Carrier/Bryant circuit board question - Any HVAC techs able to help?

[fitter30]

Oem Ecm motors start at $800-1500 just for your information.

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[ScaldedDog]

The relay is not in the controller.

Look at the wiring diagram and figure it out.

Or buy the board and the motor and flip a coin.

Sorry (not) to be a ****, but if you want to DIY, then DIY. The information is right there. I know there's videos on YouTube about testing an ECM motor.

Unfortunately, the "techs" that looked at it just wanted to sell new boxes and maybe they didn't know either.

And maybe you have an unusual problem.

I know that the motor can be tested relatively easily, and I would for sure do my due diligence. I'd surely spend a hundred on a tester before spending a grand on a non returnable motor.

There's also a "Test" pin on the schematic, and I bet that the equipment will test itself. All you need is the manual, and then read it. Hopefully the failure mode is conclusive.

No worries. I actually have no interest in DIYing this, but I've learned that from auto repair to medicine, and everything in between, one better understand the problem before engaging "experts", as most of them are not. My foray this week into HVAC has not proven it to be an exception.

I looked up the air handler / furnace model you posted: Bryant CNPVP4821ALAAAAA. That comes back to an evaporator coil. https://webstore.habeggercorp.com/3380998/p/n/carrierbryantpayne

I'm out

Yeah, I realized after I posted that I'd used the wrong P/N. The discussion had moved on, so I didn't bother to fix it.

Ok, you were talking about the relays controlling the 24v side. For some reason I read one of those posts as if you were talking about a relay in the 120v supply to the motor.


This is just a multi-speed ECM motor. Sure a tester would be convenient but there's really no need to buy one. An alligator clip lead can be used to jump from 24v power to each fan speed individually.

Perhaps my last question: How would I definitively test one particular fan speed on an ECM motor?

I've confirmed a few things:

1) The board is outputing 120v to the fan at all times, as expected.

2) The fan comes on with the AC, when the black "Cool" wire to the fan is connected to the Cool terminal on the board. This terminal is energized at 24v when the fan is running at AC speed. This, too, is as expected, since we've had no problems with the AC.

3) If I swap the Blue "Heat" lead to the Cool terminal on the board, and swap the Black "Cool" lead to the Heat terminal, then the fan comes on with the furnace, and fails to come on with the AC. (This may be different than I posted earlier. If so, I must have made a mistake then.) In other words, when 24v is applied to the Heat fan lead, it does not come on. If applied to the Cool lead, the fan starts. Is this test definitive, or is there another way to test it that would be more so?

Unless you guys suggest otherwise, nothing in all this has suggested that the circuit board is bad, and everything points to the fan motor controller.

One more "bonus" question : There are two "spare" leads to the fan. Are these just unused speeds, and might I be able to just hook one of them to the Heat terminal to get the thing going?

Mark

 

[Bert_]

No worries. I actually have no interest in DIYing this, but I've learned that from auto repair to medicine, and everything in between, one better understand the problem before engaging "experts", as most of them are not. My foray this week into HVAC has not proven it to be an exception.

Yeah, I realized after I posted that I'd used the wrong P/N. The discussion had moved on, so I didn't bother to fix it.

Perhaps my last question: How would I definitively test one particular fan speed on an ECM motor?

I've confirmed a few things:

1) The board is outputing 120v to the fan at all times, as expected.

2) The fan comes on with the AC, when the black "Cool" wire to the fan is connected to the Cool terminal on the board. This terminal is energized at 24v when the fan is running at AC speed. This, too, is as expected, since we've had no problems with the AC.

3) If I swap the Blue "Heat" lead to the Cool terminal on the board, and swap the Black "Cool" lead to the Heat terminal, then the fan comes on with the furnace, and fails to come on with the AC. (This may be different than I posted earlier. If so, I must have made a mistake then.) In other words, when 24v is applied to the Heat fan lead, it does not come on. If applied to the Cool lead, the fan starts. Is this test definitive, or is there another way to test it that would be more so?

Unless you guys suggest otherwise, nothing in all this has suggested that the circuit board is bad, and everything points to the fan motor controller.

One more "bonus" question : There are two "spare" leads to the fan. Are these just unused speeds, and might I be able to just hook one of them to the Heat terminal to get the thing going?

Mark

Based on test #3 I would definitely say the fan motor is bad. Especially if you can repeat that result.

Yes the "spare" terminals are just there to park unused speeds. They do not serve any electrical functions.

