Condenser Motor Tango Uniform?

toleg · 02-04-2010, 12:46 AM

I have a Comfortmaker 10 that's been here longer than I have, so it's more than 10 yrs old. The landlord has looked after it until recently, now it's on me. A while back the outside fan motor began to have trouble spinning. I could give it a "push-start", and it would then kick in and accelerate up to speed. Based on this I figured I needed either a new hard start cap (there was already one there when I looked at it) or maybe a switch to a stronger cap.

The problem now is that the fan acts as though it's siezed up when there is power to it. If I try to push the blades, there is much more friction, whereas before the fan would turn easily. Also, when I disconnect the power by removing the outside fuses, the fan blades do spin freely. No smoke, no smells, lots of moaning -from the unit, I mean.

Once or twice I was able to get the fan going with a strong push. It would struggle to generate some RPM, then would stop after about 10 to 30 seconds.

Could a new hard start cap fix the problem, or is the motor T*** U*?

What do i do next?

**beenthere** · 02-04-2010, 01:52 AM

The motor is toasted.

Hard starts aren't generally not used on fan motors.

You may be thinking a run cap is a hard start cap. its not.

SULTINI · 02-04-2010, 07:23 AM

If and when you buy a new motor don't forget the new capacitor to go with it.

peyton · 02-04-2010, 12:28 PM

Could the motor just need some lubrication? Mine seized up and the tech put a little oil (it has oil ports) in it, worked it around a bit and voila! It's been several years now with no problems. I do now oil it yearly.

Peyton

**beenthere** · 02-04-2010, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peyton

Could the motor just need some lubrication? Mine seized up and the tech put a little oil (it has oil ports) in it, worked it around a bit and voila! It's been several years now with no problems. I do now oil it yearly.

Peyton

Quote:

The problem now is that the fan acts as though it's siezed up when there is power to it. If I try to push the blades, there is much more friction, whereas before the fan would turn easily. Also, when I disconnect the power by removing the outside fuses, the fan blades do spin freely.

He said the blades spin freely without power to the motor.

What he describes is a winding to winding short causing a shunt.
It will smoke if its left powered like this for too long. And can weld the contactor contacts together.

peyton · 02-04-2010, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

He said the blades spin freely without power to the motor.

Missed that sentence. Sorry

Peyton

toleg · 02-04-2010, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

The motor is toasted.

Hard starts aren't generally not used on fan motors.

You may be thinking a run cap is a hard start cap. its not.

You're right beenthere, I did think that. thank you for clarifying.

toleg · 02-04-2010, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peyton

Could the motor just need some lubrication? Mine seized up and the tech put a little oil (it has oil ports) in it, worked it around a bit and voila! It's been several years now with no problems. I do now oil it yearly.

Peyton

No oil ports, unfortunately

toleg · 02-04-2010, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

He said the blades spin freely without power to the motor.

What he describes is a winding to winding short causing a shunt.
It will smoke if its left powered like this for too long. And can weld the contactor contacts together.

Beenthere,

That makes perfect sense to me, and is oddly reassuring. At least I don't have to keep questioning what is wrong. There's no way to repair the windings, is there?