A/C Voltage Question


  #1  
Old 06-04-02, 05:49 AM
cdawley
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Question A/C Voltage Question

I was testing the breaker outside on my unit. The wires coming into the breaker are measuring 13-14 volts. I then tested the wires at the other end of the breaker and got the same reading. There is also some kind of circuit like a timer that is supposed to cut down on the energy cost during peak times. This box is provided by our electric company. The electricity comes into one end of the breaker and the box and ac unit come into the other end of the breaker. What voltage am I supposed to be reading coming into the breaker? What voltate am I supposed to be reading going out of the breaker? The breaker is a 60-amp breaker. Any information would be helpful.
 
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Old 06-04-02, 09:06 AM
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Last edited by jonathanisaac; 08-03-06 at 07:57 PM.
  #3  
Old 06-04-02, 10:44 AM
cdawley
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That is what I don't understand. I thought that voltage was a little low to be coming out to the A/C unit but wasn't sure if it was supposed to be that low or higher. I will have to trace the wires back to the main breaker box and see if it connects to anything else along the way or if it is on its own circuit. It should be on its own circuit though. I will check that out and go from there.
 
  #4  
Old 06-04-02, 08:26 PM
hvacattack
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careful...

...unless you have a good understanding of electricity (amperage and voltage) you better be careful getting behind that breaker panel, and if you really feel the need to get back there only use one hand...if you use both you might become a path to ground for 240 V at unlimited amperage.
 
  #5  
Old 06-06-02, 05:17 AM
cdawley
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My parents scheduled an appointment for the electric company to come out and test the small box that they provided. The electrician said they don't use those anymore and removed the box from the curcuit. He also tested the voltage and said he was getting 240V from main breaker box, which I don't understand because I measured it 2 days ago and got 13-14 volts. I am still going to test the voltage again and make sure it is 240V. The box that the electrician removed had the thermostat wire hooked to 2 yellow wires. I am going to assume that he removed them from the yellow wires and wired them straight into the breaker. I re-wired the thermostat to the outside unit about a month ago. I wired it according to the way it was wired before when it was working. One wire runs from the thermostat to the compressor. Another wire runs from the disconnect box to the compressor. The thermostat wire is a small 2-conductor wire with brown shielding. I also changed the run-start capacitor to the fan motor because the old one was bad and I tested the fan motor with an ohm meter and got 36 ohms. I fix or repair manual said that I was supposed to get no more than 30 ohms from the fan and anything over 30 ohms would be a possible bad fan motor. The only thing that I haven't tested is the compressor. There is also a small terminal block inside the compressor area that I haven't tested either. Is there a way for me to test the compressor? Any information would be helpful.
 
  #6  
Old 06-06-02, 01:36 PM
RichO
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Check the run amps on the fan,that will give you a better idea of its condition than ohms.You can also check the start and run amps on the compressor.
 
 

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