You can use a different speed for heat. For long term use you want a fan speed that keeps the temperature rise within specs.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Well, the thing is "fixed", sort of. "Working" is a better description. One of the spare fan speeds didn't work, but the other one did, at a speed that seems appropriate for heat. It may be a little slow, just based on my memory of the fan noise from before, but heated the house up fine.

The fact is, though, two of the fan's five speeds are not working. If the AC speed failed, we'd be hurting, in a hurry. (The home is in FL, which barely requires heat, but for which AC is mandatory. We run it year round, but if it failed in the summer when we're not here, bad things would happen.) My current plan is to run it as-is through the winter, then replace the fan motor a couple of months before we leave.

I can't thank you guys enough for your help. @Bert_ , you, in particular, are the man. I'm a decent car guy, but 100% of what I know about HVAC I've learned from this thread. I really appreciate your knowledge, and patience.

Mark

 

[Bert_]

Well, the thing is "fixed", sort of. "Working" is a better description. One of the spare fan speeds didn't work, but the other one did, at a speed that seems appropriate for heat. It may be a little slow, just based on my memory of the fan noise from before, but heated the house up fine.

The fact is, though, two of the fan's five speeds are not working. If the AC speed failed, we'd be hurting, in a hurry. (The home is in FL, which barely requires heat, but for which AC is mandatory. We run it year round, but if it failed in the summer when we're not here, bad things would happen.) My current plan is to run it as-is through the winter, then replace the fan motor a couple of months before we leave.

I can't thank you guys enough for your help. @Bert_ , you, in particular, are the man. I'm a decent car guy, but 100% of what I know about HVAC I've learned from this thread. I really appreciate your knowledge, and patience.

Mark

Get a fan motor and replace it now. That fan motor will probably completely fail when it is least convenient.

 

[dscheidt]

I'd suggest planning on replacing the fan sooner than later, because if it's already got problems, it will not get better, and will kick it for the Christmas blizzard...

 

[ScaldedDog]

Get a fan motor and replace it now. That fan motor will probably completely fail when it is least convenient.

I'd suggest planning on replacing the fan sooner than later, because if it's already got problems, it will not get better, and will kick it for the Christmas blizzard...

I'm in a beach town in FL, so I'm not TOO worried about a blizzard at Christmas...

Seriously, both of your points are well taken. My credit card has been working like a farm animal the last few weeks, so I'll probably wait 'till after the holidays, but will get it in after that. If the AC speed goes out before then, replacement gets moved up.

Mark

 

[BurtEggley]

$1500 later gonna be a pissed off puppy if it turns out to be something else, or something simple that was overlooked. The correct model number would have led to a full manual with all the latest wiring info from Carrier. (Bryant / Payne). Hope it works out.

 

[Bert_]

$1500 later gonna be a pissed off puppy if it turns out to be something else, or something simple that was overlooked. The correct model number would have led to a full manual with all the latest wiring info from Carrier. (Bryant / Payne). Hope it works out.

ScaldedDog did some good, logical troubleshooting.

Testing voltage showed that the board was sending a signal and the fan had everything it needed to run.

This was further verified by swapping speed taps that were known to work. The problem followed that particular speed on the motor.

The motor has been proven to be bad by two different tests.

What more do you want?

 

[ambenz]

Good read on this thread. I am a last decade Carrier/Automated logic HVAC automation retiree and rusty as a nail. I was able to understand the trials you went through and I commend your multimeter efforts, just so you feel better when talking to a tech on the phone. Most people just throw money at the problem then complain about the bill. If everyone would take the time to understand the problem, it would be a better world. This thread should be a lesson to anyone with a home appliance issues.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks guys, I think... My troubleshooting skills are decent, just from my professional background and hobbies, but knowing nothing about the subject at hand - like even just the rudiments of how furnaces work - tends to mitigate that some. You guys helped a ton with that, and taking a day or two between steps (which the weather allowed me to do) to let things rattle around in my head helped, too. I appreciate your collective patience while I did that.

@BurtEggley , I certainly made several mistakes in this effort, which I own. Also, it is still possible I could yet spend $1000 on a motor and not fix the problem. I own that, too, no one else. OTOH, had I taken the advice of the "experts" I paid to diagnose it and spent $1700 on a $500 board that would not have fixed the problem, or $15000 on a complete furnace replacement I don't need, my level of irritation would have been rather high. The crappy state of today's service industry brings new emphasis to the principle of caveat emptor. These days, the buyer simply must beware.

