***CRIMSON RED DAILY THREAD***

[SUPERCOACH]

Nothing over the top or blocking airflow.  I looked at the fan motor and it says that it is thermally protected.  I touched it after it shut off and it is really hot, it almost burns you.  So I am pretty sure it is cutting off because of overheating.  This overheating is probably what caused the last fan motor to eventually fail.

The only reason I can think of that would cause the fan motor to turn hot would be if it isn't getting enough juice, which points back to that capacitor.  I once had a similar problem with a window unit that had to be run off an extension cord.  I had a decent cord, but it wasn't big enough because it was a 50 foot cord.  The length added extra resistance.  I went out and bought a really fat, heavy duty cord that was shorter and that window unit ran just fine.  You could tell that first cord was undersized because it was getting warm.

In this case it is more than likely not the wire, it is all heavy gauge and looks fine.  So it is all pointing back to that capacitor not putting out any juice.  I wish I had a better understanding of what the capacitor's role is in this circuit.  I believe that it is there to smooth out the line power so that it will make the motor run cooler.  If this is the case, then it isn't doing it's job.

I still can't find my digital test meter though.  I have looked every where for it.  I did a basic test with my old analog meter, but it is hard to tell for sure.  I suspect it is bad, but it could just be that the little test meter isn't putting out enough juice to charge it.  I guess what I need to do is disconnect the fan and turn the power back on.  This should charge up that capacitor.  Then I could disconnect the power and measure voltage across the cap with my analog meter.

I'll be right back. 

[SUPERCOACH]

Definitely the capacitor:  Click here for link

I am going out to get another one.

[pmull]

Definitely the capacitor:  Click here for link

I am going out to get another one.

   Let us know when you get it up and running. It's a bad week for AC problems.

[SUPERCOACH]

It is running now.  We'll see how long it works.  If it is still running in a couple of hours then it is probably fixed.

I won't say why that new capacitor was bad.  

Fortunately it was only a $21 part.  I told the guys I bought the parts from what I did and offered to pay for the replacement, but they wouldn't let me.  I guess they know that I will be using them in the future when I finally decide to replace this piece of junk.  These guys have been very helpful.  I should have called them first last year, but we didn't know.  You never know what kind of people you are going to get when you have to resort to finding somebody in the phone book.

[Coach Hank Crisp]

Any of you guys know anything about heat pumps?  I have no AC right now.  The problem is with the outside unit.  The compressor comes on but the fan would slow down and stop after a few minutes.  I checked the fan and it was hard to turn.  I went out and bought a replacement fan motor and capacitor.  I installed it.  It spins much easier.  But it still stops after a little while.

There is a defrost cycle built into the circuit board that will stop the fan motor when it gets below 32 degrees to heat the outside coils up to melt the ice.  I thought the control board might be bad, so I bypassed the defrost cycle.  From studying the wiring diagram, I believe that there isn't anything else in the way that could be turning the fan off.  It is on the same solenoid with the compressor, so if the compressor is running the fan should be too.  It seems like it has to be a bad capacitor to me, even though I bought it new yesterday.  Any thoughts?  Is there something else that could be causing the fan to kick off after a few minutes?

If I could just figure out how to make that darn fan spin I can have AC.  I even put all of my box fans out there last night blowing in from each side with a really strong fan laying on top blowing up.  This actually worked great and it cooled the house down.  I just need something to pull air through the cooling fins and everything else seems to be working.  I am going to try to find my digital multi-meter tomorrow and test the capacitor.  I believe it has to be a bad fan motor or a bad capacitor, and both of them are brand new.  Is there anything else I should check?

Thanks.

If it were me, I would check Air Conditioner Repair in the Yellow Pages. 

Yep, that is what we did last year when I was away all the time.  Unfortunately we picked the wrong guys.  This time around I am going to talk to people around here and see if we can get some recommendations.  But I need to get something going ASAP, even if it is temporary.  It is hot in here.

Check your double pole contactor in outside heat pump. Take a meter and troubleshoot fan circuit back to where you have voltage. Those contactors have leads to compressor and other devices like the fan in some cases. Also contactor, depending on make, may have auxillary contacts to control other circuits that energize during closure.  I had to change my contactor out 2 years ago. One of the silver contacts themself had pitted and was not making good connection after coil was energized. After new contactor in place,  I changed out thermostat with a digital Honeywell unit. My old thermostat used mercury, and when adjusted would sometimes chatter contactor because of mercury making and breaking cicuit. Good luck and be careful on troubleshooting energized circuits.

