I have a maytag M6D18E7A-D, it was recently humming when trying to start compressor and would "sometimes" work. A friend who goes to pennco tech took a look at it and said it needed to be cleaned. He cleaned it and when I put it back in the wall now when I turn it on the compressor makes a loud noise and turns right off. My friend looked again and said the piece on top of the compressor is sparking and that it needs replacement. I think the piece is the overload protection but my problem is, why did it work previously and do this now. Also he called it a,(and Im going by what he said not how its spelled) "clickson". Its a samsung compressor. I took the plastic hub off the top and noticed that the piece just sit on there, is that how it is supposed to be? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hello all, I would appreciate any and all advice you can offer. In 2007, I purchased a house with a central air unit (two ton) that was about 10 years old (in the attic). Within two months, it became apparent that we needed a major repair or replacement. We opted for a replacement of the coil and the condenser (I have the make/model info at home – not available at this minute). Since I had no idea what the parts were or how they worked, I was unable to realize how shoddy the workmanship was at the time (I paid $2800 total – Now I have seen other systems and realize how poorly the job was done. Live and learn. 1) No emergency drip pan was installed (I had no idea this was even required). Last year we had a leak and the repairman (a new company – the install company refused to return our calls – which was odd as we had never complained about anything – the unit was now (then) 3 years old and we just assumed we needed a basic repair. After 3 days of “we are busy and will call you back” – we found another company. This company only suggested a drip pan with a flow switch and wanted $1000 to install it. However, at that time, they didn’t even bother opening the coil housing since the leak had stopped and we had no other problems last year – so they assumed it was just condensation (logical if not thorough – since there is NO insulation along any of the metal venting (another lesson learned!) – see No. 2 below re vent insulation. 2) This year we had another leak and again the original installation people refused to return our calls – despite repeated apologies from their receptionist. This time, our temporary drip pans aren’t helping. We found a great company to come out and this guy was fantastic – walked us through every step of the machinery and showed us where corners were cut. This guy explained that the plenum, handler and all duct work should be insulated, otherwise our system was not operating efficiently and cold air would be warm before it made it to our rooms and, in winter, warm air would be cooled in the attic before it made it to the rooms. Again – logical, but I had no idea. 3) The main drip line to the outside was VERY poorly done – rather than slowly transition from the height of the coil drip tray, they cemented the pvc pipe to the unit and forced it downward and bolted it there with bracing – thus allowing the water to flow out. It seems that the forced angling of the pvc eventually cracked the plastic drip pan under the now 4 year old coil. This repairman assured me he would try finding a replacement but it might not be available. Additionally, the installing company cut out a huge 1 foot chunk of the plenum (almost halfway into it) to fit the coil assembly where they wanted it rather than moving it forward to where it should have been. This guy explained that the plenum’s being cut also greatly reduces the efficiency of our system. SOLUTION??? Now that our repair guy spoke to his boss, he said that his boss doesn’t want to fix the unit because it has too many issues – they will only give us an estimate (this weekend) for a complete replacement: venting, coil, blower and condenser. I am sure this will be a HUGE price-tag despite my explaining we don’t have that much to spare right now. Basically, they claim that they don’t want to touch the system and become responsible for all the other mistakes done to it. I can understand that, but is it really necessary to replace the whole unit? I am not sure whether to call other companies since they all charge about 100 just to come to the house (some are charging actual labor fees to provide the estimate). I certainly understand that they shouldn’t work for free and I am not putting down repairmen, I just need a fair opinion of what to do in this case. I DO want the system to be efficient but I don’t think I need to trash the entire system to do so – especially since I have been reading that many people keep repairing 10+ years old units. Any advice? In the meantime, I threw a window unit in to keep the dog cool at least - I can run it when I am home but now that the guy retaped the whole thing, the water found five exit points - so I need to either get this fixed or replaced ASAP - let's hope they have good financing plans! (I can post pics this weekend if anyone needs a laugh ;)