should I be looking elsewhere? My AC condenser originally had a fan problem. The best way is to clean them using contact cleaner. a really weak cap might start the motor and overheat it , but a bad cap will never be able to give the motor direction (the cap makes a phase shift in the delta type windings this gives the motor direction ), again i go back to the way the motor stops and a clue to the motors health , and it's not good. The system won't cool your unless both sides of the system are working. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. On our outdoor heat pump unit, when set to heating compressor and compressor fans works PERFECT! Clogged air filter. Could be a bad start-run capacitor or a bad control board. I recently installed a 3-wire Protech 51-100999-03 condenser fan motor (1/6 HP, 1075 RPM, .73 A, CCW rotation) and a 24" dual blade, 28 degree pitch, CCW fan blade. The best solution to this issue is to install a newer, more energy efficient HVAC unit. You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. This is at the front of the refrigerator underneath the door. A bad fan motor can also cause the fan to turn but only abnormally slowly. Your condensing unit may have two capacitors: one for the fan and one for the compressor. Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like. A condenser coil fan then blows that air over the condenser to push heat outside your home. 21,873 Answers. Blower Relay Switch has Malfunctioned. I've included pictures of the schematic as you suggested.Really hoping this new fan is able to be used. After you turn the power back off, replace everything the way it was. This fan blows building air across the evaporator coil (or cooling coil) to cool and dehumidify indoor building air. Remove the fan motor blades before removing the fan motor from the grill. Just had an older unit replaced by a new 3.5 ton inside air handler and outside condenser. Filter,and coils clean; ventsare open. Remove the screws holding the circuit board in place. If the motor hums but has trouble starting but can start and run if you give the fan a push with a stick (keep fingers out of fans or risk losing a finger) check/install a blower fan hard start/run capacitor. I got everything hooked up and my buddy lent me his evacuator. An easier way of checking your capacitor is to use a voltmeter. When the capacitor fails, the condenser fan will no longer rotate. New to this site however have an issue similar to above. This Q&A were posted originally at FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER DIAGNOSTIC FAQs. The air passing through the cracks will make whistling noises. If it clicks back into place, then the thermal overload switch was tripped. This fan is usually called the condenser fan. Capacitors store up the energy that powers the air conditioner's fans. Within this unit, a fan blows cool air over the condenser to keep it cool. I did the vacuum and charge thing, meaning I hooked an evacuator pump on the system and then just opened the service valve so the R410a could fill the line set. Got lucky and looks like the cheapie fix was the right fix. Now being a thermal unit I figured that was definitely an over heat issue. Step 2 - Removed the quick disconnect connector. If i try and turn the AC back on after this happens, sometimes the fan will start with the unit and other times it won't. A refrigerator's strong fan noise is typically created by the condenser fan or compressor. Much like the contactor, HVAC motors get worn out over time and will stop working. 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). Fan control circuit board is brand new. Turn off power and assure that the fan blade is secured to the fan motor shaft. My new cap and motor arrive Wednesday, so I'll change them both out. Anyway, into the bag of tricks, although I always test them anyway. Test the windings of the motor of the evaporator fan with a multimeter. Dirty contactor contacts are another reason why an ACs condenser fan doesnt turn on. Replace the blade, taking care not to bend it. The most common cause of a contactor coil burning out is due to incorrect voltage. Plug electronics into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. Powered by Invision Community. This problem existed before and after the radiator was replaced. Turn the air conditioner completely off, and call in a professional right away to diagnose the cause and prevent further damage to the system. To know for sure you would have to have a clamp amp meter around the motor wires and watch if the amperage starts climbing above its rating around the time the motor is shutting down. I can hear the coil from the tinny fan control circuit board turning the fan off and then back on during this problem. If there is no continuity or the blades of the fan are stiff, replace the motor. Gina Im having the exact same problem. Theres usually a reason that it trippeda malfunction. Had to turn the unit off for about an hour. Cocoa, FL 32922 I am not convinced the fan was fixed either the first or second visit. If the compressor/condenser unit has power and the compressor motor appears to be able to start and run normally but the outdoor compressor/condenser fan itself won't turn on, the fan motor may be overheated or damaged -. This will help reduce the load on the refrigerator's compressor, which can cause buzzing. This will cut power to the condenser fan. It comes about every 10 minutes or so. The fan capacitor may also be labeled. When this belt becomes loose or breaks, the compressor fan will no longer work. When hot weather comes around, the last thing that you need is your AC equipment breaking down. Why does a condenser motor fan break? I use a multimeter to measure the resistance ac. The compressor and fan runs to dry out the air blowing onto the windshield. All air conditioning systems have a fan that blows air over the evaporator coil to cool it. Dodge Master. The capacitor stores energy that is used to power your air conditioners fans. The fan stops on the condenser. Put the cage and panel back on the condenser and make sure everything is tight and back where it came from. The outside unit doesn't turn-off when the thermostat turns-off the inside unit. Thank you for your response. I then opened the service valve port to charge the line set with freon (whatever the new stuff is called). Checking Motor Windings. The contactor coil is the part of the contactor that switches on and off. This sensor takes readings from the refrigerator (and freezer if you have one . Fan motor free spinning but shuts down about 200. If it is an air conditioner check for an air conditioner breaker trip. Could there be any other reason the fan would just stop, or put another way, could a good motor overheat because of some other reason (I figure the fan is stopping because the motor is over-heating right?). Minor bends can be corrected manually; damaged blades need to be replaced. Figured I'd revamp all the cheap parts. One copper line cold and one warmer like normal. If your unit has shut off, check your circuit breaker. To check the power at your condensing unit, first, check your circuit breaker panel. Next, press the thermal overload reset button. These pressures vary of course by type of refrigerant, ambient temperatures, compressor details, etc. Dirty or faulty gaskets. I've bought nothing but Amrad caps for 3 years now. 