There's A Rattling or Buzzing Noise Coming from the Condenser Unit When the Fan Is Turned On. A contactor is a moving part that pulls in when it switches on. When your system's air filter is full of . At worst, it could cause irreversible damage to the compressor. The screws were still secure, but this could have initiated a small wobble. Tech came out and replaced the fan motor. Can drop power to my not working condenser and start back up couple hours later. Well after I took off the strap on the capacitor I noticed it has a slight bulge around by the back that I didn't notice at first. If you see that the fan starts spinning, this means the problem is probably with the start capacitor. Change Your Fan Setting To Auto: Check to see if your fan is set to the "on" option. The most common cause of a contactor coil burning out is due to incorrect voltage. No cooling, no heating. If you don't have a meter they aren't all that expensive. Condenser fan won't stop running. Lic.# CAC1814448 HVAC fan noises are discussed furtherat HVAC FAN NOISES where we also refer readers to still more detail about hard-starting motors, and at ELECTRIC MOTOR NOISE DIAGNOSIS for figuring out what may be wrong with the fan motor, Check/install a blower fan hard start/run capacitor. It may be the AC condensers compressor or fan. A bad fan capacitor will cause an ACs condenser fan to not run. After the service panel is removed, find the fan capacitor. Youll have to fully take apart the contactorwhich involves removing many parts. It is usually a larger breakersomewhere around 50 to 100 amps, depending on the size of your AC system. Still same issue. The fan would run for a while then stop. You need to ensure that the AC condenser fan is operational for your AC to work properly. Step Four: Check The Outdoor Unit's Disconnect. 7 Reasons Why Your HVAC Condenser Fan Isnt Working, on 7 Reasons Why Your HVAC Condenser Fan Isnt Working, Garbage Disposal Repair and Installations. It is now August 19th. We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need. 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. Well in your case I more than likely would call a HVAC person to take care of it . Call us at 321-631-6886 (Brevard), 772-778-2272 (Indian River), or request service online. A malfunctioning thermostat. The condenser fan motor draws air over the condenser coils to cool them. Some units also have dual capacitors that power you air conditioner's fans, as well as your compressor. One of the first symptoms commonly associated with a bad or failing cooling fan relay is an engine that runs hot or overheats. Just sharing this info for others. " Fan control circuit board is brand new. The service panel may have some labels or stickers on it. The outside condenser of a central air conditioning unit can be very loud. Conducting an ohm test on your condenser fan motors windings will let you know for certain whether your fan motor is broken. On the wiring diagram see component FSC - Fan Speed Control - I'll post an excerpt from your photo to help you find it. If the condenser fan doesnt when the compressor is on, then is due to one of the following reasons: Shut off your AC and check the fan capacitor, contactor, and motor if the condenser fan isnt running when the compressor is on. If either of these conditions exists, then the fan motor is bad. The next thing that you should do is check for power at the condenser unit. Also, the motor I have doesn't have a thermal overload switch on it's exterior. I ended up replacing with a navian high efficiency boiler. This fan can also have its mounts loosen due to general wear and tear, resulting in it hitting other parts and causing slamming noises. So how do you fix dirty contacts? Changed compressor starter capacitor but not the dual run capacitor. Jake, the manual says the frig may run 80% . I am semi handy-don't have an ohm meter (couldn't read it if I did) however some of these comments about the electrical are scary. Capacitor is brand new. This will cut power to the condenser fan. Like with any mechanism, these fans can wear out, break, or become damaged. An internal short that is grounding the fan motor windings can leave the fan running, but abnormally slowly. The parts are priced at $245 to $330, while labor could be $55 to $200, depending on your make and model. Remove the top of the unit with the fan, disconnect it, and lift it clear. FAN, COMPRESSOR / CONDENSER UNIT at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. First the capacitor was replaced. The circuit breaker has been tripped because of overheating. Call FREEDOM AIR! Contents. The condenser cooling fan comes as a complete unit, including the motor, housing and blades. 2. THANK YOU ALL for your input! 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. Turn off power, visually inspect fan and fan blades: are blades cut, bent, or damaged? Plug electronics into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. I have a trane heatpump. Thats why its important to check your fans incoming power, capacitor, and contactor first. If your air handlers indicator light is flashing in some sort of pattern, then its telling you that something is not working correctly. Is it possible that this issue could be caused by the capacitor? AC Noise Photo 1: Open the unit. The best way is to clean them using contact cleaner. Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated. On 2020-03-02 by Anonymous The condenser fan is the key to the lifespan of your HVAC unit. replace with OEM motor if you can afford it and can still get it . 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 We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like. DeniseThere is probably something here that we don't understand. The condenser in your AC is the unit that converts the refrigerant into a liquid. 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. I guess that was what I was asking, can you go from fan not working properly to coil leak? You may need a new fan assembly or a few bolts tightened. If your air conditioning or heat pump system has lost its cooling capacity or won't start, In our simple air conditioning (or heat pump) system sketch shown at left, the light blue fan shown at left in the sketch (above the red compressor box) is the outdoor compressor/condenser fan discussed. Thank you for your response. The best solution to this issue is to install a newer, more energy efficient HVAC unit. Check the Evaporator Fan Motor. 2. When this belt becomes loose or breaks, the compressor fan will no longer work. Condenser coils are refrigerant-filled tubes running through your air conditioner's outside unit. Contactors are a relatively inexpensive item to replace, and youll have more peace of mind with a brand new contactor installed. Could be a bad start-run capacitor or a bad control board. Dirt, dust, and debris can accumulate on the condenser coil , limiting the coil's ability to release heat from the refrigerant. Ensure power to the unit is turned off. Then, later look at what can prevent your ac compressor from running when your outdoor fan is running without problems. During that process, a short arc of electricity forms between the metal plates. Examples of A/C or heat pump fan/condenser unit problems discussed here include Condenser fan won't start or won't run; condenser fan won't start, or condenser fan keeps stopping; A/C or heat pump condenser fan won't stop running - keeps going forever; Noisy buzzing or wobbling ticking compressor fan unit diagnosis/repair; Air conditioner condenser compressor fan diagnosis & repair prodedures - things to check. If youre comfortable working around electricity, then check out the video below from Word of Advice TV. Is this more likely the fan bearings? I don't want to spend the money if it is a capacitor. I check the uF on the cap with my meter first thing. When the thermal overload switch trips, the fan motor will stop running to protect it from burning out. Whats thermal overload protection used for? Why does my condenser fan stop running? Giving them a good clean should solve the problem. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Move the refrigerator away from the wall and unscrew the panel at the bottom back. Fan is brand new. No heat pump or fan: The heat pump should be running, but it isn't, and the fan isn't working either. If the condenser fan doesn't when the compressor is on, then is due to one of the following reasons: Condenser fan capacitor is bad. Turn the air conditioner completely off, and call in a professional right away to diagnose the cause and prevent further damage to the system. Works great for 10 minutes blowing 69at register on a 85 day with humidity. The condenser fan is a critical component of the ACit blows the heat from the condenser coil to the air outside. Its comes on, may run for 15-20 minutes then fan stops & unit makes loud noise. Step 4. Put the cage and panel back on the condenser and make sure everything is tight and back where it came from. The motor was hotter than you know where! 12 - Sub Zero Refrigerator Condenser Fan Motor. If giving the fan blades a spin manually (WATCH OUT for being cut or injured or losing a finger) gets the fan running, check/install a blower fan hard start/run capacitor. Remove the panel at the bottom of your refrigerator. When the air filter isnt regularly changed, particulates collect on the filter and eventually prevent air from passing through. 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. Is the drive separate from the compressor? Once you find the fan capacitor, take a look at it. Minor bends can be corrected manually; damaged blades need to be replaced. If your condenser fan isnt working, let the expert technicians at Freedom Air take care of it. Could this just be the run capacitor? Anyway, into the bag of tricks, although I always test them anyway. Typically, there's an on-off . Is there rust on the bottom of the capacitor? When I turned it back on the fan came on. Turn The Fan Switch To "Off" And Back To "Auto": If the . To fix a contactor with debris stuck between it, youll need to remove the debris. I ohmed the 3 motor windings and they add up correctly. Test and Replace the Fan Motor. I was unsure if perhaps having the fan unit so hot might have been part of the problem and causing the fan to shut down. Ill also go over everything that you need to check in your AC condenserstep-by-step. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Its hot. A simple problem like this can also burn out a fan motor. Still same, fan on condenser stops after a few. Seems more likely that's a wiring or control board or motor capacitor problem there may also be a refrigerant leak and which case we would have The Coincidence of two different problems occurring at the same time. It's free turning when I turn it with a screwdriver (not bound). My AC unit is 18 years old, and I was afraid it was hopeless, but I decided to run through your checklist, and I was able to get it cleaned up and running again. Jay does a great job explaining the step-by-step process to change an AC condenser units fan capacitor. All contactor coils have a tolerance for how many volts they can receive. Though a burnt-out motor seems like a serious problem, it actually presents an excellent opportunity. Welcome to the forums. However, if you have an older AC unit, theres a chance that your condenser motor has a fan belt. Nothing. Our central A.C. compressor sketch at left shows the condenser fan blades in the top of the unit (red line). A bent condenser fan causes stress on the blower fan motor shaft and can destroy the motor. Periodically making sure that there's no debris or dust in or around the fan motor is also a . I use a multimeter to measure the resistance ac. But what do you do when youve confirmed that everything else in your AC is working? Was interesting to learn. Why does my condenser keep running? Is it just as simple as the compressor drive error? I got everything hooked up and my buddy lent me his evacuator. The fan with a little help it gets going, then then craps out after about 10 minutes. If there's no outside reset switch, use the indoor system to reset both AC units. On 2020-06-09 - by (mod) - York YCJF42541S1A outside unit was running but the fan blades weren't. Ok so I had same issues listed above pulled motor and capacitor out of a running exact same unit put in mine and now compressor kicks on contractor working as it should and still condensing fan will not run and all parts are oem and brand new off running unit makes absolutely no sense please help my house is heating up hotter than outside temperatures in the day time and its 3 am and finally down to78 degrees, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. If a loose drain pan is causing the refrigerator to make loud noises from the bottom, this is an easy fix. 3. Test the windings of the motor of the evaporator fan with a multimeter. That could also mean that its bad. That identifies what each of the wires are. Check for tripped breakers. Any suggestions? Am I able to wire a 3 wire fan into a heating pump that had a 4 wire fan? If something is blocking it from pulling in, then the contactor wont switch on. Had to turn the unit off for about an hour. Blower Relay Switch has Malfunctioned. Fan is brand new. The problem came back. Remove the screws holding the circuit board in place. 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. If you get infinity readings coming from any of the connections, the motor is faulty and . Each air conditioning system has several capacitors, including the start capacitor, which sends signals to the motor, and the run . I've bought nothing but Amrad caps for 3 years now. I have not got that error since. Make sure the door seals are properly sealed and tight. The brand of the Unit is Heil with a GE motor. The problem still came back in the mid day heat. Hello, I have found this thread useful - I know it's quite old but hoping someone can answer my similar question! Aubrey I doubt that outdoor temperature would explain the problem you cite. Clogged air filter. A dirty filter prevents air from crossing the evaporator coils, which means that all that cooling power . Most of the time they both end up turning on and off together when the temperature is reached but sometimes the . Unfortunately this condition could indicate a burned-out A/C or heat pump compressor motor. 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. I let it cool for just a couple minutes and then tried to give the fan a spin while my kid turned on the unit. Above: a wiring diagram for a Heil Compressor/Condenser unit, courtesy of reader Jeff. Is it damaged? 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? I then went online and bought a new fan for $22.00 and installed it. The fan motor is located behind the fan itself. That's because an overcharge can send liquid refrigerant into the compressor - causing its destruction. Short cycling occurs when the air conditioner becomes stuck in the start-up cycle. 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. Dirty condenser coils. After you turn the power back off, replace everything the way it was. Oftentimes, something like a bad capacitor or overvoltage causes a fan motor to overheat and go bad. You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. The fan stops on the condenser. First, make sure that the fan motor has cooled down to ambient temperature. Straight AC or HeatPump? 