When I turn on the AC, the outside unit is not working at all. Cool air flows from the unit in my garage but the air is not cold. The external unit just stopped working. What do you think went wrong?

 

Have you checked the power to it ?The 220V breakers ok on it ???? 24V going to it????

we need info info to try and help

post back same post

ED

 

I am hoping it is the fuses. How do you check them? What do you look for? Smell?

 

The fuses are OK. I am hearing a click at the external AC unit
Ruud Achiever 9 when I turn on my AC and when I turn it off. It is not a hard, loud click, it is a soft click.

 

more than likly, you are hearing the contactor pull in, when that happens it is trying to send power to the compresser,the fan, and the various controls at the unit, if nothing happens the first thing we look at is the capacitor, it is a silver (or could be grey plastic) cylinder. look and see if it is bulged out or leaking any type of fluid, the next thing we look for is if the contactor is providing enough power to start the unit, if you are comfortable with using a multi-meter, test the input side of the power coming in to the contactor, it should read the total input of power to the unit(normally 220-240 volts) then check the output voltage(this is all done, by the way, with the all the power on, with the contactor pulled in) the voltage across those lines should read 220-240, if they read around 115-120
then that means that the contactor needs to be replaced .
let us know whats going on we are here to help.

barry

 

Let's make sure I understand completely: 1). I need to remove the housing to the AC Unit. 2). Then look for a bulging capacitor or leaking fluid. This is a plastic cylinder. Can these be replaced easily? How much do they run? 3). Test the power intake at the contactor. Is there a place where I can place the voltmeter leads? Where do I need to be careful?

 

The outside unit failed.
Everything inside works. Fuses are OK. Wires are OK. Lines are OK.

I removed the outside unit's lid and fan, and tried a fan from another unit.. still nothing.
I did a visual, and found no burns, nor disconnections, nor shorts.
When I click on cool, I hear the outside click, but that's all.
It could be a defective switch, but that doesn't account for the breaker tripping so violently earlier...

Is there a way to determine if it's the pump?
What's that talk of hard starting a pump?
Can I test a three-wire fan with 110 VAC?
Can I bypass the run capacitor for a unit test?
Can a run capacitor short internally so bad that it will trip the circuit breaker hard?..
Will a fried capacitor cause the unit to be dead?..

I take it I should click-off all air and furnace breakers, short the outside capacitor, remove its leads, and test it with a mid-range ohm meter.. and clean out all debris from the unit.. and check the wires leading to and in the unit...

I see a little wet stain on a lower pipe inside the case.. I sure hope that's old, and not oil, and not an indication that the freon leaked out... Maybe it's there from the freon fill last year?..
If the freon leaked out, would the outside unit fan not run?
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First problem was that the air cinditioner circuit breaker was tripped, and the furnace was running without cooling...
I reset the circuit breakers for the outside unit, while everything for cooling was switched on inside, and the breaker tripped hard with a huge blue spark from the panel... Never saw a breaker trip so hard.. but then it is 220...

I had a local repairman do a quick visit just to to diagnose it.. He cut the wires to the fan, reset the breaker, and nothing happened, and tells me that the fan motor is dead-shorted, and they are hard to find, and left.
I replaced the fan with a fan from another outside unit, and got nothing.. not even the circuit breaker tripped.
I replaced the old fan. I got nothing.. not even the circuit breaker tripped.. so now something has changed, between the service man coming and going..?
Doesn't seem he did anything but cut the fan wires. The tiny spider-webs are still on the connectors... Doesn't seem to be the fan is the problem...

Dam! this is getting weirder by the hour.. and all it is, is just a little insideout refrigerator in a cage...

The thermostat starts the furnace for cool and heat.. but the outside unit remains dead...

I can't find a high pressure switch...

How do I test the "actuator" switching circuit?.. that little black plastic block of connectors, and a copper coil, near the run-cap...

 

Thanks for the information. Seems you've done more than I have. I am ready to break down and call a repairman out. I am stuck in this 11 day 110 degrees plus weather and cannot sleep at night. I am losing about 2-3 pounds of water weight per day!
I am ready to go to the store to purchase a fan.

 

Both of you::::: It sounds like you dont know electric and you can get hurt bad working on the units You have to have a meter to even start out and try and fine what has power and what dont. It dont pay to just start out and put new parts in the unit.
ED