The motor on my central a/c quit. The tech said motor was shot. rated at 1.5 amps and was at 1.3 amps and motor running hot. The motor seized up. After it cooled off he was able to get motor running by spinning it. He thinks it might have shut off due to thermal protection. He said to keep temp at 55 degrees so motor wont shut off. I would think that would just burn it up quicker. I am trying to make it last 3-4 days till new part comes in. Wouldnt it make sense to keep it at a higher temp say 78 degrees so it doeesnt work so hard. And if it stops again spin it a bit to get it going again.
central a/c motor question
- Thread starter raaizin
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Did he replace the capacitor? If your motor will run forever once its started with a little nudge than its a failed or weak run capacitor. If the motor is shot "so to speak" it will not run very long no matter what you do. Not sure about this advice he gave you.
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Does the motor feel that hot? By amps, it does sound like the motor's had it. Did he replace the capacitor as well? I don't think running the house at a higher temp is going to help but if/when it does shut down again, hopefully it will start back up by spinning it. Sure sounds like a bad cap but he said he checked the amp draw, correct?
He said to run it at 55 to keep the condensor fan running so it won't shut off but it's doubtful it will run for several days. It might be worth trying a $15 capacitor IMO.
He said to run it at 55 to keep the condensor fan running so it won't shut off but it's doubtful it will run for several days. It might be worth trying a $15 capacitor IMO.
what coolbird101said. The metal above the fan motor should uncomfortable to touch with your palm but not scalding hot......simply stated for what it's worth. the tech should still replace the cap even with a new motor and he should have replaced it when he diagnosed the bad motor.
Originally Posted By: coolbird101
Did he replace the capacitor? If your motor will run forever once its started with a little nudge than its a failed or weak run capacitor. If the motor is shot "so to speak" it will not run very long no matter what you do. Not sure about this advice he gave you.
_1
Did he replace the capacitor? If your motor will run forever once its started with a little nudge than its a failed or weak run capacitor. If the motor is shot "so to speak" it will not run very long no matter what you do. Not sure about this advice he gave you.
_1
I assume the motor you are talking about is for a fan, since the compressor motor is sealed and the teck would not be able to spin it by hand.
I also assume you are talking about the fan motor that blows the air through the house.
The blower motor that moves the air through our house for the furnace and whole house AC has failed several times over the last 24 years. The first time one of the metal mounts broke off. The second time the motor was too hard to turn. The third time it was making some noise like the one before did before it became too hard to turn. That was a year ago. I took the motor apart and lubed both of the felt oil holding sections that supply oil for the sleeve bearings. I placed the part against a flat surface (the surface I used was metal, but glass would work) and the oil I used was GC. When I put the motor back together and ran it is made the noise a few time for a few days, and it has been fine ever since.
If you motor has an external start and run capacitor that could be the problem, but there is a good chance that the bearing is the problem. If it is the bearing, GC oil probably would fix it if it is not too far gone.
I also assume you are talking about the fan motor that blows the air through the house.
The blower motor that moves the air through our house for the furnace and whole house AC has failed several times over the last 24 years. The first time one of the metal mounts broke off. The second time the motor was too hard to turn. The third time it was making some noise like the one before did before it became too hard to turn. That was a year ago. I took the motor apart and lubed both of the felt oil holding sections that supply oil for the sleeve bearings. I placed the part against a flat surface (the surface I used was metal, but glass would work) and the oil I used was GC. When I put the motor back together and ran it is made the noise a few time for a few days, and it has been fine ever since.
If you motor has an external start and run capacitor that could be the problem, but there is a good chance that the bearing is the problem. If it is the bearing, GC oil probably would fix it if it is not too far gone.
Originally Posted By: MrMeeks
whatever the motor is driving (compressor etc.) may be seizing.
you should lube the motor bearings if possible
It is the motor to the fan outside the house on the compressor. It cant be lube, he said the oil ports broken off with plug inside. Its not a capaitor issue. It is getting hot from no lubricatio. It looks like it will be a hot few days
whatever the motor is driving (compressor etc.) may be seizing.
you should lube the motor bearings if possible
It is the motor to the fan outside the house on the compressor. It cant be lube, he said the oil ports broken off with plug inside. Its not a capaitor issue. It is getting hot from no lubricatio. It looks like it will be a hot few days
How hot is the motor? That will tell you more than anything. In the interim, use a drill bit and drill out the oil port and lube it....he could have done that in mere minutes....most of them are very thin aluminum and/or plastic. If the motor refuses to start, run some water over it from your garden hose and then spin it with a stick/whatever while your thermostat is calling for ac. Most times, the old motors get stiff from old/bad bearings but seldom seize completely. I'm betting you can get some oil in the bearings if you really try.
Couldn't you lay a window fan flat on top of the unit and push or pull air? Its just air cooling the condenser.
The fan motor for the outside unit usually has a duel capacitor. One for start and one for run, usually both in the same can. These capacitors do go bad. Raaizin, you do not indicate where you live but the wide range of temperature that these capacitors are exposed to does get to them. Unfortunately now days many of the suppliers of these capacitors have them made in a foreign country where the labor is low cost, and the quality of these foreign capacitors is very bad. A cousin of mine has a refrigeration repair business and he said that he now uses a more expensive universal replacement capacitor because it is made in the United States and still has good quality, though these capacitors often are not an exact match, and they may cause the motor to run at less than peak efficiency, they do work for a long time. My cousin said that the cheap capacitors can fail in less than one month, and he lost too much on call backs with them.
