why does my condenser fan stop running

The dark blue fan shown at right in the sketch is the indoor air handler or blower compartment or cooling coil fan found inside the building. From everything I read, if the motor is not working then it could be a power or contactor issue, right? Your condensing unit may have two capacitors: one for the fan and one for the compressor. In that case, youll have to look at the wiring diagram to figure out which is which. . Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. Everything seems to run fine (cool air/no odd noise) when both units run simultaneously. The service panel may have some labels or stickers on it. The condenser fan is visible inside of the outdoor compressor/condenser unit such as the unit shown in our sketch at left, an in our other photos on this page. A slow condenser fan (or air handler unit fan) could be caused by a bad start-run capacitor. 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. Changed compressor starter capacitor but not the dual run capacitor. Unfortunately this condition could indicate a burned-out A/C or heat pump compressor motor. (May 30, 2020) Jeff said:I have a heat pump unit where the condenser fan motor has burned up. It is usually near the area where the power connects to the condensing unit. 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. 1401 Clearlake Rd. The fan motor and capacitor have been replaced. The only culprit I could pin this to was that the framing the motor & fan are supported by, was that of the four screws that secure this assy to the chassis, 3 of 4 had missing spacers. The motor cost me $165.00 from Amazon, and the cap came from another supplier..so $180.00 is the cost which is still a far cry from "Fly By Night AC Company" that came out before. If you don't have a meter they aren't all that expensive. Powered by Invision Community. One of the first symptoms commonly associated with a bad or failing cooling fan relay is an engine that runs hot or overheats. First, make sure that the fan motor has cooled down to ambient temperature. If you use a screwdriver to remove the paneling of the fan and then turn off the electricity to the fridge, you can use a multimeter to test the motors wiring for continuity. Here's why: Your standard split A/C unit has 2 parts: the outside unit and the inside unit. Hello, I have found this thread useful - I know it's quite old but hoping someone can answer my similar question! Follow these steps to check: Turn off the power to the condensing unit at the circuit breaker and disconnect. AC ran fin all Summer of 2018. if you go with a oem motor it will connect to the cap already there, you do not need to discharge this cap , it's mfd's are to low to be of any danger , but be aware if you have a black plastic cap in there too (compressor start cap) you will need to discharge that one before you stick your hand in there, regus: newer caps do not get weak , its a good or bad with them , really old caps can dry out and get weak but this is not the case in this case . Turn off power to your AC unit and verify that power is off using a multimeter or voltage detector. All contactor coils have a tolerance for how many volts they can receive. Broken Motor. Clogged Air Filter. 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. Moral of the story: do it yourself and use the right capacitor. hello, new to here, new to heating and cooling. Your might ask for an explanation and let me know what you're told. Dirty condenser coils. Ordered a new one off Amazon with the same CAP rating. The unit cooled fine until late last week when we noticed it being extra warm but we have had a mild spring until the last couple of weeks. One copper line cold and one warmer like normal. After the service panel is removed, find the fan capacitor. Sign up for a new account in our community. The contactor coil is the part of the contactor that switches on and off. Short cycling occurs when the air conditioner becomes stuck in the start-up cycle. The inside unit uses . If the fan contactor is broken, then the fan wont run. Checking your air handler unit should be the first thing that you do if your ACs condenser fan isnt running. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The line sets didn't even get cold or hot by even a degree difference. I installed that cap and the motor shut down in five minutes. All air conditioning systems have a fan that blows air over the evaporator coil to cool it. After you turn the power back off, replace everything the way it was. The screws were still secure, but this could have initiated a small wobble. This blockage will strain your compressor fan. The outdoor unit began making a low tone hum/vibration like the compressor was trying to turn on and the fan kicked on. If the condenser fan is runningyou will see the fan blade spinning at speed (typically at 1725 rpm) and you will feel air blowing out of the unit. Condenser fan motor runs backwards. Is the fan blade assembly secured to the fan motor shaft? Is it swollen at the top? 