Cold Mouse, Hot House

[Fleetmon]

Hottest day of the year so far....walked in and inside temp around 85. Started checking the condensor unit and the unit was way overheated and thermal breaker clicking away. Disassembled and found a mouse had bit into one of the capacitor wires and electrocuted himself. Fried him hairless and I actually had to use a screwdriver to pry his little jaws apart to get him off of the wire.

Repaired the wire and cooled the unit with a water hose and the compressor started but no joy with the fan....a little spin got it going so the house is now cooling down again but I'm thinking of replacing the fan motor and capacitor....the fan was apparently so hot it turned the paint on the cover (directly over the fan) pink. The fan is running cool now and everything is working well but I don't want to shut it off just yet. What do y'all think if it restarts....replace the fan motor and capacitor anyway?

 

[The_Eric]

Definitely. Otherwise it will fail when REALLY don't want it to.

 

[BISCUT]

Feelin your pain bro! Mine must have a hair pin leak on a joint. Air isn't cold but luke warm. Sux as today was as bad as any day I've felt visiting my family in Houston TX in August.

I'm lucky we had some nasty storms and things cooled a bit. Interior down from 89F (worse evr seen) to 78F and should drop a few more.

All that, I'll take it as this year has been the best ever for low humidity and 85 and under from May to July 1! Truly for the first year in the 15 I've been in NY I feel like I had a New England Spring. If you never experienced Spring (mud, is what it is) or Fall in NE you haven't lived.

And ya, get it replaced!

 

[Fleetmon]

Yeah, I agree with you guys....replace anyway and thanks for your opinions. She is looking around on the computer right now trying to locate the motor....worst case is I go to Graingers but I'm sure she'll locate a Lennox motor for me.

Luckily it's cooling great right now (running it non-stop) and it's pulled the temp down to 74 from 85 (actually 87 by the time I got it running again).

I've had/have a bumper crop of mice last year and this.....I hope they don't stampede!

@ biscut - we moved to Pa in '10 from Houston.....Kingwood area. It gets HOT there!

 

[double vanos]

I have feral cats that I haved tamed to the point they can live indoors. But they hang out outside a lot and as a result no mice ( or birds or squirrels, rats etc)..

 

[Fleetmon]

We have a growing family of fox living on our property so I hope they start reducing the population some....I do see mice remnants in their droppings.

Cats would definitely control them.

 

[EA82]

Fan motor was overheated just like the compressor, you can replace it if you want to, I don't see the need.

 

[Kestas]

Some fan motors need periodic lubrication. Was yours one of them?

 

[Fleetmon]

Nope....just cleaned the condensor a few weeks ago and lubed the motor....on this one, you have to detach it from the cover to lube.

 

[Schmoe]

I'd replace, they aren't that expensive anyway....like others said, it may fail when you really need it the most and summer just started.

 

[Fleetmon]

Yep....just finished up....$75 for new motor and cap and we're back in business!

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Fleetmon
We have a growing family of fox living on our property so I hope they start reducing the population some.


There must be an invasion of them in our state, as I am seeing MANY more of them right in my backyard, and my area is fairly well populated by humans, but does border some heavy woods.

It's funny, as I just today was thinking that the air has that 'Houston' feel to it, the 110% humidity making it feel MUCH hotter than the actual 93*F ambient it hit as a high.