Mark

 

[Reborn]

Agreed, solid thread with great info for a novice like me. Keep us posted, Dog.

 

[mm08822]

Thanks guys, I think... My troubleshooting skills are decent, just from my professional background and hobbies, but knowing nothing about the subject at hand - like even just the rudiments of how furnaces work - tends to mitigate that some. You guys helped a ton with that, and taking a day or two between steps (which the weather allowed me to do) to let things rattle around in my head helped, too. I appreciate your collective patience while I did that.

@BurtEggley , I certainly made several mistakes in this effort, which I own. Also, it is still possible I could yet spend $1000 on a motor and not fix the problem. I own that, too, no one else. OTOH, had I taken the advice of the "experts" I paid to diagnose it and spent $1700 on a $500 board that would not have fixed the problem, or $15000 on a complete furnace replacement I don't need, my level of irritation would have been rather high. The crappy state of today's service industry brings new emphasis to the principle of caveat emptor. These days, the buyer simply must beware.

Mark

Rolling your sleeves up is the way to gain knowledge. Part of that is getting stumped as to what to do next. Then asking q's from that first pass through carries you further into it. It's great when there are knowledgeable people to ask. It's even better when you know at least enough to be able to figure out who knows what they saying is correct or logical.

There's a saying that goes like " you're not paying the guy for the 10 mins it took him to fix it, but rather the 10/20 years it took him to learn it."

 

[BurtEggley]

Carrier / Payne / Bryant give away the service manuals online for most models for free. What concerned me is that the schematic has all these spots that said things like "refer to note #" but those notes # were never available. My comments had nothing to do with DIY. It had to do with getting all the facts together before beginning the quest to find the cause.

 

[ScaldedDog]

And another little piece of me dies...

The TL;DR is that I'm back where I was on the 17th, though the story may interest some.

A couple of days after my last post, the AC fan failed to come on. (It came on later that day, and has failed one other time since.) I figured I'd just order a fan, but when I went to actually do it, I wasn't confident what I was finding would be an exact match. "Fine", I figured, I'm just going to call another outfit and have them get the right one and install it. The guy came out... and concluded the board was bad, even though I told him what I'd found. He offered to give me the part number for the board so I could install it myself, but his price wasn't too terrible (less than half that of the first outfit), so I told him to do it if he thought that would resolve the issue.

Two guys from the new place showed up yesterday to install the new board and... drum roll... you know what's coming...

It worked exactly like the original board, with exactly the same symptoms. [sigh] Interestingly, they offered to take the new board out and just put my old one back in, so I jumped on that. He put the same spare wire on the heat terminal that I had two weeks ago (thanks to you guys), so I now have heat (at an unknown fan speed) and AC (with an intermittently failing fan). I paid for a service call and they said they'd "warranty it" for 30 days, so if it fails again in 30 days, "they'd take care of it". There's no way they are going to buy me a fan, so I think that means the next service call is on them, which is fine. My current plan is to call them when it fails and see if I can negotiate on the price of the fan. If it doesn't fail in 30 days - unlikely, IMHO - I'll call the first tech and see if he'll just give me the correct part number for the fan I need, and I'll get it myself.

The guys yesterday did tell me a couple of things I think are not true, so I'd like to get your thoughts:

1) The problem is likely "the wire", not the ECM fan controller. This makes no sense to me, given that multiple speeds either don't work, at all, or are intermittent.
2) The yellow and orange spare wires are literal "spares" for cool and heat, respectively, not different speeds than those on the blue, black and red wires.
3) Since the yellow wire is only for cooling, it would not have worked when I put it on the heat terminal. Somehow this yellow wire understands that the 24v on it are for cooling, not heating, and that it shouldn't come on if it's placed on the heat terminal. That seems... made up.

I don't want to rag on these guys, as I actually liked everything about my experience with them better than with the guys from the first place. Gas furnace experience in FL is hard to find, and it seems likely that young techs - which the two yesterday were - may have very, very little experience with them. It's why I value your collective input so much.

Happy Thanks giving!!

Mark

 

[Bert_]

Sorry to hear it. They mean well enough but I think a lot of these guys just have no drive to really learn and understand the equipment they are working on.

Each of those fan wires is infact a different speed. Long term, the fan speed really shouldn't just be picked at random. Need to confirm that the temperature rise is within specs. Too far outside of the range will eventually damage the furnace.

