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Need advice outside unit not working

3K views 18 replies 5 participants last post by  hvac5646 
#1 ·
Its a fridgeair, we installed this unit inside and the outside new 3yrs ago. Anyways we had to replace two capcitators in 3yrs already. Came home and the house was hot, the inside unit was blowing, went outside and the outside fan wasnt blowing on the condenser unit, took a screw driver and pushed the blade of the fan and it started working, went inside and the house started cooling, about 30 minutes later, system hasnt cycled yet, it started get hot again, looked at outside unit and the fan was turning. SO my question is this, one any general idea what might be wrong, also does the capcitator also turn on the condenser unit outside, and if so could the "cap" being going out and not activating it??? Also the two coper lines on the outside unit are not cold one bit, had freon checked just last year, along with cleaning of units, filters changed every 30 days
 
#2 ·
Just a lil rant here, but I have never been around a HVAC espically this new 3years, and have giving me such trouble, when the first capcitator went out, less than a year old, we called the installer, "under warranty" he came out and said it went out and would have to charge me 120 for the part because it wasnt covered, the next two I have replaced myself oredring them at Graingers
 
#5 ·
Are you waiting for answers or are you just going to keep posting??:laughing:

Just kidding. Pull the capacitor free and short it out to take the stored energy out of it. Put an ohmmeter across the terminals (1K ohms) and watch the needle....should read resistance at first then swing towards infinity....at least a good capacitor will.:thumbsup:
 
#6 · (Edited)
mixing

could be mixing things up a bit here.

sounds like you pushed the fan blade and got the motor to come on. ok house started to cool then starts blowing warm air again but you look out and the condenser fan motor is operating. is that correct?

Is the compressor coming on/operating while the condenser fan is also?

If this was me (and I would be cheezed off big time for a 3yr old unit) I would shut it all down for an hour and let everything cool off/stabilize.

1.Select cool on the tsat and ask for lower temp

2. when the unit comes on go outside and observe if the compressor and condenser fan are coming on - or one or the other.

3. If they both run feel the pipes - large one (suction) cool/cold small one (liquid line) warmish to hot.

4. If you can isolate just the condenser fan then yes after two run caps you have to look at the condenser coil to make sure it is clean, adequate room around the condenser to move air. no overhangs over the unit. bent blades, broken blades - things that would cause that motor to heat up and cut out and/or blow caps.

See if you can get some more intel and get to the bottom of what is up because 3 years, even with a crappy install, is too soon for all that drama.
 
#10 ·
The cap is bad again, but one thing that has me worried is this, 1st someone replyed that my cap is "only" for the fan, but my condenser isnt coming on either, I have looked for a reset and there isnt one, I was thinking thermal overload, and there is power present on both side of the start relay witch so I know its getting power.
 
#12 ·
you are right if the run cap is bad and the compressor was coming on it will trip out eventually on overload. it will need to cool to what, appx 115 degrees, to reset the internal overload. we use bags of ice or just wait awhile and it will get there. you can confirm this by ohming the windings (if you so desire) and will find C-r and C-S infinity but ohms between R and S.



how bout some pics. you may have two run capacitors now because someone didnt have a dual to swap it out the first time. ive done it, seen the fan side of a dual go bad but comp (herm) good and just dropped in a single until I could get back with the right dual. (it was July)

lets make sure the terminology is right and it will save everyone time. use google images if you are not sure what you are looking at.

still finding the root of the problem should be a priority in my opinion or you will be back here again soon and out more $$$
 
#18 ·
Oh yea I see the made in china part. no joke there is a huge lot of bad run caps that came out from china.

if you have to order one try mars made in mex. thats just me but thats all i use.

can you throw up a pic of the unit and the environment it sits in. whats around, on top of, next to it???

how bout a pic of the condenser coil from the side. just curious
 
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