Identify Part

I have a Carrier central air/heating unit. The breaker was thrown this morning when I get up. I turned the breaker on, the inside unit worked as normal. After 15 minutes or so, I noticed the air being blown out was pretty much room temperature, and that the unit outside was not working. The fan outside was not froze up. After a little more investigation, I found this on the outside unit:


It was still a little warm, and smelt like someone was welding.

Can anyone identify what part this is, confirm that it is most likely why the outside fan is not working, and advise how I should proceed?

Thanks in advance.

 

inside of cover connections for compressor, must be shorted and welded. hard fix if your lucky.

 

Looks like blown terminals on the compressor.
Unless it is still under warranty, I'm confident that you need a new outdoor unit.


If the unit is at 0psi or the (isolated) compressor measures continuity to ground, you definitely need a new unit.

You have about a 5% chance that it is only the wiring at the compressor. If this is the case I recommend the Qwik Lug repair kit for this problem...



QT2810-QT2812-QT2910-QT2912 QwikLug

 

Thank you Houston204 and guyold for the responses. To clarify, there is high chance that the unit is junk. Does this most likely mean the compressor unit only needs replaced, or the entire unit outside (fan, housing, compressor, etc)?

 

If it is a grounded compressor...

Under warranty, replace the compressor.
Not under warranty, replace the entire outdoor unit.


Do you own a meter?

 

I have a digital multimeter.

 

Turn off the breaker, write down the wire color = terminal arrangement that your compressor is using, remove the 3 wires, set the meter for ohms, check each compressor terminal to ground.

Any reading other than infinity (OL) to ground would indicate a grounded compressor.

Carrier usually uses this terminal arrangement...

Common / Start
Run


Wear safety glasses

Refrigerant and oil is 150 to 200 psi here when the unit is off and the terminals are damaged

 

if its the wiring fix it. compressor and work involved is a big down payment for a new unit.imo get new unit.

 

Thank you both again for the quick responses.

I didn't make it as far as testing the ground. I pulled the plug off and one of the terminals crumbled. The inside of the plug too looked impressive.

I am not sure how old the unit is. The model number on the outside unit is "38YMA036320". I think its time to start calling around for quotes on a new system as suggested. Should I expect them to recommend replacing the inside unit as well (because of the age, or is it likely a newer outdoor unit is incompatible with what I have on the inside)?

 

if it was r22 and me i would get only outside unit ,they still have them here but the freon is expensive. better then paying for indoor and out and maybe lines.

 

The first digits of the serial number indicate week and year of manufacture.

I recommend replacing the air handler as well with heat pumps since the indoor coils serves as the condenser coil in the heat mode.

 

Indoor unit manufactured the 48th week of 94, and the outdoor unit was manufactured the 2nd week of 94. The type of freon is R22. I scheduled an appointment with an HVAC specialist tomorrow. Thanks again!

 

replace that unit................ enough said.