 

[danski0224]

1) The problem is likely "the wire", not the ECM fan controller. This makes no sense to me, given that multiple speeds either don't work, at all, or are intermittent.

A wire that is not set properly into the connector end can give intermittent issues. Or, the wire/pin assembly is not set properly into the plastic connector.

2) The yellow and orange spare wires are literal "spares" for cool and heat, respectively, not different speeds than those on the blue, black and red wires.

No.

3) Since the yellow wire is only for cooling, it would not have worked when I put it on the heat terminal. Somehow this yellow wire understands that the 24v on it are for cooling, not heating, and that it shouldn't come on if it's placed on the heat terminal. That seems... made up.

Yes, BS.

I don't want to rag on these guys, as I actually liked everything about my experience with them better than with the guys from the first place. Gas furnace experience in FL is hard to find, and it seems likely that young techs - which the two yesterday were - may have very, very little experience with them.

It isn't necessarily a "lack of gas furnace experience" problem. Are you having gas problems or electrical problems?

The problem is two fold, at least.

1: Lack of troubleshooting skills.
2: Residential HVAC companies, in my limited experience, absolutely do NOT want to spend time fixing something, they want to sell new boxes of equipment.

The problem is rarely "the board". "The board" is a commodity and it typically does not fail, unless there was a production issue (substandard parts). Unless there is a power or ground problem, or something like a power surge, the problem is almost always guaranteed to be elsewhere. I can count on one hand the number of boards I have replaced.

ECM controllers may be the exception, but most manufacturers put them in epoxy on the motor itself (Bosch R454B compliant furnaces being a notable exception). People think that the board/controller in the ECM motor went bad, but almost always, the problem can be traced to ****** ductwork and a static pressure that is too high.

If you do not trust your troubleshooting skills, then buy an ECM motor tester that can test the individual fan speeds. They do exist.

 

[danski0224]

a lot of these guys just have no drive to really learn and understand the equipment they are working on.

The companies do not want them to understand it. The companies want them to condemn it and sell a new one. Then they send the "install team" out and get paid big bucks when it is done (the company, not the workers).

Time and money also starts to add up fast at retail diagnostic rates.

 

[gagecalman]

I'm not a HVAC guy but I do understand a lot.

Why haven't any of the technicians that have come out tested the motor? The last one replaced the board and the problem still existed. That would have been the perfect time because it does seem like the issue is a little intermittent.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks guys!! Your answers are what I was expecting, which is reassuring. You are all spot on about residential HVAC outfits. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that the "techs" have a commission component to their compensation. Certainly that's true of the first outfit we had out. As every junior sales manager knows, compensation drives behavior.

@gagecalman, great question, and one for which I have no answer. The AC speed would be admittedly tough to test, as it has worked nearly all the time, but the heat speed has failed numerous times in a row, over several weeks.

One question about flow being a potential cause of the issue. I have no doubt that's true in general, but I don't think it is in our case. The (faster?) AC speed runs for hours on end most days of the year, and has for the 12 year life of the thing. It has finally suffered two failures, but has heretofore been fine. The (slower?) heat speed, OTOH, is rarely used, and the bad spare speed has never been used. If it was a flow/pressure issue, am I correct in expecting that the AC speed would have been more likely to fail first?

School me, as if there's something I can do to prevent the issue in the future, I'd like to do it.

Thanks!!

Mark

 

[danski0224]

The AC speed would be admittedly tough to test, as it has worked nearly all the time, but the heat speed has failed numerous times in a row, over several weeks.

One question about flow being a potential cause of the issue. I have no doubt that's true in general, but I don't think it is in our case. The (faster?) AC speed runs for hours on end most days of the year, and has for the 12 year life of the thing. It has finally suffered two failures, but has heretofore been fine. The (slower?) heat speed, OTOH, is rarely used, and the bad spare speed has never been used. If it was a flow/pressure issue, am I correct in expecting that the AC speed would have been more likely to fail first?

The test is simple.

You either buy an ECM motor tester that can test the individual speeds, or you check for the control voltage at the blower speed tap on the furnace control board.

If the motor fails while checking the speeds with the ECM motor tester, the motor/controller is bad. Or if you use a go/no-go ECM tester and the motor doesn't work, then the motor/controller is bad.

If you have voltage output from the furnace board and no fan operation at that same time, the motor/controller is bad.

It's really that simple. There is no need to go into rabbit holes looking for a reason.