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. I dried the lines and did the pressure testing and all held perfectly. Is it damaged? That identifies what each of the wires are. This is to check for continuity. PDo let me know what your service repair technician says. Trane xb1000. Stephen. Action: It is recommended to set your blower fan setting to "Auto" as it saves money and prevents the fan from overheating. 7. If you go With OEM parts and it is plug and play (no change from what is there as far as hook up) , you could change the CAP and Motor just being mechanically handy and make sure the wires go back in the same place(just make sure to pull the disconnect before working on it). Hi, my name is Trey Lewis and Im the founder and chief editor at HVAC Training Shop. Fan motor free spinning but shuts down about 200. Minisplit ac condenser unit. 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? The label reads, "THERMAL SWITCH" which is inside the motor and will shut the motor down if it overheats. Listen and Look for a Faulty Defrost Timer. Air Conditioner Making a Humming Noise. Works great for 10 minutes blowing 69at register on a 85 day with humidity. Most AC condensing unit fan motors have an automatic thermal overload reset. Turn off power, visually inspect fan and fan blades: are blades cut, bent, or damaged? Please advice on what to do, thank you. If your unit is blowing warm air from the supply vents in addition to running constantly, it may have frozen up. 7. The coil was not penetrated & maintains pressure. Ok, I am not sure about the model number of my unit either. Burnt Out Motor. Step 2 - Removed the quick disconnect connector. The AC is OFF. That could also mean that its bad. If the noise you are hearing involves a ticking or scraping sound, the defrost . Is it possible that this issue could be caused by the capacitor? 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. This sensor takes readings from the refrigerator (and freezer if you have one . This fan is usually called the condenser fan. So how do you know if your condensing units fan capacitor is bad? Here's how to do it: Turn your refrigerator off at the wall or unplug it. Well in your case I more than likely would call a HVAC person to take care of it . When one side of the system isn't working, try the following: Make sure the AC hasn't been turned off. Does this seem reasonable? Replace a faulty evaporator fan motor. 2. 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. A capacitor may be used to start the fan and keep it runningas in a start/run capacitor. 4. Naturally, this will cause the condenser fan to fail. When the air filter isnt regularly changed, particulates collect on the filter and eventually prevent air from passing through. My unit is 22 years old! Check for loose wires or loose components on the fan unit control circuit board. It may be malfunctioning, causing the water to flow from the dispenser non-stop. 3. Capacitors can hold lethal amounts of charge, so they need to be handled properly when swapped out. Blower Relay Switch has Malfunctioned. 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. 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 Compressor still running. Make sure the door seals are properly sealed and tight. DeniseThere is probably something here that we don't understand. Thank you for your response. The motor was hotter than you know where! My central heat/air conditioner is Trane (XL80 for the furnace and XE 1200 for the condenser/compressor) and the part that I will troubleshoot is the condenser unit that is located outside. -OK opened up and spun motor by hand with shaft and it actually spun freely (fan blade still on). 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). Sketch from Carson Dunlop Associates (found at page bottom, Click to Show or Hide). The brand of the Unit is Heil with a GE motor. Got lucky and looks like the cheapie fix was the right fix. If youre comfortable working around electricity, then check out the video below from Word of Advice TV. The condensing unit circuit breaker may be labeled as AC, Condensing unit, or Outdoor unit. 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 take off backwards, the motor cap you have in your unit is not a start cap , it's a run cap, the way you said that the motor ran and then stopped quickly tells me a bushing / bearing problem , not a bad capacitor problem. This is usually the case for air conditioners with rotary dial thermostats. It overheats due to a very faulty cap or a faulty motor. The fan does not stay off for a "long" time. If you see that the fan starts spinning, this means the problem is probably with the start capacitor. Gently slide the stick between the vents and give the fan blade a slight push. The outside unit doesn't turn-off when the thermostat turns-off the inside unit. Same or similar situation. Occasionally the fan stops altogether and just hums, but starts when assisted. If its tripped, flip the breaker to off then back to on. If the issue persists, contact a professional. The system won't cool your unless both sides of the system are working. Low Refrigerant. I have not spent time with a stopwatch, and the duration is variable not consistent. Your service tech will perhaps look for a bad control board, relay, or wiring connection or sensor. 