My fan spins freely, but the body is hot. The stick test doesn't make it spin. I can hear the noise, but no action.

Compressor is also hot...

Suggestions?

 

Removed the fan last night, and that's how I found out the compressor was hot. Went out this morning, fired it back up, without the fan in place, to see if the compressor was doing anything.

The compressor tried to come on, perhaps for three seconds, then stopped. I immediately pulled the breaker and came in and posted.

Is there some kind of lockout that wont allow the compressor to pump if the fan is off? Is my compressor shot due to pumping since the fan quit spinning sometime yesterday?

advice PLEASE?

 

There is a thermal overload proction device mounted in side of the compressor connection box. Your comp is drawing a heavy current when trying to start. Symptom would be hum about three seconds and the thermal unit will open. After it cools down, it will close and hum some more repeately until you pull the power or something fails. There could be several reasons for this. Grounded compressor bad capacitor etc. If you are not techie inclined, call one. If you are then with the power breaker off, read any terminal sticking out of the side of the comp to a good ground on the unit. The meter should be on the ohms scale and if you get any reading, your compressor is grounded.
If you cannot get a service man this weekend and providing you can find a replacement capacitor you can try installing a new one.
Word of caution. After turning off power, trace the compressor leads back to the sealed can(capacitor). SHORT ALL THREE LEADS TOGETHER TO AVOID PERSONAL SHOCK then carefully noting the wire colors and the terminals they plug onto the capacitor, disconnect them and try another cap of the same size,(electrical that is). caps are not all that expensive and would be an inexpensive try if it works on what is to be a hot weekend where I live in SC.

 

The behavior you point out, hum for three seconds is exactly what's going on. I will test for the grounded compressor right after I eat some breakfast. If the compressor is not grounded, I will roll the dice on a capacitor. If it is grounded, what then? Am I toast?

Thanks for replying.

 

If the comp is grounded, you will need to replace it.
When you disconnect the leads to check the comp for ground, then with your ohm meter on a low scale put one lead on any terminal then read each of the other two by moving the free leas to each of the other two terminals. This will check for an open winding and you should read some resistance on each combination of leads. LOL
Pls let me know what you find.

 

Checked all of the leads from the capacitor to the compressor--the compressor is not grounded... Does this mean bad capacitor? Do ya think home depot has one?

 

Ok, maybe I didn't grasp the complete concept. I did this test with the leads still hooked up to the capacitor. I got no reading on the Ohm meter. However, when I disconnected the leads from the capacitor to do the second test you mentioned for open windings, I re-did the ground test, and with the wire disconnected from the capacitor, I got an ohms reading between the lead and the outside of the compressor. Does this mean my compressor is, in fact, grounded?

BTW, there were readings between the leads, while disconnected.

 

You are to test for ohms from any (do all of them, one at a time, to be sure) of the 3 compressor prongs, to the outside body of the compressor, with the wires taken off. Not FROM some wire lead.

What you might be doing, if you have one probe on a wire lead, is completing a circuit to ground. So just go by what the compressor terminals read, to the body of the compressor. But it is advisable to use shiny copper coming off it rather than the painted compressor.

Or are you calling the prongs that stick out on the compressor, the leads? If so, yes the compressor is bad. But what be odd is that you also then shoud have gotten a reading even with the wires hooked up to them - if that is what you mean by a 'lead'.

Need to know if you are calling the wires a 'lead', or those prongs on the compressor, a 'lead'.

 

I agree with ecman.
Lets do it this way. Take the electric terminal cover off of the compressor.Pull all the leads from the compressor. Make sure one ohmmeter test probe is on a good ground, like ecman said, clean copper tubing. When you touch the other meter test probe to the three compressor terminals one at a time. any reading on the meter indicates a grounded compressor. Comp shot if you get a reading. Do not use an ohm scale more than say 2000 ohms.

 

Ok, here's the deal. Pulled the wires off the compressor, ran the ohms check. Compressor checked out fine. Then applied some logic, and said to myself "self, let's just run into town and get a capacitor." I took the old capacitor in, and the grizzled tech behind the counter took one look at it and said he could tell it was shot because it was swollen up.

14.50 or so later, new capacitor on, flip the switch, and thank goodness, cold air!!!!

Thanks for the walk through, and for the replies. I'll get a tech out to do a service later this fall.

 

Glad its working..

Man, can't believe no one said anything about a visual inspection. If a cap is swollen and bulged, then thats the prime suspect...even I know that...oh well...its fixed right?

Live and learn. BTW not bashing anyone..just surprised no-one mentioned it...even me. Heck I've said that to folks when none of the A/C guys are here.

 

But there is value in knowing that compressor test procedure. It also applies to refrigerators.

 

There's ALWAYS value in learning something new... Not saying I wouldn't have preferred to learn it on a cooler weekend.

Live and learn is exactly right. I'm just so tickled to have been able to sleep last night.