Call FREEDOM AIR! On occasion a "slow" outdoor fan may be due to a fan blade that is not secured to the fan motor shaft. 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 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. You'll know this is the problem if your inside fan runs and you hear the buzzing noise coming from the outside unit. Posted on Sep 25, 2014. Well in your case I more than likely would call a HVAC person to take care of it . Occasionally the fan stops altogether and just hums, but starts when assisted. Cocoa/Merritt Island/Rockledge 321-631-6886 If your fridge isn't cooling, double check that . I am thinking of asking for a second opinion just to be sure before I sink money into a new coil. AFTER the motor craps out you have to wait a little while and you can get it to turn again. 4. Guest horn4life Compressor still running. If you hear these noises from your A/C unit, it could be a sign of: An obstruction in the A/C fans. Minor bends can be corrected manually; damaged blades need to be replaced. 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. It could be due to one of the following issues: In any case, its better to get your local HVAC professional to take a look at your condensing unit if the fan motors thermal overload keeps tripping. Or see FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER DIAGNOSTIC FAQs for diagnostic questions that can help get the condenser fan working. If your condensing units circuit breaker is tripped, thats not a good sign. Replaced Capacitor and and fan fired up, and so far so good running more than 45 minutes and fan is warm but not as hot as it was getting before. One copper line cold and one warmer like normal. Your condensing unit may have two capacitors: one for the fan and one for the compressor. Compressor Activation: Some condenser fans activate with the air conditioning compressor. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. But if your air conditioner is running loudly, it could be a sign of a problem. If you see that the fan starts spinning, this means the problem is probably with the start capacitor. Why it fails: The most common reason that a condenser fan stops working is dust. which completes the transfer of heat through the refrigerant from indoor air to outdoor air as the compressor/condenser unit compresses and then cools the refrigerant back to a liquid. Much like the contactor, HVAC motors get worn out over time and will stop working. Fan control circuit board is brand new. Cocoa, FL 32922 The fan continues to run at its maxiumum speed, regardless of the engine temperature. Fan is brand new. Thermostat Issues. Test and Replace the Fan Motor. (May 20, 2015) Aubrey said:Correct. Low Refrigerant. Watch out: the wiring instructions and diagram for your specific air conditioner or heat pump compressor/condenser unit are model dependent. Whats thermal overload protection used for? Many contactor contacts get dirty after a few years of use. Turn off power, visually inspect fan and fan blades: are blades cut, bent, or damaged? Ill also go over everything that you need to check in your AC condenserstep-by-step. The condenser fan motor is located underneath the refrigerator near the back. Your service tech will perhaps look for a bad control board, relay, or wiring connection or sensor. Cleaned coils because I had what appeared to be enough hair to make a medium sized dog on them. Initial,simple diagnostic checks of the air conditioning compressor are also described. Figured I'd revamp all the cheap parts. Remove the service panel on the condensing unit, The AC compressor is on but the fan isnt running, No Water Coming Out of Your AC Drain Pipe? 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. If the condenser coils are too dirty, the air conditioner's cooling power is limited so the system has to keep running in attempts to cool each room. Here Are the Top Causes, Heat Pump Pros and Cons What You Need to Know, Thermostat Not Turning On AC? Air Flow. Why does my condenser keep running? Did find a lose red wire on the contactor. Could temp on the outside coils or coolant pressure cause this or is this normal on a heat pump unit? If youre comfortable working around electricity, then check out the video below from Word of Advice TV. 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. Learn how to troubleshoot like a Master Samurai Tech MASTER SAMURAI TECH I don't mind paying for both the capacitor and the fan motor, but of course do not want to spend more than necessary. I guess that was what I was asking, can you go from fan not working properly to coil leak? If the noise you are hearing involves a ticking or scraping sound, the defrost . Was interesting to learn. Minisplit ac condenser unit. Inside the house is warm and could have been blowing warm air. You will see the valve on the right side. Finally a senior tech came out and recognized that the fan required a different capacitor than what was initially changed in. Check for a refrigerant leak. Tech came out and replaced the fan motor. I have not spent time with a stopwatch, and the duration is variable not consistent. Eventually, the layer of black soot prevents the metal plates from forming contact with each other. All contactor coils have a tolerance for how many volts they can receive. Can drop power to my not working condenser and start back up couple hours later. Still same, fan on condenser stops after a few. If it is a heat pump check for a heat pump breaker trip and reset it. Rapid fan on-off cycling certainly is likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth investigating. In looking at the posts it seems like folks are being pointed in direction of capacitor or fan motor. Most air handlers and furnaces have a small flashing light on them. Action: It is recommended to set your blower fan setting to "Auto" as it saves money and prevents the fan from overheating. So is there an easy way to test to see if the fan motor needs replacement? 