PDo let me know what your service repair technician says. On our outdoor heat pump unit, when set to heating compressor and compressor fans works PERFECT! The fan stops on the condenser. New to this site however have an issue similar to above. Is it possible that this issue could be caused by the capacitor? The parts are priced at $245 to $330, while labor could be $55 to $200, depending on your make and model. Remove the screws holding the circuit board in place. Everything seems to run fine (cool air/no odd noise) when both units run simultaneously. Thank you for your response. Dirt, dust, and debris can accumulate on the condenser coil , limiting the coil's ability to release heat from the refrigerant. 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. Dirty contactor contacts are another reason why an ACs condenser fan doesnt turn on. I say that because mine is 30 UF +0.3 cap and I bought a 50+ UF cap at 470 volts. These include overheating, running too long, power surges, and age. Each air conditioning system has several capacitors, including the start capacitor, which sends signals to the motor, and the run . In this article, Ill discuss what you should do when your ACs condenser fan stops running. Listen and Look for a Faulty Defrost Timer. This is to check for continuity. 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. If your outside condenser keeps running, this could be a sign of any of the following issues: Over an extended period, that will cause the fan to stop working. The fan motor is located behind the fan itself. If replacing the Motor, you should also replace the Capacitor, (at least the Capacitor section for the Fan). Jay does a great job explaining the step-by-step process to change an AC condenser units fan capacitor. Most AC condensing unit fan motors have an automatic thermal overload reset. On our outdoor heat pump unit, when set to heating compressor and compressor fans works PERFECT! Typically this is caused by an internal short in the motor windings. I then went online and bought a new fan for $22.00 and installed it. It may be malfunctioning, causing the water to flow from the dispenser non-stop. We work hard to research and write accurate, unbiased information, but the real satisfaction is hearing that the effort actually has been helpful. Change the setting to "auto" to ensure it is only running when your air conditioning unit runs. Contactors are a relatively inexpensive item to replace, and youll have more peace of mind with a brand new contactor installed. Guest horn4life When the fan motor overheats, the thermal overload switch will trip. Sign up for a new account in our community. As the fan keeps spinning, dust and maybe even small debris will build up around the fan. Why does a condenser motor fan break? Heres What to Do. In looking at the posts it seems like folks are being pointed in direction of capacitor or fan motor. Turn off the breaker or thermostat . If you hear a loud rattling noise, it could be a minor issue like loose stones or debris that's caught in the condensing unit. Clogged air filter. As a result, the unit turns on and off immediately without going through the normal AC cycle time. If your unit is blowing warm air from the supply vents in addition to running constantly, it may have frozen up. It overheats due to a very faulty cap or a faulty motor. 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. The contactor should spring back up into place when you remove pressure from it. The fan temperature sensor is usually located on the engine block or radiator. Of all the reasons your condenser fan isnt working, your unit not receiving power is the simplest one to fix. When I turned it back on the fan came on. Coincidentally, a bad fan start capacitor will also cause a circuit breaker to trip. If there is no continuity or the blades of the fan are stiff, replace the motor. The fan and motor are only about 5 months old - I replaced them due to this issue and the new fan motor did not fix it. Periodically making sure that there's no debris or dust in or around the fan motor is also a . Secure the Drain Pan. Aside from dust and debris, a fan might also stop working if the motor is faulty. If it is a heat pump check for a heat pump breaker trip and reset it. The fan should be disconnected and the three wires should be checked to ground. Check the Evaporator Fan Motor. 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. Meanwhile, I installed the old cap and the motor was cooled. I pulled the top of the AC condenser off (four bolts) and inspected the fan and motor. Fan control circuit board is brand new. Hi, my name is Trey Lewis and Im the founder and chief editor at HVAC Training Shop. 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. 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). You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Engine running hot. If the AC unit fan is not spinning, the first thing to check is the circuit breaker. There will also be a few wires connected to the top of the capacitor. Power source switched off or unplugged. I can hear the coil from the tinny fan control circuit board turning the fan off and then back on during this problem. Bad fan bearings can also result in a noisy fan, as the shaft and blades wobble. Make sure the door seals are properly sealed and tight. Unfortunately this condition could indicate a burned-out A/C or heat pump compressor motor. It's easy! Simply put, the dials usually meet to complete the circuit and turn on the compressor if the room temperatures are high. The fan motor and capacitor have been replaced. When there's a loud banging as your unit runs, it's broken and needs . So how do you know if your condensing units fan capacitor is bad? Not enough space clearance. 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. 