FIXED, thanks to Ottoman!!! HVAC - Outside unit's fan doesn't spin

[Xcaliber]

Do you have another fan (motor) you can try?

nope, I do not keep spare AC parts

 

[jeep78]

I would imagine to measure this I would need to disassemble the unit to get the reading from the contacts on the fan / or from where they originate on the motor inside? if so, I have not done this.

No, you can read it right from the contactor. Take off the panel where the "guts" of the outside unit are. Find the contactor (black box about as big as a pack of cigarettes) find the wires going in they should be 220 across them.

Then find the wires going out, when it is engaged, they should also be 220.

 

[jeep78]

No, you can read it right from the contactor. Take off the panel where the "guts" of the outside unit are. Find the contactor (black box about as big as a pack of cigarettes) find the wires going in they should be 220 across them.

Then find the wires going out, when it is engaged, they should also be 220.

If you are not comfortable working on live circuits (that is what you are doing) STOP! and call someone.

 

[Xcaliber]

No, you can read it right from the contactor. Take off the panel where the "guts" of the outside unit are. Find the contactor (black box about as big as a pack of cigarettes) find the wires going in they should be 220 across them.

Then find the wires going out, when it is engaged, they should also be 220.

this I can do. I've stuck the MM into a live socket before, to get readings. can't do it today though

 

[jeep78]

I had a similar situation several years ago and replacing the motor fixed it. It has been a while, and I do not remember how I determined it was the motor, but it was obvious.

I got a used motor from an AC junkyard.

 

[41mag]

sometimes you can smack the motor housing with a big screwdriver handle, if the motor is bad it will start spinning.
this is NOT a definitive test though. Just passive

 

[Gaffer1968]

sometimes you can smack the motor housing with a big screwdriver handle, if the motor is bad it will start spinning.
this is NOT a definitive test though. Just passive

they used to make them with small oil filing orifices on the top where you could take one of the AC oil service bottles with the extension tube to lube them....I still have a couple my BIl gave me.. But many of the fan motors nowadays are "permanently lubed" and don't have that... :0(

 

[joel2000]

Unit gets old and needs a little extra help starting up.

Condenser Viagra

 

[gyppo]

Is the compressor motor running normally after the new capacitor?
you should be able to tell by the sound.
my guess is that the capacitor leads are not connected correctly.
That round can is actually two capacitors. One winding for the accompressor and one for the fan motor.
fan motors do go out. It not as often as capacitors. Fan most common case of death is the bearings go bad after years and start dragging. It will not spin freely if that happens.

 

[Xcaliber]

Fan most common case of death is the bearings go bad after years and start dragging. It will not spin freely if that happens.

home is 13 years old, about time?