Ok my second post. After 3 independent AC repair opinions, I have a problem with the main air handler for my zone 2 of my house. The condenser for zone 2 recently had a capacitor and freon added 2 months ago for lack of cooling. Since then the unit has been fine BUT about 2 weeks ago after the second AC repair person came out, the air handler centrifugal fan "squirrel cage" started a moderate intensity vibration. This level of vibration can be heard and felt if you are sleeping in one of the guest rooms upstairs and I have never heard this noise before. The airhandler for zone 2 sits right next to the airhandler for zone 3 upstairs, and while the condenser for that smaller unit has failed, the air handler hums along quietly with zero vibration.

I pointed this out to the last AC repair person who visited today, and he basically shrugged his shoulder and said the vibration was fine and normal.

The airhandler is a 5 ton unit Trane unit and appears to have a direct electrical motor drive with no belt.
Model No BWH760P100A1
SERIAL B02330710

It seems awful inconvenient that the squirrel cage fan started vibrating AFTER the second AC repair person stopped by to work on the system.

I questioned the AC repair person that visited today and his response was every thing was tight and there wasnt a problem however you can see the whole assembly vibrating at lest 50 to 60 cycles per second???

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Should I replace the squirrel cage/centrifugal fan? Is there anything that the last AC repair person could have done when inspecting the system.

I am concerned about the vibration if the fan is directly linked to an electrical motor then is there a danger in allowing the vibration to continue?

Thanks in advance

Sam

 

shut the power to the air handler and check the free spin of the squirrel cage check it for dirt or dust build up....any excess biuld up on the rounds will throw it off.seems wierd after the tech was last guy in something is different?

 

I can't see how adding freon and changing a capacitor would cause a blower to shake. Maybe, if the filter was checked or changed, some crud rolled off of the filter and was drawn into the blower wheel. Or maybe the wheel threw a counter weight.

 

good ideas. My friend is an AC tech and I will have him stop by to take a look at it. Just in case I need to buy a new squirrel cage for this old air handler, what is the best place online to find replacement parts for my air handler?
Thanks

Sam