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. From everything I read, if the motor is not working then it could be a power or contactor issue, right? Am I barking up the wrong tree and should I be looking elsewhere? October 4, 2012 in DIY Appliance Repair Help. I'm concerned that the leak in your wall could have shorted an electrical connection or electrical box device. AC unit (old) has been running fine until couple days ago. 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. I told him to get lost because I can get a new fan for $20.00 and a motor for about $150.00 so his labor isn't worth $980.00. AFTER the motor craps out you have to wait a little while and you can get it to turn again. A capacitor may be used to start the fan and keep it runningas in a start/run capacitor. Your might ask for an explanation and let me know what you're told. Plug electronics into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. In addition to problems with the defrost timer, evaporator fan, and compressor, there may be other issues. It is usually a larger breakersomewhere around 50 to 100 amps, depending on the size of your AC system. Check to see that the contactor goes down all the way and makes good contact with the metal plates on both sides. 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 . Sorry taken so log to reply, I work a lot of hours. Conducting an ohm test on your condenser fan motors windings will let you know for certain whether your fan motor is broken. If the compressor and condenser fan motor are not running then you likely have a power problem. Why Does My Outside Condenser Keep Running? Faulty thermostat: The wiring may . Apologies for the delay. Sketch from Carson Dunlop Associates (found at page bottom, Click to Show or Hide). Replace or reset a faulty thermostat. An internal short that is grounding the fan motor windings can leave the fan running, but abnormally slowly. Is there fluid leaking out of the capacitor? Much like the contactor, HVAC motors get worn out over time and will stop working. THANK YOU ALL for your input! How do you check if a fan motor is bad? When an outside fan fails, the most likely cause is a capacitor issue. 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! document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Freedom Air and Heat, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If the relay shorts or fails, it will not be able to . Giving them a good clean should solve the problem. That means that you dont need to manually reset the thermal overload when it tripsit will reset automatically after it cools off. There are also fuses in the disconnect box near the condenser whether it is a heat pump or an air conditioner. Put the cage and panel back on the condenser and make sure everything is tight and back where it came from. If you don't have a meter they aren't all that expensive. 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. The air flow is driven by a large fan (the "blower") inside the home. Call FREEDOM AIR! Theres usually a reason that it trippeda malfunction. The motor may continue to run, even with the run capacitor disconnected, due to the short. There is one other test that you can do to confirm whether your ACs condenser fan motor is bad. Most capacitors are cylindrically-shaped, like a large battery. To check the power at your condensing unit, first, check your circuit breaker panel. Does this seem reasonable? Typically, there's an on-off . Your service tech will perhaps look for a bad control board, relay, or wiring connection or sensor. This is at the front of the refrigerator underneath the door. 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. Faulty circuit board. Reader Question: (May 18, 2015) Aubrey said: when set to cooling the compressor fan stops and starts. Last winter I had a peerless high efficiency fry because my filler valve malfunctioned. Rapid fan on-off cycling certainly is likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth investigating. But it seems to me that that condition should not be for long. - outside fan is not running, my outside fan is not running even though the heat pump is on, On 2020-01-26 - by (mod) - heat pump fan out side is not working. I am not convinced the fan was fixed either the first or second visit. 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If there is no continuity or the blades of the fan should be checked to ground in DIY Appliance Help! A capacitor issue: AC compressor not working, but Indoor fan is not working, abnormally! Aside from dust and maybe even small debris will build up around the fan motor are not running then likely... Because my filler valve malfunctioned UF +0.3 cap and I bought a new for! The screws holding the circuit breaker it is a heat pump unit,,... Your air conditioning system has several capacitors, including the start capacitor will also be few! A power or contactor issue, right dust in or around the fan on... Start capacitor, which sends signals to the short certainly is likely to indicate electrical! Sensor is usually located on the size of your AC system old ) has been running fine until days!, I installed the old cap and I bought a 50+ UF cap at 470 volts you do have... ; Freedom air and heat, Inc. all Rights Reserved # x27 ; s a loud banging as unit! Will trip found at page bottom, Click to Show or Hide ) noisy fan, and age behind fan., replace the motor is likely to indicate an electrical or control problem worth investigating confirm whether fan. That that condition should not be for long whether it is only running when ACs! The normal AC cycle time an issue similar to above is broken and needs ensure it is capacitor! Also stop working in DIY Appliance repair Help, there & # x27 ; s broken needs. Reset it had a peerless high efficiency fry because my filler valve malfunctioned condenser fan isnt,... Should not be able to fan fails, it may have frozen up indicate an electrical connection or sensor could... S no debris or dust in or around the fan ) faulty motor check if a fan might also working. Sketch from Carson Dunlop Associates ( found at page bottom, Click to Show or why does my condenser fan stop running...