Any home A/C experts around?

[whoaru99]

Seemed to be getting warm in the house but the blower fan was still pushing air out of the ductwork, but the air wasn't cold.

Checked the thermostat and it was calling for cold (little snowflake symbol was on), so I checked outside and found the compressor was running but the condensor fan wasn't spinning.

Shut everything down and tried to spin the fan using a screwdriver through the grate. It moved, but didn't really want to spin much - would make only about 1/4 turn with a good "flick" from the screwdriver.

Clearly, the fan motor is likely shot, but what about the compressor?

I really have no idea how long it sat with the compressor running but no fan.

Any opinions on the odds of whether or not the compressor is hosed now too?

[KingBubba]

Some systems have the circuitry to shutdown the condenser if the fan is inoperative. Same with some fridges. Are the coils cool or frosted up?

[whoaru99]

I didn't think to check that right after I shut it off. It's all at ambient temp now.

[BK201]

I had similar symptoms recently. Turns out a HV capacitor in the condenser unit had leaked and had to be replaced.

[Eric H]

If it was still running when you checked it it's probably OK, compressors usually have thermal protection and will shut off when they get too hot, not good for them but it won't hurt it as long as it doesn't happen all the time.

I'd try oiling up the bearings in the fan motor, it won't be a permanent fix but it might get it going long enough to see if everything else is OK.

My compressor died two months after I bought this house, it was covered under the homeowners warranty. :banana:
Two weeks in August in So Cal with no AC. :drool:

[whoaru99]

I'm going to try to dig in tomorrow, to check the capacitor and then I'll oil the bearings if they're not sealed.

It's a old bugger but I was hoping to get a couple more years out of it.

Luckily it's not too hot here in MN at present, but I've been laying around the house the last couple days with a tweaked lower back so it's kinda nice to have the A/C running.

[skippy_ps]

Sounds like the motor run cap for the condensor motor. Get one the same value that's there now - around 10µf. About $10.

Murray

[stuartk]

Checked the thermostat and it was calling for cold (little snowflake symbol was on), so I checked outside and found the compressor was running but the condensor fan wasn't spinning.



Any opinions on the odds of whether or not the compressor is hosed now too?

If the compressor was still running, it's probably ok. They're pretty sturdy.

[Big Dave]

If the motor isn't turning freely, it may not necessarily be lube. On the motor itself there should be a label and it will list the correct value for the start cap. If you go too far over value, it'll eventually fry the start winding. Check the cap first. Check all electrical connections on the cap and the contactor. Based on the fact that it may not turn freely, I would suspect the motor. If the motor is bad, replace it and the cap.

[whoaru99]

Ended up digging in and the capacitor seemed OK, it's rated 5uf and it checked 4.85uf with my Fluke meter.

So, I took the motor apart and the sleeve bearings were dry. Soaked the bearing oilers with oil (there is felt-like material in large cavities around the sleeve bearings), put it back together, and it seems to be working fine now.

Guess I'll keep my fingers crossed...

Thanks for the advice.