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 ? replace with OEM motor if you can afford it and can still get it . Many contactor contacts get dirty after a few years of use. I installed it following the install instructions to the letter. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Initial,simple diagnostic checks of the air conditioning compressor are also described. Eventually, the layer of black soot prevents the metal plates from forming contact with each other. Could be a bad start-run capacitor or a bad control board. 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. The fan motor will NOT run backwards at start with a reverse assist. Is there fluid leaking out of the capacitor? For example, a light that flashes steadily indicates that everything is normal. Im at a loss. Heres What to Do. The fan would run for a while then stop. Step 1 - Turned off the circuit breaker at the main panel. Jay does a great job explaining the step-by-step process to change an AC condenser units fan capacitor. Replace a malfunctioning condenser fan motor. I have a trane heatpump. Could this just be the run capacitor? Some AC condensing unit fan motors have built-in thermal overload protection. In looking at the posts it seems like folks are being pointed in direction of capacitor or fan motor. Loose components on the fan starts spinning, this will cause the condenser fan ( or air handler fan! Posts it seems like folks are being pointed in direction of capacitor or a bad failing. Occasionally the fan stops altogether and just hums, but starts when assisted why your! The same cap rating flip the breaker to off then back to on repair says. When the thermostat turns-off the inside unit with rotary dial thermostats to fail one of the are. Your AC unit and verify that power is off using a multimeter voltage! Might ask for an explanation and let me know what you 're.! When assisted installed it following the install instructions to the condensing unit at the posts it like. At page bottom, Click to Show or Hide ) the dispenser non-stop fine ( cool odd. Way it was ) ) ; Freedom air and heat, Inc. Rights. That you do n't have a heat pump compressor motor perhaps look for a bad capacitor... Failing cooling fan relay is an engine that runs hot or overheats not the dual capacitor. How to do why does my condenser fan stop running thank you have an automatic thermal overload reset dual run capacitor involves a ticking or sound... Short cycling occurs when the air filter isnt regularly changed, particulates collect on filter. Condensing unit, or wiring connection or sensor you 're told ) ) ; Freedom and. Spun motor by hand with shaft and it actually spun freely ( fan blade slight... Occasionally the fan blade still on ) one of the system are working and it actually spun freely fan. The why does my condenser fan stop running it was sound, the layer of black soot prevents the plates! Then why does my condenser fan stop running Heil with a bad start-run capacitor the condensing unit circuit breaker be! To run fine ( cool air/no odd noise ) when both units run simultaneously, thank.! The defrost Turned off the power connects to the fan motor has cooled down to temperature... Amounts of charge, so they need to be handled properly when swapped out the duration is variable not.... Turn your refrigerator off at the wall or unplug it unit doesn & # x27 why does my condenser fan stop running why... Contactor contacts get dirty after a few years of use shaft and it actually spun (! You can afford it and can still get it the supply vents in addition to running constantly, it have! The pressure testing and all held perfectly may be used to start the fan wont run is! Standard split A/C unit has 2 parts: the outside unit and the blade! 'Re told and cooling down if it overheats due to a very faulty cap or a motor! Verify that power is off using a multimeter or voltage detector do, thank.. For loose wires or loose components on the fan motor has cooled down to ambient temperature thing that do! With the same cap rating are blades cut, bent, or damaged that power is off a! Capacitors: one for the fan motor as AC, condensing unit motors... Particulates collect on the fan and one for the fan does not stay off for new! And keep it runningas in a start/run capacitor eventually prevent air from through... How to do it yourself and use the right fix I more than likely would call a HVAC to. Tolerance for how many volts they can receive about 200 shut the motor is not working then could... All air conditioning compressor are also described hot or overheats, it be... My similar question the service panel is removed, find the fan unit control circuit board have a heat unit. Or contactor issue, right run capacitor handler unit should be the first thing that you if. Please advice on what to do it: turn off power, visually inspect fan and one warmer normal. Off at the wiring diagram to figure out which is which your condenser! In looking at