Zebra has a repair kit that consists of 2 parts, whether or not it would be useful, I don't know. (rabbit hole)

I have opened up a couple of modules, and the circuit board is covered in epoxy potting stuff, so a repair may not be possible. (rabbit hole)

It is not always possible to buy the controller separately. The risk is another call for failing bearings or who knows what else. Then that has a strong possibility of becoming a "warranty" call, because eversinceya...

The speed taps are signal wires for the controller. Not knowing how it works inside the controller (rabbit hole, it doesn't matter for the sake of repair), it is certainly possible that drawing more power than normal in cooling speed may cause a failure in the heating speed relay or logic buried in the ECM controller potting stuff.

If you get it running, and then diagnose/test the Total External Static Pressure in cooling mode, I can almost guarantee that the TESP will be above the fan ratings. The fan rating is specified on the unit data plate. There is an airflow chart in the installation instructions.

The variable speed motor (typically) does not lose airflow (CFM) as TESP goes up (can be verified by fan chart mentioned above), and that is what kills them, because they draw more power to maintain RPM to deliver the set airflow. This can take years, so the customer thinks everything is OK and does not want to pay for repairs to improve airflow. Static pressure increase and amp draw increase are not linear.

Or you have had a power surge that has damaged the motor, which could come in through the 120VAC feed. That is why every install should have a surge protector. The protector is less than $100 plus installation, while the ECM motor is ~$1,000 plus installation.

Or you have a manufacturing defect.

So if you have power on the furnace board ECM motor speed tap(s) and no fan operation, the motor needs to be replaced.

The only economically viable repair is to install a plain old split capacitor motor, and then it will be on all the time and there will be no fan speed control.

 

[ScaldedDog]

/\ Great post! Thanks!! Our ductwork in this 40+ year old house is what it is, but I can certainly do a better job keeping clean filters in it, and making sure the vents are open.

Since I've demonstrated that the blue and yellow wires don't make the fan spin when voltage is applied and the fan has power, the motor is bad. Your rabbit hole commentary is right on, as I'm not interested in going down any of those. Now to find the right motor at a reasonable price. I'd prefer to have an HVAC outfit do the work, as a good one would check the TESP and make sure we are running the fan at the correct speeds. If we could reasonably run the AC fan slower, it'd be a double win: The thing is really loud at its current speed, and slowing it would help.

Mark

 

[danski0224]

These might save your equipment.

https://www.intermatic.com/Product/AG3000?setcontextlanguagecode=en

 

[danski0224]

Our ductwork in this 40+ year old house is what it is, but I can certainly do a better job keeping clean filters in it, and making sure the vents are open.

There are things that can be done.

Since I've demonstrated that the blue and yellow wires don't make the fan spin when voltage is applied and the fan has power, the motor is bad. Your rabbit hole commentary is right on, as I'm not interested in going down any of those. Now to find the right motor at a reasonable price. I'd prefer to have an HVAC outfit do the work, as a good one would check the TESP and make sure we are running the fan at the correct speeds.

Yeah, about that... good luck.

 

[ScaldedDog]

These might save your equipment.

https://www.intermatic.com/Product/AG3000?setcontextlanguagecode=en

I need to look and see what, if anything, we have. I know we have a generator, but I suspect that's it. I keep our network stuff on a UPS so it stays up in the minute it takes the generator to restore power, but I never thought about protecting the HVAC stuff.

Yeah, about that... good luck.

Mark

 

[Bert_]

.

The only economically viable repair is to install a plain old split capacitor motor, and then it will be on all the time and there will be no fan speed control.

Not that I'd recommend it but I have done that one time before. I used a pair of 24v ice cube relays to control fan speed. The 24 volt output on the board signaled the relay. And the contacts in the relay sent 120v to the appropriate speed wire.

 

[ScaldedDog]

One more question... (Heard that from me before? )

For a given ECM fan SKU, the speeds associated with each wire are fixed, correct? IOW, they are not at all "programmable", so that if you need different speeds, you buy a different SKU, right?

The AC fan speed has started failing more, and the HVAC company agrees that the fan is bad. They want $1875 - all in - to replace it, but I can get what I believe is the exact same fan to my door for $1245. I'm all for healthy margins, but I can't justify $630 to mitigate the risk of getting the wrong thing which, other than half an hour of my time, is all I'd be getting. Hence, my question: If Repair Clinic says it's the right fan for my furnace model, I want to make sure there's not a gotcha behind that.

Thanks again!!

Mark

 

[danski0224]

If Repair Clinic says it's the right fan for my furnace model, I want to make sure there's not a gotcha behind that.