If the motor bearings are bad, there should be noticeable drag if you turn off the main breaker to it and try spinning it by hand. If the bearings are good look at the capacitor.
If the motor bearings are bad, there should be noticeable drag if you turn off the main breaker to it and try spinning it by hand. If the bearings are good look at the capacitor.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Couldn't you lay a window fan flat on top of the unit and push or pull air? Its just air cooling the condenser.
Not powerful enough, it would not move enough air.
Couldn't you lay a window fan flat on top of the unit and push or pull air? Its just air cooling the condenser.
Not powerful enough, it would not move enough air.
JimPGhPa just gave you a good way to check the fan motor. The tech really should have tried a capacitor.
One last option that will keep you somewhat comfortable on all but the hottest night, and admittedly it's a very temporary unconventional patch, is to continually flood the condensor coil with a garden hose/sprinkler while the compressor is running. I did this once when my fan motor failed and my pregnant wife was miserable.....however, I only had to do it that night since I was able to pick up a motor the next day and around 1AM it cooled off enough where she was much more comfortable.
Otherwise, try what the tech suggested and keep the t/stat low enough to prevent the condensor unit from shutting off. Naturally, this method has the risks associated with the fan blade assembly coming off (if the bearings really are bad) and catastrophically destroying the condensor coil.
One last option that will keep you somewhat comfortable on all but the hottest night, and admittedly it's a very temporary unconventional patch, is to continually flood the condensor coil with a garden hose/sprinkler while the compressor is running. I did this once when my fan motor failed and my pregnant wife was miserable.....however, I only had to do it that night since I was able to pick up a motor the next day and around 1AM it cooled off enough where she was much more comfortable.
Otherwise, try what the tech suggested and keep the t/stat low enough to prevent the condensor unit from shutting off. Naturally, this method has the risks associated with the fan blade assembly coming off (if the bearings really are bad) and catastrophically destroying the condensor coil.
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You can squirt some oil around the shaft where it goes into the motor. That should get you by until the replacement motor is installed.
I did HVAC work for several years and this may get you by for a few days.
Normally the shaft end of the motor is the one that goes first.
I did HVAC work for several years and this may get you by for a few days.
Normally the shaft end of the motor is the one that goes first.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Couldn't you lay a window fan flat on top of the unit and push or pull air? Its just air cooling the condenser.
I've done that. I have an American Standard 16 SEER, dual compressor setup. My condenser fan motor is a DC "super efficient" motor that runs at variable speeds. The permanent magnets delaminated from the rotor. I was able to epoxy them and while the epoxy was curing, I used a shop fan as a replacement fan. Worked perfectly.
By the way, my JB weld repair lasted nearly a year. The replacement motor was $600, ugh.
I can't say it would work for you, but on my 2 speed system set on low, the fan moved plenty of air and the house cooled. AND, the air coming out of the condenser was not hot. This means airflow was sufficient.
Couldn't you lay a window fan flat on top of the unit and push or pull air? Its just air cooling the condenser.
I've done that. I have an American Standard 16 SEER, dual compressor setup. My condenser fan motor is a DC "super efficient" motor that runs at variable speeds. The permanent magnets delaminated from the rotor. I was able to epoxy them and while the epoxy was curing, I used a shop fan as a replacement fan. Worked perfectly.
By the way, my JB weld repair lasted nearly a year. The replacement motor was $600, ugh.
I can't say it would work for you, but on my 2 speed system set on low, the fan moved plenty of air and the house cooled. AND, the air coming out of the condenser was not hot. This means airflow was sufficient.
typically, a condensor isn't that hot....it works on volume cooling thus the reason water flow works too. I don't have a gauge set in front of me at the moment but the high pressure gauge also has temperatures that correlate to the pressures so the gauge will give you an idea of what kind of temperatures you're dealing with.
It's not just a coincidence that your ac feels colder on rainy days.
It's not just a coincidence that your ac feels colder on rainy days.
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I had to replace my condensor fan motor in Dec. 2011. Having served for 21 yrs., it was due. I also checked the motor caps, both indoor & outdoor, and they were low. I bought a new motor at WW Grainger and replaced it myself. Some DVM's (digital volt meters) include a capacitance meter so you can check them yourself.
I bought new caps from a shop specializing in reworking commercial motors. They carry GE caps. GE moved this division to Mexico many years ago however, I trusted these more than the others from China.
I bought new caps from a shop specializing in reworking commercial motors. They carry GE caps. GE moved this division to Mexico many years ago however, I trusted these more than the others from China.
Some electronic supply places still stock the more reliable and more expensive capacitors if you do want a replacement with the same electrical specifications. Newark might have them.
Also McMaster-Carr seams to have a decent selection of start capacitors at low prices, and the shipping cost from McMaster-Carr is always low, and always very fast. Often you get the item the next day even with a very low shipping cost (usually around $5.00 for shipping). McMaster-Carr is the largest customer for UPS, and they have a special agreement for low cost, and unreliable fast shipping times.
Also McMaster-Carr seams to have a decent selection of start capacitors at low prices, and the shipping cost from McMaster-Carr is always low, and always very fast. Often you get the item the next day even with a very low shipping cost (usually around $5.00 for shipping). McMaster-Carr is the largest customer for UPS, and they have a special agreement for low cost, and unreliable fast shipping times.
Also, you can replace the duel start and run capacitor with two separate capacitors of the correct electrical ratings.
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