[RnCharlie65]

Hello Everyone.

I replaced a dual run capacitor on a Rheem Ramb 042Jaz last week. The original capacitor was gray rating is a 370 volt (55/5). I took photos and marked wires and connected the new Amrad 370/440 (55/5) the same way as the old one.

I am unsure if the fan is turning in the proper direction. The fan motor is a GE 5KCP39GGS325S. According to the arrow on the side on the motor, it is supposed to be running in reverse.(?) Air is blowing up from the fan and the pull from the sides feels weak, but it passed the paper test.

One the old capacitor, when facing the compressor, the fan wire (brown) was connected to the fan on the left prong. On the Amrad capacitor, I connected it the same as before. Is it possible that the new cap has different positions for clockwise and reverse? Since installing, the unit is running longer, the blower speed is erratic, my reserve coil pan has water in it from a slow drip for the first time. My daily kwh usage has increased by 15 watts.

Thanks for your help.

 

[biggles]

the new cap has stamps at the terminals FAN...Hermetic... do you still have the schematic on the condenser cover..but it has t be right or it won't run.the erratic fan might be on its way out... is it original? discharging of air up into your face is standard on most residential condensers...how does the liquid line feel warm hot suction should be beer :wink: can ice cold.just did my neighbors exact condenser brand new fan motor,cap and contactor from 5' of Hurricane Sandy back in November 2012 ..his condenser turned 180 degrees on the suction elbow with R-22 in the system from the surge waves.lucked out backed it over 180 to the original position and he is banging cooling last time I saw him.... the motor rotation is seen looking down at the shaft as if a gun barrel and if motor doesn't state rotation options it isn't changeable....one arrow one direction...

 

[RnCharlie65]

Sorry, I've been out today. The larger line is sweaty and cold. The smaller/liquid line is not hot, but warm sort of. My neighbors was hotter than mine. The insulation needs replacing on the sweaty line.

I called Amrad tech support. She said that it makes no difference which prong the fan wire is connected as long as it's the section labeled fan of the capacitor. The fan will run in the direction of which it was designed (?), unless there is a switch on my unit. I have no switch. As far as I can tell the condenser fan is running counterclockwise.

I still do not understand why I have huge increase in my daily kwh usage. I have noticed that the air coming from my indoor vent is weak and cool when it kicks on and builds up speed to cold toward the end of the cycle. My HVAC company installed a new thermostat on Saturday. With the old thermostat, the air gushed out cold, them leveled off to cool.

It seems that the cooling cycle is backwards. Thanks for your help. BTW, the thermostat is a Toptech P-705. single stage, programmable but very basic.

 

[Doc Holliday]

have someone check your refrigerant levels. gauges connected to the system while running will tell us much more than what you may or may not assume.

 

[Doc Holliday]

if you want to you can try switching the fan black wire (connected at the contactor) and the fan common wire(orange at the capacitor common) to see if the rotation changes and if the system works but it's pretty obvious which way the fan is spinning or should. Look at the blades and their curvature. What direction do they look like they need to spin to push air out of the top and then, are they spinning in that direction?

 

[Doc Holliday]

switch on unit means directional (polarity) wires on a replacement condenser fan motor. Changing a cap should not change the direction of the fan by any means if that is all that is done.

it does not sound as if the cap is the problem any longer. it sounds , if you do have it wired in correctly, that something else is the issue and many times a different issue takes out the cap. The cap going out could be a symptom of a bigger issue. Are you certain the capacitor is exactly the same microfarads? Are you sure the compressor requires 55 mfd and the condenser fan 5 mfd? Are you sure you installed the right cap?

Why did you install a new cap? Did you check the old one's mfd output? It doesn't appear to be bad visually.

 

[RnCharlie65]

I replaced the original cap because last summer the my condenser fan motor stopped turning and the inside was blowing warm air. My lights would also flick for a split second when the ac kicked in. We cleaned the coil and left it off for a few hours and it was ok.

I had an ac company out for maintenance in April, they said that the capacitor read 48.5 when it should be 55. I did not want it to go completely out in the middle of a hot summer. The old one was 10 yrs old. Thanks again.

Could a clog in the line be a problem? The thermostat was replaced also.

 

[RnCharlie65]

Are you sure the compressor requires 55 mfd and the condenser fan 5 mfd? Are you sure you installed the right cap?

I am sure that I installed the right cap. I even opened the box in the store.

 

[beenthere]

Post a pic of the fan blades. We can tell you which way they should spin then.

 

[RnCharlie65]

Post a pic of the fan blades. We can tell you which way they should spin then.

Hello again. I have a couple of pics. The fan blade curves to the right. Fan is currently turning counterclockwise. Thanks again.

 

[beenthere]

They should spin counter clock wise looking down at them.

 

[RnCharlie65]

They should spin counter clock wise looking down at them.

Thank you Beenthere. The little arrow on the fan motor points to a counterclockwise rotation. This narrows down my issue to the new thermostat, a stopped drain or God forbid, something else.