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OT: any hvac guys on here?

R

Robert Zack

Member
I have a 3 year old arcoaire compressor. I was hosing off the coils today & it seemed like the motor was running slow. light pressure from the hose stream hitting the fan blade actually slowed the motor to a near stop. is that normal?
 
If you are talking about an AC condensing unit, to save energy, modern units modulate condenser fan speed to just the speed required for the heat load.

When you hosed off the coils, you COOLED them with water, plus added an evaporative cooling effect.

So the fan motor was at LOW speed and power, easily affected by the water stream.
 
I just checked it again & the motor quit running. it was very warm & something, maybe the motor, was humming. I pulled the disconnect & it still hummed. turned off the thermostat & it quit humming. i'll do some more checking in the morning. of course this had to happen when we're having a heat wave
 
the house temperature just went above 90 so I decided to mess with this some more. turned the system back on at the thermostat & went out & reinstalled the pull-out in the shut-off at the coil. the motor just hummed. I was going to give the fan blades a spin & bumped the blades the wrong way & the motor stated running backwards. I pulled the pull-out & let the motor stop, put the pull-out back, gave the blade a spin (in the right direction ) & it started running. it still gives a hum & slows down some but for now it's running. i'll keep an eye on it while the house cools down & have it checked out properly in the morning. for clarity, the fan should be blowing upwards, correct? when I lean over it it should be blowing into my face???
 
Not a HVAC guy.
ON July 10th the unit AC stopped diagnosis was Capacitor. For $495 tax in, cooling agin.
This Sunday afternoon same symptoms, the service came out, capacitor again, my wife knew the symptoms, fixed , No charge-warranty. That capacitor blew apart, oil everywhere.
When I use water to cool the fins, I turn off all power to the unit first.
I also vote for start capacitor.
 
Last winter I noticed the fan on my Trane seemed to be running slow. Couple of weeks later it would not run at all, pushed the blade with a small stick and the fan was frozen solid, seized. It was Fri night, ac men charge bunches for night or weekend jobs so I took the top of the unit off including the fan and it was stuck so hard it was difficult to move it. Needed heat so I lubed the lower bearing with 30w oil and it started to move and then spun very freely. I figured for a new motor soon but it ran fine for a week, planned on new bearings and got a set. Bearings on hand but it is still running great and it is seeing a lot of use as it has been a 90+ summer since June.
 
$495 FOR A CAPACITOR???????

I put one on mine last week. It was $7.00 for the part from Grainger. I actually replaced the motor, too. Less than $120 for motor, cap and shipping to my door. If you have a Grainger nearby (the closest one to me is in Maryland Heights) you can just go there and pick it up. Look it up on their website and call them.

If the new cap fails quickly, you'll probably need a new motor and matching cap. Been there, done that.

Disclaimer- Not an HVAC guy, just a cheapskate :)
 
(quoted from post at 12:33:06 08/26/14) $495 FOR A CAPACITOR???????

I put one on mine last week. It was $7.00 for the part from Grainger. I actually replaced the motor, too. Less than $120 for motor, cap and shipping to my door. If you have a Grainger nearby (the closest one to me is in Maryland Heights) you can just go there and pick it up. Look it up on their website and call them.

If the new cap fails quickly, you'll probably need a new motor and matching cap. Been there, done that.

Disclaimer- Not an HVAC guy, just a cheapskate :)
Click to expand...

You can save a lot of money if you can do the simple mechanical//electrical work yourself but most people cannot. The HVAC company I currently use for jobs I cannot (or will not) do myself charges $175 for the first half hour of a service call and $100 for every additional hour. I never get off for less than $275 + parts.... The last time they replaced a cap it came with a blower motor attached and that call was over $500 ;-) I started using these guys because the previous company was charging exorbitant parts prices (especially refrigerant!!!) on top of that labor rate :roll:

TOH
 
my hvac guy just left. it was the capacitor. the part was under warranty & he charged me $40.00 for a service call. now that I know where & what it is I'll do it myself next time. I'm a union carpenter & can do a lot of electrical & plumbing work but hvac is something I know very little about. the house is now down to 91*.
 
(quoted from post at 04:59:06 08/27/14) my hvac guy just left. it was the capacitor. the part was under warranty & he charged me $40.00 for a service call. now that I know where & what it is I'll do it myself next time. I'm a union carpenter & can do a lot of electrical & plumbing work but hvac is something I know very little about. the house is now down to 91*.
Click to expand...
If you are under warranty you may be better off calling the hvac guy. Out of warrenty, go for it!
 
Your unit should run, even in the rain, so no, spraying the hose on it won't hurt, but a strong enough stream of water can do damage. It's 240 volts, so use appropriate caution!

Jerry
 
I think I'd use compressed air, sealed motor or not.

Water and electricity have won more Darwin awards than skateboards and stair rails.
 
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