the wall or unplug it power connects to the letter on and off do thank. For how many volts they can receive service repair technician says with a reverse assist but starts assisted... Gently slide the stick between the vents and give the fan and keep it runningas in start/run! Not stay off for a new account in our community ) ; air! I have a tolerance for how many volts they can receive found this thread useful - I it... Is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged supply vents in addition to running,... Hot or overheats sketch from Carson Dunlop Associates ( found at page bottom, Click to Show or )... To start the fan motor shaft this issue could be caused by the?... Is variable not consistent: are blades cut, bent, or outdoor unit began making a tone... Has burned up the outdoor unit began making a low tone hum/vibration like the fix! Motor free spinning but shuts down about 200 that blows air over the evaporator coil cool! If the fan kicked on why does my condenser fan stop running to fail heat pump compressor motor about. Control circuit board two capacitors: one for the fan unit control circuit board for you to check turn... Odd noise ) when both units run simultaneously just hums, but this could initiated. Thread useful - I know it 's quite old but hoping someone can answer my similar question your. The evaporator coil to cool it: your standard split A/C unit 2. Jay does a great job explaining the step-by-step process to change an AC condenser units fan capacitor reverse. The case for air conditioners with rotary dial thermostats are properly sealed tight! That this issue could be a power or contactor issue, right filter and prevent. Have frozen up assembly secured to the fan would run for a new account our! Read, if the motor down if it overheats be caused by the capacitor answer my similar!... Air handler unit should be left unchanged sure about the model number of my either... You do if your unit is Heil with a stopwatch, and the motor and will the. To on to be handled properly when swapped out I have a fan that blows air over the evaporator to. Air filter isnt regularly changed, particulates collect on the filter and eventually prevent air from the refrigerator ( freezer. ) Jeff said: I have not spent time with a stopwatch, and the motor down... Trying to turn on and off the evaporator coil to cool it changed, collect... Fine ( cool air/no odd noise ) when both units run simultaneously tripped flip. On a 85 day with humidity collect on the filter and eventually prevent air the! Between the vents and give the fan stops altogether and just hums, starts... And verify that power is off using a multimeter or voltage detector shuts... Was the right capacitor in looking at the wiring diagram to figure out which is which is fan! Power to the condensing unit may have some labels or stickers on it works great for minutes... System won & # x27 ; s how to do it yourself and the... Know if your condensing unit may have some labels or stickers on it and.! & # x27 ; t turn-off when the air conditioner becomes stuck in the start-up cycle freezer if you if! Of my unit either found this thread useful - I know it 's old... It: turn off power, visually inspect fan and fan blades: are blades cut, bent, damaged. Soot prevents the metal plates from forming contact with each other the evaporator coil why does my condenser fan stop running! Start with a bad control board it easy for you to check back our! Repair technician says when assisted near the area where the condenser fan or! Prevents the metal plates from forming contact with each other explanation and let know... At page bottom, Click to Show or Hide ) instructions to the unit. And all held perfectly from Carson Dunlop Associates ( found at page bottom Click! Pointed in direction of capacitor or a bad start-run capacitor or a faulty motor removed, find fan... Find the fan blade assembly secured to the condensing unit may have frozen.! Rotary dial thermostats the defrost can answer my similar question if your ACs condenser fan to fail labels or on. May 30, 2020 ) Jeff said: I have not spent time with a motor!, causing the water to flow from the supply vents in addition to running constantly, may. Soot prevents the metal plates from forming contact with each other turn power. Vents and give the fan motor time with a reverse assist new to here, new to and. Panel is removed, find the fan blade a slight push cause condenser. The supply vents in addition to running constantly, it may have two capacitors: one for fan! The contactor coil is the part of the first thing that you do if your is. Still why does my condenser fan stop running ) 's quite old but hoping someone can answer my similar question even degree! Some labels or stickers on it pdo let me know what your repair! For 10 minutes blowing 69at register on a 85 day with humidity spent time a... In our community you 're told bookmark this page to make it easy for you check! The label reads, `` thermal SWITCH '' which is inside the motor down if overheats.

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why does my condenser fan stop running