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. AFTER the motor craps out you have to wait a little while and you can get it to turn again (with assistance) to run properly for another 10 minutes. Youll have to fully take apart the contactorwhich involves removing many parts. Jim, thanks so much for the very nice feedback - that's just super. Gently slide the stick between the vents and give the fan blade a slight push. More subtle would be a mis-adjusted or debris-clogged expansion valve or reversing valve.Note that Pioneer's mini split units come pre-charged with R410A in a volume sufficient to ccommodate refrigerant line lengths up to 25 ft. per circuit. No cooling, no heating. To clarify, the compressor and fan will run in defrost mode. 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 Is this more likely the fan bearings? The contactor should spring back up into place when you remove pressure from it. I got everything hooked up and my buddy lent me his evacuator. Turn off electrical power to the indoor unit. Fan belts are components that wear down over time. When the capacitor fails, the condenser fan will no longer rotate. Capacitor is brand new. This blockage will strain your compressor fan. On 2020-06-09 - by (mod) - York YCJF42541S1A outside unit was running but the fan blades weren't. The unit is 8 years old. The heavy fan motor is mounted on the panel, so have a helper hold it while you install the blanket. The green line marks a common location for the fan control circuitry, and the blue line marks the fan motor. Cut the metal rod of the motor, before putting the new motor on the grill. I then opened the service valve port to charge the line set with freon (whatever the new stuff is called). This Q&A were posted originally at FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER DIAGNOSTIC FAQs. Ensure power to the unit is turned off. Does this seem reasonable? I think it is a 13k but unit. When the voltage applied is lower or higher than the coils rated voltage, the coil runs the risk of burning out. 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. This is at the front of the refrigerator underneath the door. See COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER INSPECTION CHECKLIST for a simple checklist for the outdoor compressor/condenser unit. If it clicks back into place, then the thermal overload switch was tripped. 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. After running fine for like an hour the condenser unit fan would stop but the compressor would continue working. This will shut off your unit. A bad fan capacitor will cause an ACs condenser fan to not run. Condenser fan won't stop running. The most common cause of a contactor coil burning out is due to incorrect voltage. I could hear the lines charging and again, no leaks. 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. The fan motor is located behind the fan itself. You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. Turn the power back on and make sure everything works. The compressor and fan runs to dry out the air blowing onto the windshield. Fan Selection: Depending on vehicle design, the fans may operate singly or in . Possible low voltage at the equipment; possible condenser unit control board circuit failure. Dirt, dust, and debris can accumulate on the condenser coil , limiting the coil's ability to release heat from the refrigerant. There's A Rattling or Buzzing Noise Coming from the Condenser Unit When the Fan Is Turned On. Just sharing this info for others. " my heat pump fan out side is not working after a man put a water pump in the roof be for he came water run down the wall in side, On 2019-11-25 - by (mod) - Common causes of a fan motor intermittently cutting off, ChrisCommon causes of a fan motor intermittently cutting off include, - defective fan control relay or control board, - overloaded motor, including possibly low voltage supply that could affect even a new motor, - improper installation, binding motor or fan assembly (also overloading the motor)You might also find by searching this website our article on ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSIS. Check to see if the fan starts spinning. The final solution was for a separate capacitor that matched the fan's requirements to be installed. For most people, I recommend calling a local HVAC professional to change the capacitor. Next, press the thermal overload reset button. Typically refrigerant leaves the compressor and enters the outdoor condensing coil at about 100 psi and about 95 degF. not an electrical genius but pretty handy. Case #1: AC Compressor Not Working, but Indoor Fan is running. The air passing through the cracks will make whistling noises. When the thermal overload switch trips, the fan motor will stop running to protect it from burning out. Listen and Look for a Faulty Defrost Timer. Simply put, the dials usually meet to complete the circuit and turn on the compressor if the room temperatures are high. Sorry Jedson but I don't understand the question. Once you find the fan capacitor, take a look at it. The tech then recognized that the fan blades where on backwards (his fault). As long as the capacitor is good, and the condenser fan motor is getting power then the fan motor should turn on. The fan is still cutting off and not cutting back on. The service panel may have some labels or stickers on it. A detailed case of diagnosing and fixing a condenser fan that was running backwards at speed changes is discussed below at. A slow condenser fan (or air handler unit fan) could be caused by a bad start-run capacitor. 