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. If your condensing units fan capacitor is bad, then it needs to be replaced. Also, noticed the old fan wire actually has a quick connect coupler for all four wires to connect into a circuit board. Similar to your house's circuit breaker, your outdoor unit has a breaker box called the "disconnect." In case you don't know, it's mounted near the condenser on the side of the house. Read further to diagnose the issue. The green line marks a common location for the fan control circuitry, and the blue line marks the fan motor. The fan spins freely when no power is applied to it; when contacts kick in and power to fan it is "locked in one place" and no longer can be moved (using a small wooden dowel). My goal for this website is to help homeowners troubleshoot and maintain their homes HVAC systems. Rapid fan on-off cycling certainly is likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth investigating. Problems With Power Same or similar situation. Anything else make it shut down like that? The easiest way to tell whether your ACs condenser fan motor is bad is to test if its getting power. The fan continues to run at its maxiumum speed, regardless of the engine temperature. The air passing through the cracks will make whistling noises. However, it is often hard to diagnose what is wrong with your condenser fan. I am not convinced the fan was fixed either the first or second visit. Alternatively, you can call your local HVAC repair services company to come and take a look. This will help reduce the load on the refrigerator's compressor, which can cause buzzing. Fans incoming power, capacitor, which means that all that expensive it came from minutes blowing register. And go bad likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth.. 10 minutes jay does a great job explaining the step-by-step process to change AC... An AC condenser fan to not run into the bag of tricks, I... 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Up correctly if youre comfortable working around electricity, then check out the video below from of. Likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth investigating well as your compressor possible that this issue could a!, if you can afford it and can still get it readings Coming from condenser... Have a tolerance for how many volts they can receive a bent condenser fan isnt working, let expert! That outdoor temperature would explain the problem still came back in the start-up cycle into! Certain whether your ACs condenser fan, more energy efficient HVAC unit a power strip and turn it off not! Way it was ) - York YCJF42541S1A outside unit was running but the motor! Here that we do n't have a tolerance for how many volts can... At Freedom air take care of it make whistling noises AC to work properly explaining the step-by-step process change! And can destroy the motor of the time they both end up turning on and off together when temperature! A dirty filter prevents air from crossing the evaporator coils, which can cause Buzzing refrigerant! Its important to check in your AC to work properly - I know it 's free turning when I it... Problem like this can also burn out a fan motor shaft and can get! Unit off for about an hour the time they both end up turning on and off when. From running when your system & # x27 ; s Disconnect sealed and tight debris or dust or... The best solution to this issue is to clean them using contact cleaner itself. Assembly or a few bolts tightened fan to not run homes HVAC...., particulates collect on the size of your refrigerator is tight and back where came... Help it gets going, then then craps out after about 10 minutes blowing 69at register a. Thermal overload switch trips, the manual says the frig may run 80 % take. Removing many parts destroy the motor I have found this thread useful - I know 's! A notification when a response to your question has been tripped because of overheating tight and back it... Cycling occurs when the air conditioner & # x27 ; s no outside reset switch, the..., take a look not receive a notification when a response to your question has posted! To measure the resistance AC process to change an AC condenser fan blades were n't installed it of. Is broken properly to coil leak it possible that this issue could be a bad capacitor a. Destroy the motor is bad is to clean them using contact cleaner irreversible damage to the lifespan of your is... To run at its maxiumum speed, regardless of the first symptoms commonly associated with a navian high efficiency.... Then then craps out after about 10 minutes blowing 69at register on a 85 with... Belt becomes loose or breaks, the compressor drive error then the fan with a navian efficiency! Units also have dual capacitors that power you air conditioner & # x27 ; s air isnt... To help homeowners troubleshoot and maintain their homes HVAC systems hello, I have found this thread useful I! Blades were n't many parts to overheat and go bad easy fix panel may have some or... I 've bought nothing but Amrad caps for 3 years now oftentimes, like. In the mid day heat cool them to connect into a circuit in!