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. Turn off power to your AC unit and verify that power is off using a multimeter or voltage detector. Many contactor contacts get dirty after a few years of use. So, I read on Google what I highlighted for you, and ordered a 30+ UF cap. However, if they're stuck, the compressor . It is usually a larger breakersomewhere around 50 to 100 amps, depending on the size of your AC system. A simple problem like this can also burn out a fan motor. See CONTROL CIRCUIT BOARD, A/C for details. The outdoor unit began making a low tone hum/vibration like the compressor was trying to turn on and the fan kicked on. If you can hear the fan running and you can feel air coming out of the . The next thing that you should do is check for power at the condenser unit. The green line marks a common location for the fan control circuitry, and the blue line marks the fan motor. Turn off electrical power to the indoor unit. It's easy! evaluation of air conditioner compressor noises, hard starting, lost cooling capacity, and detection of a burned out compressor or A/C compressors at or near end of their life. That's a new one on me, too - a bad cap causing an overheat conditionI dunno, I think there might be a bit more to this one. Compressor still running. If replacing the Motor, you should also replace the Capacitor, (at least the Capacitor section for the Fan). Frozen evaporator coil. Remove the access panel to the blower compartment. We can probably make this work, but I'm nervous about just guessing and burning up another fan motor. Be sure that nothing is rubbing or hitting. Oftentimes, something like a bad capacitor or overvoltage causes a fan motor to overheat and go bad. Continue readingat CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. Most AC condensing unit fan motors have an automatic thermal overload reset. The line sets didn't even get cold or hot by even a degree difference. The condenser fan is a critical component of the ACit blows the heat from the condenser coil to the air outside. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. Nothing. DISCLOSURE: We may earn a commission when you use one of our coupons/links to make a purchase. FAQs | Repair Videos | Academy | Newsletter | Contact, By Apologies for the delay. Fan belts are components that wear down over time. Initial,simple diagnostic checks of the air conditioning compressor are also described. We list this sequence of condenser fan troubleshooting checkpoints roughly in the order that an experienced service technician will try them, putting easy, cheap, or more likely causes higher in the list. In looking at the posts it seems like folks are being pointed in direction of capacitor or fan motor. (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. On the motor tag is says, "Thermally Protected" which means it has an internal auto re-settable thermal fuse which opens if the motor windings get too hot. Vacuumed out the bottom of the unit with about ten years of crud in it since I had the thing apart. Got up this morning and it was off, but the unit was still running. The AC ran for about 1.5 hours and then shut down the fan due to overheating. Typically this is caused by an internal short in the motor windings. Capacitors can hold lethal amounts of charge, so they need to be handled properly when swapped out. So how do you know if your condensing units fan capacitor is bad? 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. Of all the reasons your condenser fan isnt working, your unit not receiving power is the simplest one to fix. If the fan starts up and keeps spinning on its own, the capacitor is bad. As long as the capacitor is good, and the condenser fan motor is getting power then the fan motor should turn on. I'm not sure how refrigerant leak would make the fan run intermittently. I have a trane heatpump. My heat pump has a similar issue only in reverse. 3. Some units will automatically shut off when they sense the filter is blocked. ALSO- if I need to replace the capacitor what is the proper way to discharge it? Unbolt the old motor and fan from the top grill and keep the nuts, bolts, and any screws safe. It may be malfunctioning, causing the water to flow from the dispenser non-stop. Compressor Activation: Some condenser fans activate with the air conditioning compressor. Why does my condenser keep running? The heavy fan motor is mounted on the panel, so have a helper hold it while you install the blanket. Heres What to Do, Outside AC Unit Making Noise? Am I able to wire a 3 wire fan into a heating pump that had a 4 wire fan? The condensing unit circuit breaker may be labeled as AC, Condensing unit, or Outdoor unit. Guest horn4life Meanwhile, I installed the old cap and the motor was cooled. What else could be wrong with it? Gently slide the stick between the vents and give the fan blade a slight push. The compressor fans of older model HVAC units are operated with the help of a belt. Follow these steps to check: Turn off the power to the condensing unit at the circuit breaker and disconnect. We work hard to research and write accurate, unbiased information, but the real satisfaction is hearing that the effort actually has been helpful. The condenser unit fanis a blower that moves outdoor air across the condensing coil found in the outdoor compressor/condenser unit. The fan stops on the condenser. Clean the dirty condenser coils. Is it possible that this issue could be caused by the capacitor? I notice the red on the unit is coming off of a small circuit board that says low. 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. I ohmed the 3 motor windings and they add up correctly. So youll need to be used change them both out but you can check the power to top... End up turning on and the fan starts spinning, this means the is. 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