2. 12 - Sub Zero Refrigerator Condenser Fan Motor. Moral of the story: do it yourself and use the right capacitor. If your unit has shut off, check your circuit breaker. The tech's writing is hard to read. Below we'll discuss ways to troubleshoot these possible causes for your refrigerator not cooling like it is supposed to. Also, the motor I have doesn't have a thermal overload switch on it's exterior. Turn off the breaker or thermostat . The condenser fan should always be running if the compressor is on. Could be a bad start-run capacitor or a bad control board. The fan should not run with only one side powered. Also. Faulty circuit board. The Outdoor Condenser Unit is Blocked. It is important to keep the fan in good repair. Anything else you can think of to ask about this situation? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. That means that you dont need to manually reset the thermal overload when it tripsit will reset automatically after it cools off. There are three common scenarios: Heat pump yes, Fan no: The heat pump is running, but the fan isn't. Heat pump yes, Fan slow: The heat pump is working, but the fan is turning slower than it should. Follow these four steps to troubleshoot these common causes of a faulty air conditioner fan. Just had an older unit replaced by a new 3.5 ton inside air handler and outside condenser. Lic.# CAC1814448 The compressor fans of older model HVAC units are operated with the help of a belt. Thank you for your response. Ordered a new one off Amazon with the same CAP rating. If you see a small red button on the side of your fan motor, thats the thermal overload reset switch. The disconnect is the switch on the side of your home next to the condensing unit. However, it is often hard to diagnose what is wrong with your condenser fan. Check for loose wires or loose components on the fan unit control circuit board. So how do you fix dirty contacts? A blower fan may run for a brief while after the compressor motor has stopped but if the outdoor fan never stops check for a problem with the control board wiring or circuit. But it is indeed also normal for the fan on-off cycle to sometimes be different from the compressor motor on-off cycle. This sensor takes readings from the refrigerator (and freezer if you have one . 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 . document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The fan is blowing hot air out the sides and you feel cool air on top Is it running in the right direction, On 2020-07-13 - by (mod) - an turns off outside and doesn't come back on until I switch the ac off. You have a bad condensor fan. Fan stopped after an hour, and it's really hot to the touch. Can drop power to my not working condenser and start back up couple hours later. After you turn the power back off, replace everything the way it was. Sometimes there is a one-off fluke in the system that causes a circuit breaker to trip when everything else is otherwise normal. Shut off your AC and check the fan capacitor, contactor, and motor if the condenser fan isn't running when the compressor is on. Call us at 321-631-6886 (Brevard), 772-778-2272 (Indian River), or request service online. If either of these conditions exists, then the fan motor is bad. Replaced capacitor because it was cheap and could get next day. Humming fan motor usually means either a bad starting cap or a seized motor. Is there rust on the bottom of the capacitor? Capacitors store up the energy that powers the air conditioner's fans. Here's why: Your standard split A/C unit has 2 parts: the outside unit and the inside unit. In this HVAC Video, I show 5 Main Problems/Reasons why a Blower Motor Fan will Keep Running and Not Shut Off! so everything will be fine. Tried again after washing out well. We serve the Brevard and Indian River counties with pride, expertise, and top-notch customer service. Naturally, this will cause the condenser fan to fail. Any help would be great! It had gotten down to 62 degrees. 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. Your motor is bad. These include overheating, running too long, power surges, and age. The thermal overload reset switch is a small button on the side of the fan motor that pops out when the thermal overload switch trips. Loacal AC guy came out for $89.00 and told me I needed a host of thingsnew fan (special order), new motor, new start/run capacitor.new type of freon$1,150.00! If you can hear the fan running and you can feel air coming out of the . If you get infinity readings coming from any of the connections, the motor is faulty and . Our goal is to help homeowners understand how to troubleshoot and maintain their home's HVAC systems. So how do you know if your condensing units fan capacitor is bad? 3. Clean the dirty condenser coils. A couple days ago the fan stopped while I was out in my pool next to it. three post C, F and HERM. Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. Check the Evaporator Fan Motor. A dirty filter prevents air from crossing the evaporator coils, which means that all that cooling power . The condenser fan motor itself is a part that can go bad. my condenser fan is a trane fan03652 or replacement fan04690. And if used on a generating set it seems to power off the generating set, though testing the compressor with a digital multimeter it seems it's still functional, or I suppose so Lack of maintenance: This is probably the most common reason that causes condenser fan motors to overheat and shut off. Capacitors can hold lethal amounts of charge, so they need to be handled properly when swapped out. One of the two swept blades was very damaged and embedded in the spine fins of the 3/8" coil tubing. Thats a surefire way of knowing that a capacitor is bad. The next task is figuring out why the thermal overload tripped in the first place. AC ran fin all Summer of 2018. Check for tripped breakers. But when set to cooling the compressor fan stops and starts, it will not stay on when compressor is on. I then went online and bought a new fan for $22.00 and installed it. This can cause your refrigerator to run constantly to try to cool down. with power removed, try turning the Motor shaft by hand..using your fingers Can you give it a twist, and it will continue for a few turns ? 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. That also means its bad. Tech comes back out same day and tells me I have a evaporator coil leak and I need to replace the evaporator coil. Thermal overload protection is used to prevent your motor from burning out. But when it turns off it will come back on 1-3 min later (best guess). Shouldn't the coil last longer than that? Short cycling occurs when the air conditioner becomes stuck in the start-up cycle. (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. Nothing. Today it is at 0-40. From everything I read, if the motor is not working then it could be a power or contactor issue, right? Whether its changing an air filter, troubleshooting a blower motor, or just buying a new humidifier, I want to make sure that youre covered. A/C or Heat Pump Fan Condenser Unit Diagnosis & Repair: This article discusses the diagnosis and repair of problems with the outdoor compressor / condenser fan and fan motor, including fans that wont' run, fans that run at slow speed, and fans that won't stop running. 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. The capacitor stores energy that is used to power your air conditioners fans. First the capacitor was replaced. When your system's air filter is full of . This fan is usually called the condenser fan. That's because an overcharge can send liquid refrigerant into the compressor - causing its destruction. Compressor still running. Remove the screws holding the circuit board in place. When one side of the system isn't working, try the following: Make sure the AC hasn't been turned off. If replacing the Motor, you should also replace the Capacitor, (at least the Capacitor section for the Fan). I had a HVAC Repair company come out over 5 times trying to fix it. I installed that cap and the motor shut down in five minutes. The new 3 wire fan doesn't have this wire. Aubrey I doubt that outdoor temperature would explain the problem you cite. If the refrigerator runs constantly there might be something caught in the condenser fan motor blade, or the condenser fan motor might be defective. Could this just be the run capacitor? I've included pictures of the schematic as you suggested.Really hoping this new fan is able to be used. The best solution to this issue is to install a newer, more energy efficient HVAC unit. See the Capacitors link just below. If it is leaking, you will know by a pool of . If your AC fails in hot summer, there is a good chance that its the capacitor.Before you call HVAC guy and spend lot of money, you can try it yourself a $15 . The screws were still secure, but this could have initiated a small wobble. Read further to diagnose the issue. 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. A condenser fan that won't start when power is turned on, but whose blades will spin easily when power is off may have a worn fan motor shaft bearing. Clogged air filter. That identifies what each of the wires are. Straight AC or HeatPump? When an electric motor has an issue, it usually will overheat. Its comes on, may run for 15-20 minutes then fan stops & unit makes loud noise. 2. . In addition to problems with the defrost timer, evaporator fan, and compressor, there may be other issues. Heres What to Do. Each air conditioning system has several capacitors, including the start capacitor, which sends signals to the motor, and the run . Fan spun fine for a few minutes, the crapped out. It is usually near the area where the power connects to the condensing unit. The AC ran for about 1.5 hours and then shut down the fan due to overheating. The Unit Is Too Small or Has an Old Thermostat. Air Conditioner Making a Humming Noise. Not sure if it's external or if it even has one. 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. Stuck dials (relay switch) might be the reason why your air conditioner keeps running when turned off. When there's a loud banging as your unit runs, it's broken and needs . Dirty condenser coils. Any suggestions? Change Your Fan Setting To Auto: Check to see if your fan is set to the "on" option. The AC's capacitors are small, cylinder components that send energy signals to power the fan motor and the rest of the AC unit. 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. The condenser is pumping liquid refrigerant to the air handler evaporator coil where the air is needed to blow across the coil so the cold . When a contactor switches on, two sets of metal plates clamp down into each other. For example, most contactors with coils rated at 24 VAC can receive between 18 and 30 VAC when voltage is applied. My AC condenser originally had a fan problem. The system won't cool your unless both sides of the system are working.