If you are giving them the furnace model and serial number, and they are giving you a part number to order...

Just make sure it is returnable.

 

[ScaldedDog]

If you are giving them the furnace model and serial number, and they are giving you a part number to order...

Just make sure it is returnable.

They don't ask for serial number, but they do say it "fits" my furnace's model number. So long as it's not been installed, it is returnable. Of course, I'll have no idea if the fan speeds are correct without installing it, and even then only by sound.

Overnight, Repair Clinic changed the status of the part number (HD52MQ129) from "On Order" to "Special Order", so I need to talk to someone there and see if I can figure out the story. There are other places that claim to have it in stock, but my confidence level with them is not high.

Mark

 

[gagecalman]

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Carrier-HD52MQ129-Motor-Blower-1-HP-ECM

I've used Supply house before and have always been satisfied.

 

[Bert_]

Holy ****.

Last motor I put in was an variable speed ECM in a newer ruud. I think that one was under $600. It was for a buddy so I didn't charge much on top of that.

That kind of money would make it dang tempting to convert to PSC.

 

[gagecalman]

I haven't used HVAC Direct but the price seems better.

https://hvacdirect.com/carrier-blower-motor-hd52mq129.html#tab-label-additional

 

[danski0224]

Overnight, Repair Clinic changed the status of the part number (HD52MQ129) from "On Order" to "Special Order"

Ah, the old bait and switch.

It's "in stock" until after the payment is made, then it's "not in stock", and the merchant NEVER gives a refund as quickly as they took the money when you clicked buy it now.

 

[danski0224]

There are companies that sell replacement ECM motors (i.e.: not OEM).

If I found sources online, so I'm sure that you can too.

Or put in a regular motor for now.

 

[rooster59]

from Danski: The only economically viable repair is to install a plain old split capacitor motor, and then it will be on all the time and there will be no fan speed control.

Not that I'd recommend it but I have done that one time before. I used a pair of 24v ice cube relays to control fan speed. The 24 volt output on the board signaled the relay. And the contacts in the relay sent 120v to the appropriate speed wire.

I’m surprised nobody makes a black box to do just that

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks guys!! I'd seen the $7xx HVACDirect price, but was wary. Perhaps I shouldn't be.

Since no one has addressed it, I'm assuming "programming" the speeds in these motors isn't a thing.

Mark

 

[danski0224]

Since no one has addressed it, I'm assuming "programming" the speeds in these motors isn't a thing.

It probably varies with the manufacturer.

One place that sells replacement motors wanted the part numbers from the OEM motor.

Not sure if there's really "programming" rather than matching drivers/firmware.

I'm sure that somewhere out there, the motor needs to be "programmed" or otherwise set up.

Definitely would not assume that a universal part will work as the OEM does, unless the vendor can set it up to do so.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Final update, maybe. I ordered a fan from HVACDirect and got it installed today. Time will tell, but so far both the heat and cool cycles ran as expected. As nearly as I can tell, the new fan was OEM and identical to the original, and I got it to my door for $860. The local HVAC outfit wanted $1875 to install the exact same fan.

Guys, thanks to you I have $1000 in my pocket to blow on something else. We all have an intuitive sense of how valuable this forum is, but now I can measure it. Thanks!!!

Mark

 

[Bert_]

Final update, maybe. I ordered a fan from HVACDirect and got it installed today. Time will tell, but so far both the heat and cool cycles ran as expected. As nearly as I can tell, the new fan was OEM and identical to the original, and I got it to my door for $860. The local HVAC outfit wanted $1875 to install the exact same fan.

Guys, thanks to you I have $1000 in my pocket to blow on something else. We all have an intuitive sense of how valuable this forum is, but now I can measure it. Thanks!!!

Mark

Glad to hear that it's fixed.

Even better than that $1000 savings is that you learned how to troubleshoot. Something that apparently multiple HVAC techs couldn't do.

 

[Codyboy]

I had some issues with my variable speed ecm fan motor a few years ago.
I was able to replace "I think" a capacitor inside the control module housing. ?
The whole unit has since been replaced due to other problems of being 17 years old, but I robbed the blower and motor out of it and they hauled off the rest.
It makes for a nice fan in the shop , though a little heavy to lug around.

Was replacing the module or a component in the module not an option for OP in this case?

I mean if the motor spins and works on certain calls then wouldn't it be the module itself and not the motor?
Idk. Just curious.