Outside AC unit is running, no air blowing inside


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Old 06-11-15, 08:35 AM
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Outside AC unit is running, no air blowing inside

I did see someone else posted something similar but the details of mine are a bit different. So as the title says - AC is running outside. Inside by the furnace it buzzes for a couple of minutes, then makes some kind of sound like trickling or something on the inside. There was ice on the hose both connected to the AC unit outside and the area where the hose meets the house, as well as some ice where the hose meets the furnace inside.

Not wanting to putz around too much without knowing what I was doing, I removed the huge insulated tubing to the furnace and found the air filter was not only completely caked in hair and crap, but it had somehow fallen out. Also when I looked up into the furnace, there are what looks like two metal filter things that make an upside down "V", those were caked in ice and cat hair, which I removed. I also replaced the filter while I was at it.

But still no luck. I let all of the ice melt overnight. I do believe my girlfriend left her AC set to "on" instead of auto, which might be part of the cause, but I can't figure out what the buzzing then dripping sound may be - it may not even be dripping, but it sounds like a tick tick tick.

Is this something I should try fixing myself, or have her call a professional?
 
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Old 06-11-15, 08:53 AM
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The A/C is freezing up because the blower isn't working. However, it's a good thing that you cleaned out the evaporator coil (inverted V). All you need to do now is to get the blower running again. It could be a bad motor, or something as simple as a bad capacitor (depends upon what type of motor you have). Do you have a wiring diagram (schematic) for the furnace (air handler/blower) that you could post?
 
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Old 06-11-15, 09:31 AM
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Old 06-11-15, 01:43 PM
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Yes, that was helpful. From the model number (A3010), I was able to find the service manual for the furnace. It appears that the blower motor is a "standard" motor that uses a capacitor. Capacitors are relatively inexpensive (compared to the cost of a motor). If you have a voltmeter, you could check to make sure that there is voltage at the motor. You should read 120VAC. If you have voltage at the motor, I would suggest replacing the capacitor (looks like it's connected to 2 brown wires coming from the motor). If you don't have voltage at the motor, it may be the control board. Note that you'll have to tape the door interlock switch to supply power to the unit when you remove the cover.
 
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Old 06-11-15, 02:19 PM
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Thanks so much for your help, Bob! Do you think this is a relatively easy thing to do for someone with minimal knowledge of these things? And are these capacitors relatively easy to acquire (Home Depot, etc)?
 
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Old 06-11-15, 03:18 PM
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I don't think that Home Depot carries capacitors, but I know that Grainger and Amazon.com do. You just need to find the capacitor and get the value (xx MFD) and voltage. Note that you can use a capacitor that has the same or higher voltage rating, however you should get the same capacitance value (MFD). Changing it is easy (once you find where it's located). Be sure the power is off and take a screwdriver with an insulated (plastic or wood) handle and "short" the two terminals together (to ensure that the capacitor is fully discharged. Remove the wires from the old capacitor (they should just plug into the capacitor terminals) and plug them into the new capacitor and mount it where the old one was.

If you don't have a voltmeter and you have a Harbor Freight store near you, you can pick up a basic one for under $10.
 
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Old 06-11-15, 05:25 PM
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I just realized that the service manual I found is NOT for your model A3010 furnace. So, what I told you about the motor using a capacitor may or may not be correct. If you have an ECM motor, it doesn't use a capacitor. I also read that some of the older Goodman air handlers used a relay for the blower and was a common failure item. I don't know if yours has a relay or not.
 
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Old 06-11-15, 07:26 PM
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Thank you again, Bob! We are going to be out of town for a week starting tomorrow but when we get back I think maybe we will call someone to make sure. Electrical stuff isn't my Forte and I also don't want to get into taking apart stuff I'm not sure about. Thanks so much for your advice!
 
 

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