Home central AC not working!

[NorthNjWK]

Got up this morning, took care of the lawns and came inside the house and it didn't seem as cool as it should be. I went outside as I could hear the AC unit running. I noticed the fan wasn't spinning, but I could hear a motor running. I immediately shut the AC unit off and now I wondering where should I start looking to troubleshoot it? I'm all about DIY so I would rather take care of this myself. I have zilch experience with central AC and really need it to work, have a 2yr old, wife is 6 months pregnant and it supposed to be in the high 80's to 90's this week. Any suggestions besides calling a repair company? TIA!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Id start with checking the capacitor,then the fan motor. If its not something simple and you have a pregnant wife and a 2 year old Id say its time to relocate them till its fixed.
I have gotten by using a lawn sprinkler as a temp fix overnight before to keep a compressor cooled while waiting on parts.

 

[bonneyman]

zxamx is on the right track. Sounds like the fan motor or cap.

Never thought of spraying the condensor coil and comp with water for a weekend in an emergency. Good idea.
One could even lay a box fan on the top of the unit with an extension cord running to an outlet in a really tough spot. Anything to cool the freon in the coil should work.

 

[dreasoner]

The unit probably has a dual run capacitor. That means the capacitor is connected to the condenser fan and the compressor. Usually when the cap is bad, neither the fan or the compressor will run. Look at the top of the capacitor for any bulging or leaking. This is an indication of a defective cap. You can also check to see if the fan motor is locked up by first killing power to the condenser and trying to spin the fan blade with a screwdriver or similar object thru the fan guard. The wholesale price on the cap is about $15.00 and the fan motors can start about $75.00 and go up from there. Depending on the brand of the unit, you may be forced to go back with OEM parts which will increase the cost. Hope this helps.

 

[NorthNjWK]

Thanks for the replies. I spun the fan and it turned without any issue. I then turned on the unit to see if the fan and the compressor would start. They are both working! Blowing cold air too! Very strange to see the fan not running earlier and now it is. Hopefully that was a one time incident, but I will keep an eye on it.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

How far are you from Denville? If you still have trouble I can probably come by and look at it.

Tommy

 

[Falcon67]

our old system had similar issues every time it ate a dual run cap. You might be running now, but probably not for long. And pretty quick it's be a no run situation, usually the compressor may still start but the fan won't and if you don't notice it, the compressor will run until the overlimit heat switch kicks it off. Not good for the unit. I got real tired of that s#%t and the last cap replacement was $6500. No more issues.

 

[NorthNjWK]

How far are you from Denville? If you still have trouble I can probably come by and look at it.

Tommy

Thanks Tommy, I appreciate the offer. I am in Hackettstown, not too far. I am going to order a replacement capacitor for it and hopefully that will fix the problem for now. After doing some research, I think this unit is over 10 yrs old and will need to be replaced, hopefully it will hold out till next year..

 

[miketyler]

I had heard on the older units when condenser fan wasnt coming on you could tell if it was fan or cap by trying to spin the fan motor. If it came up to speed, then it was the cap. If it didn't spin up it was a bad motor. Is also good practice to change caps any time the fan motor is changed

 

[dreasoner]

I would check out the overall system before making a decision to replace. I have seen systems last 20 years with good maintenance. If you replace the system, I would definitely go with a R-410A (Puron) system. Here in Indy R-410A is about $1.00/lb vs R-22 at $20.00/lb at wholesale prices. The best approach IMO is to replace the lineset if possible because of the differences in the type of oils used between the two refrigerants. A good installation with attention to details such as airflow,filtration,piping and evacuation is much more important than the brand of equipment. You also need to consider carefully the extra costs associated with higher efficiency regarding iinitial cost versus payback and the future repair costs that are usually higher with high SEER equipment.

 

[vintovka]

We just went thru same problem. Went down to local appliance repair and bought and installed a new fan motor which worked. Those with old systems that are at end of iife might want to check out ductless heat pumps, Some areas offer rebates that may cover whole cost if you qualify. They are so efficient its like science fiction. Think the days of central air and heat are winding down.

 

[Rockhead261]

If the fan motor started after being moved it is very likely failing. The rotor could have a bad spot or two which will eventually spread and cause more frequent issues leading to total failure.

This was a polite warning. Don't take it for granted. Replace the fan motor & run capacitor before you have a colicky newborn and a pissed wife. [emoji13]

 

[dogdad]

Went thru the same thing last week but it was the attic fan not working...took the capacitor to the supply house and the guy said it was bad just by looking at it. It was bowed up at the top...cost me $4 for a new one.. He says this heat here has a lot of capacitors being replaced. I'm just glad I have a couple of AC friends that told me what to look at and that I have an account at a AC parts supply house..

 

[LS6 Tommy]

If you replace the system, I would definitely go with a R-410A (Puron) system.The best approach IMO is to replace the lineset if possible because of the differences in the type of oils used between the two refrigerants.

You MUST replace the line set when changing to 410a.

Tommy

 

[bzinsky]

This has happened on probably 5 different occasions to me (all different units), just give the fan motor a push and it's starts spinning.

Each time the problem was resolved by replacing the motor.

 

[NorthNjWK]

I changed the capacitor and it is now working. I am going to do some research regarding the fan motor and change that if I need to.

This house has been challenging this year as we bought it as a foreclosure and it was neglected for years. I have done all kinds of DIY fixes, but the AC is something I need to understand more.

I thank you all for your words of wisdom!

 

[Brian_WK]

You MUST replace the line set when changing to 410a.

Tommy

If the lines are sized right and after a proper line flush no need to replace.

Brian

 

[LS6 Tommy]

If the lines are sized right and after a proper line flush no need to replace.

Brian

Except for the requirement to braze the lineset. I can all but guarantee an R22 system that age is soft soldered...

Tommy

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Ive installed quite a few 410a systems using the same staybrite8 solder Ive used on r22 systems for the last 20 plus years,Never had a problem with leaks yet.

 

[Brian_WK]

Except for the requirement to braze the lineset. I can all but guarantee an R22 system that age is soft soldered...

Tommy

I agree with LS6 Tommy on this one. I always forget about people soldering. I've brazed everything since I left tech school. If someone soft soldered a hidden joint in the last 20 years, no matter the refrigerant, they have a ignorant sense of confidence in their soldering skills.

Brian

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Ive installed quite a few 410a systems using the same staybrite8 solder Ive used on r22 systems for the last 20 plus years,Never had a problem with leaks yet.

Staybrite 8 is silver solder, not quite the same as soft solder, but it still isn't allowed for 410a. Most manufacturers require 15%...

Tommy

 

[dreasoner]

I agree with the guys above with brazing using 15% braze rod. I have worked in the ultra low side of the field where even the basics must be approached with care. We had to pull evacuations down to 20 microns and blank off the system for 20 minutes with a vacuum of 200 microns or less. I still approach comfort cooling and refrigeration with the same **** tendencies. It is humorous to here guys using 0% or Staybrite and talking about evacuations of 30" Hg as quality work.