[SUPERCOACH]

Any of you guys know anything about heat pumps?  I have no AC right now.  The problem is with the outside unit.  The compressor comes on but the fan would slow down and stop after a few minutes.  I checked the fan and it was hard to turn.  I went out and bought a replacement fan motor and capacitor.  I installed it.  It spins much easier.  But it still stops after a little while.

There is a defrost cycle built into the circuit board that will stop the fan motor when it gets below 32 degrees to heat the outside coils up to melt the ice.  I thought the control board might be bad, so I bypassed the defrost cycle.  From studying the wiring diagram, I believe that there isn't anything else in the way that could be turning the fan off.  It is on the same solenoid with the compressor, so if the compressor is running the fan should be too.  It seems like it has to be a bad capacitor to me, even though I bought it new yesterday.  Any thoughts?  Is there something else that could be causing the fan to kick off after a few minutes?

If I could just figure out how to make that darn fan spin I can have AC.  I even put all of my box fans out there last night blowing in from each side with a really strong fan laying on top blowing up.  This actually worked great and it cooled the house down.  I just need something to pull air through the cooling fins and everything else seems to be working.  I am going to try to find my digital multi-meter tomorrow and test the capacitor.  I believe it has to be a bad fan motor or a bad capacitor, and both of them are brand new.  Is there anything else I should check?

Thanks.

If it were me, I would check Air Conditioner Repair in the Yellow Pages.  

Yep, that is what we did last year when I was away all the time.  Unfortunately we picked the wrong guys.  This time around I am going to talk to people around here and see if we can get some recommendations.  But I need to get something going ASAP, even if it is temporary.  It is hot in here.

Check your double pole contactor in outside heat pump. Take a meter and troubleshoot fan circuit back to where you have voltage. Those contactors have leads to compressor and other devices like the fan in some cases. Also contactor, depending on make, may have auxillary contacts to control other circuits that energize during closure.  I had to change my contactor out 2 years ago. One of the silver contacts themself had pitted and was not making good connection after coil was energized. After new contactor in place,  I changed out thermostat with a digital Honeywell unit. My old thermostat used mercury, and when adjusted would sometimes chatter contactor because of mercury making and breaking cicuit. Good luck and be careful on troubleshooting energized circuits.

Thanks, those are great tips.  I didn't think about the contacts having multiple poles.  Just because the compressor side makes contact doesn't mean the fan side is getting solid contact.  If it shuts off again I will check that first.  It is still running at the moment and has already brought the temp down a little in here, so maybe it is fixed now.

[pmull]

SC, how the AC doing? 

[Coach Hank Crisp]

I listen to XM radio and I just heard unemployed Coach Rich Rod talking about how terrible the practice of greyshirting is. Piece of crap individuals like RR need to just shut up. Am I mistaken or did Michigan football program get investigated the last 3 years of the CRR era. Also if he wants to coach again some where he needs to think before he speaks. He needs to learn how to be a college football spectator.
What arrogance. Reminds me of the government.

[XBAMA]

I listen to XM radio and I just heard unemployed Coach Rich Rod talking about how terrible the practice of greyshirting is. Piece of crap individuals like RR need to just shut up. Am I mistaken or did Michigan football program get investigated the last 3 years of the CRR era. Also if he wants to coach again some where he needs to think before he speaks. He needs to learn how to be a college football spectator.
What arrogance. Reminds me of the government.

every time I hear his name or see him on TV I thank God he didn't come to T-Town !

Thank you Jesus ! 

[ricky023]

Hey SC let me know if that fixes it, because I am curious why that capacitor isn't putting out full power? RTR!

[ssmith general]

hmm.. anyone seen WV today?

[Coach Hank Crisp]

hmm.. anyone seen WV today?

I don't recall. I was baking cookies.

 

[2Stater]

hmm.. anyone seen WV today?

He's been very conspicuously absent today. I haven't been on much, but no trace of WV.

[pmull]

hmm.. anyone seen WV today?

He's been very conspicuously absent today. I haven't been on much, but no trace of WV.

He's been missing all day. I just looked and his last activity was 9:04 last night.

[pmull]

hmm.. anyone seen WV today?

He's been very conspicuously absent today. I haven't been on much, but no trace of WV.

Do you think we need to send some village idiots over to check on him?

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