[martycoffey]

Hello all. Thank you already to anyone taking the time to read this. I have a Rheem RALB-030JAZ outdoor unit. Yesterday while weeding around it, I noticed that the smaller (I'm guessing low voltage) red, white and green wires going into the back of the unit had become frayed. In attempting to push them back up inside the unit to protect them until I could re-cover them, one of them (I'm pretty sure the white one) made contact with the outer cover of the unit. There was a spark, and the unit cut off immediately and won't turn back on. I checked the breaker, and it was not flipped. I flipped it off and back on just to make sure, and the unit still would not come back on. I then turned the breaker back off to go out and work on the unit. I went to the wall-mounted electrical disconnect near the unit and pulled out the connection there (it is a kind that does not contain fuses there). Then I removed the back access panel on the outdoor unit and visually inspected that there is nothing burnt or frayed or obviously wrong there. From this point, I'm stumped. If anyone has any ideas to help me, I'd be extremely appreciative. If anything I've said above is unclear, I'd be glad to try again to explain, or provide pictures, etc. Thank you!

 

[roughneck]

Blew a fuse, or the transformer. Do you have control voltage at the transformer?

 

[martycoffey]

OK. I can check and see. I'm sorry to be a burden on anyone trying to help, but feel free to go ahead and treat me like a moron because I am barely treading water as far as understanding everything I'm doing and reading online about this issue. I have a (crappy) multimeter but am not too knowledgeable about it either. Can you tell me what to set it to and where to test?

Well, I just tried to attach some pictures (and a picture of my crappy multimeter too, and the forum tells me I "need at least 1 to post links"...

 

[martycoffey]

OK, I took the multimeter out and I can verify that I have a reading of about 243 on the heavy gauge line going in. On the other side of the transformer though, I get no reading.

 

[roughneck]

Look for a fuse or breaker. Otherwise you'll need a new transformer.

 

[martycoffey]

When I press the little spring-loaded center section of the transformer down, the unit will turn on and seem normal. I guess it's just not working properly and magnetizing to pull that down itself. Do you think that means the transformer should be replaced? Someone else is advising me I may have damaged the wire itself back up in the wall. Is that a possibility?

 

[raylo32]

If it was the low voltage wires from the thermostat the transformer and fuse in question are on the furnace control board in the inside air handler unit.

 

[roughneck]

Your not looking at the transformer, or right piece of equipment at all.
The transformer isn't inside the outdoor unit.

 

[martycoffey]

Simple 3 amp fuse in the indoor unit. Back up and running. Thanks for your help!

 

[raylo32]

Glad you got it working, Marty. Tape up those wires so they can't short out again.

Simple 3 amp fuse in the indoor unit. Back up and running. Thanks for your help!